Westchester Community College Athletics

Anyone attending SUNY Westchester back in 1971 knew that the Football team was untouchable, literally. The Vikings were undefeated only succumbing to a 7-7 tie against Marist College the first game of the season and ultimately ranked #1 in the Club Football polls. Outscoring their opponents 261 to 69 and winning both the ECCFC Championship over Providence College and the Metropolitan Bowl Game over St. John’s University. Don Scarcella, a Sophomore Center for Westchester, would be right in the middle of the Vikings winning ways.
Born in Fordham Hospital in the Bronx, Scarcella would grow up in the Bronx eventually graduating Cardinal Hayes High School in 1970. Don would enter Westchester Community College looking for an opportunity to play under Hall of Fame Head Coach Tom Comenzo at the Valhalla Campus knowing the storied success of the program.
Scarcella would make the team and at center of the Offensive line, help the Vikings to a 4-3 record under Comenzo’s direction. During the ’70 season, the Vikings would shock cross-town rival Pace University holding them to only one first down late in the fourth quarter to win 21-0 and bring back the Century Trophy back to the WCC Student Center.
The 1971 season the newly formed Eastern Collegiate Club Football Conference would place Westchester in the Metropolitan Division alongside Marist, Norwalk Community College, Fairfield University, University of New Haven, and rival Iona College. Scarcella, now a seasoned Sophomore was eager to build off the ’70 season. In historic fashion, Don and the Vikings would go undefeated and go on to win both the EECFC Championship and Metropolitan Bowl.
After his time here at SUNY Westchester, Don moved onto the College of New Rochelle where he graduated with his Bachelors in Science and Social Science in 1974. Planning on going into teaching and coaching soon after his graduation, he found there were limited jobs available. In 1985, he went into the industrial and medical field to eventually open up A1 Welding and Safety Equipment Company. In 2025, he will be celebrating his 40th year with the company!