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Installed in 1978 … came to Rockland in 1948 as a coach at Tappan Zee H.S. … during the next six years, his teams proceeded to win six Rockland PSAL titles, one co-championship, and four Section 9 titles, all in basketball (1951 through 1954) … under Mottola, the Flying Dutchmen, led by a group of multi-talented athletes like Joe D’Auria, Howie Pierson and Hubie Nealy, won the county football title in 1950 and 1953, shared the championship with Pearl River in 1949, captured the PSAL basketball crown in 1953 and 1954 (as well as those four Section 9 Class C banners), and repeated as county baseball champs in 1953 and ‘54 … in six years coaching football at TZ, he posted a 39-5 record with two undefeated seasons … after a two-year stint as athletic director and football coach at East Meadow H.S. on Long Island, Mottola returned to Rockland in 1956 to become football coach at Suffern H.S. … his 1959 gridiron squad shared the county championship with Nyack … Mottola retired from coaching in 1966 and spent the next 10 years as Suffern’s athletic director … during that time Suffern won Rockland or Section 9 championships in various sports, including football, cross country, wrestling, lacrosse and ice hockey … he was a Rockland PSAL and Section 9 wrestling chairman for several years … Mottola grew up in Tuxedo in Orange County and led the school’s basketball team to 22 straight wins and Orange County and Section 9 crowns … after graduating from Temple University, he signed with the Boston Red Sox as a left-handed-hitting first baseman … a knee injury ended his playing career after two years, 1939-40 … coached nine championship teams in baseball, basketball and cross country at Riverhead (L.I.) H.S. from 1945 to ‘48.