SUFFOLK DIVISION I Mike Williams, Floyd: The senior halfback had a 76-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and added a 45-yard scoring run as Floyd defeated Longwood, the defending Long Island Class I champions, 26-16. Williams finished with 210 all-purpose yards.
FLOYD 6 14 6 0 26 LONGWOOD 8 0 8 0 16
L – Holmes 7 run (Hardy run)
F – Williams 76 Kickoff return (pass failed)
F – Williams 45 run (run failed)
F – Brown 20 pass VanDerlaske (Swift run)
L – Hardy 1 run (Holmes pass) Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 20 Sep 1999:
Longwood Still the One / Big plays key Lions’ victory over Lindenhurst: [SUFFOLK Edition]
Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, 03 Oct 1999:
It is fair to assume the seedings this season in Suffolk Division I can be thrown out the proverbial window. And No. 6 Lindenhurst would have liked to continue the string of upsets that have befallen the three top football seeds at Patchogue-Medford, Longwood and Sachem thus far.
Lindenhurst was trying to establish itself as the real thing on its home turf yesterday against Longwood, Long Island’s defending Class I champion. Longwood, coming off a four-point win over Patchogue, was attempting to squash the uprising in which the top three seeds won only one of six games through the first two weeks.
So after yesterday’s rugged encounter, won by Longwood, 20-3, Lindenhurst coach Rich Biancaniello said it best: “It was no accident that Longwood won the Long Island title last year. And we saw why they’re a team to beat. They made the big plays that win games.” The upheaval in Division I continued this weekend when Floyd beat top- seeded Patchogue on Friday night, sending the Red Raiders to an improbable 0-3 start.
Biancaniello can study the films and point to three pivotal plays for his team’s demise. A fumble, a fake punt and a deflected pass for an interception led to all 20 points for Longwood.
“We made some big mistakes,” Biancaniello said. “It was just a nightmare of a game.” Lindenhurst (2-1) opened the scoring on Mike Kelly’s 31-yard field goal with 4:31 left in the first quarter. The score capped a 10-play, 64-yard drive in which quarterback Erik Conroy completed 3 of 4 passes for 41 yards.
Longwood (2-1) responded with a 59-yard drive to the Bulldogs’ 21 but failed to score when Brendan Farrell blocked a 38-yard field- goal attempt. But after Conroy hit Mike Hamanjian with a 32-yard pass to the Longwood 45 on third-and-9, it all went sour for the Bulldogs. Conroy muffed the next snap and Mark Taddeo scooped up the loose ball and returned it 21 yards to Lindenhurst’s 41. Four plays later, halfback Daquan Hardy scampered into the end zone from 4 yards. Quarterback D.J. Holmes added the two-point conversion to make it 8- 3 with 7:49 remaining.
“He makes big plays,” Longwood coach Joe Cipp III said. “That really got us going.” Longwood drove inside the Bulldogs’ 15 on two of its next three possessions and came away with no points. The Lions got to the Bulldogs’ 7 with six seconds left in the half, but Danny Lanning came up to stop Holmes for a 3-yard loss.
And Farrell and Charlie Eidenweil short-circuited a third-quarter drive with Eidenweil’s sack and Farrell’s fourth-down tackle on Holmes for a 2-yard loss.
“We lost one of our best players last week and knew it would be tough,” Eidenweil said.
Lindenhurst linebacker Joe Fischer was lost for at least six weeks after he broke his left arm against Floyd. “We operated on him and put a special rod in his forearm ,” said Dr. Frank Segreto of Elite Sports. “With the right rehab he could come back.” The Lindenhurst defense could use Fischer, who had 21 tackles in the first two games. The defining moment yesterday came when Longwood marched 57 yards in 15 plays and used 9:03 to take a 14-3 lead on Hardy’s 1-yard run. The key play was a fake punt at the Lindenhurst 35. The ball was snapped to Hardy, the up back, who followed a block from Joe Stelke for 18 yards and a first down.
“We didn’t even have a punt return on,” Biancaniello said. “We knew it was a fake.” Cipp credited coach Bernard Hanson for working that play in practice and Cipp’s brother, Jeff, the linebackers coach, for convincing him to call it.
“Great play call and it wasn’t mine,” he said with a laugh. “They talked me into it.” On the ensuing possession, Hardy’s interception set up Jamie Fabian’s 3-yard touchdown run with 1:59 left to seal the win.
“I told the kids the pressure was on them, not us,” Cipp said. “But we still have a lot to do.” But it’s a little less than Patchogue and Sachem.
DIVISION I / Longwood Beats Connetquot
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 10 Oct 1999
Longwood 26, Connetquot 25: Give Connetquot credit for going for the win instead of the tie. Give Longwood (3-1) the nod for having the defense rise to the challenge and hold on for the win. Lions inside linebacker Joe Stelke and safety Mark Taddeo stopped Tim Fischer on a run up the middle with 3 minutes left in the game. Connetquot kicked off and recovered the onside kick, but the Lions’ defense held, as quarterback Tim Craig threw incomplete on a fourth- and-long play. Longwood tailback DaQuan Hardy led the offense with 110 yards on eight carries and returned three punts for 104 yards, including a 97-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Stelke had nine tackles, including two for a loss. Connetquot is 2-2.
Sachem 24, Longwood 12: Jason Kling rushed for 215 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries to lead Sachem (3-2). Justin Dowling had 37 yards receiving and a touchdown on four receptions for Sachem (3-2), which had 305 total yards. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 17 Oct 1999:
Brentwood Stays On Its Perfect Roll: [SUFFOLK Edition]
ByTom Rock. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 24 Oct 1999:
Even before yesterday’s game at Longwood had ended, the fans who support Brentwood football started the chant.
“Un-de-feat-ed!” In reality, there is quite a way to go. Two more regular-season games plus two Division I playoff games and a Long Island Class I championship game must be won before that label will have real meaning. But if Brentwood’s 19-6 win over Longwood – last year’s un-de-feat-ed – is any indicator, the Indians are well on their way.
“In the beginning of the year we didn’t think we’d be two games away from an undefeated regular season,” Brentwood coach Bob Kolar said. “We were hoping to just get into the playoffs, but we’re happy with where we are now.” Midway through the second quarter Longwood tried to punt from its 44-yard line, but a high snap gave Brentwood the ball at the Longwood 33. Four plays later Dwaine Reid scored on a 23-yard run for a 7-0 lead with the extra point.
Longwood punted on its following possession, and Reid returned it 45 yards to the 20, setting up quarterback Edy Lobo’s 1-yard touchdown run. Brentwood (6-0) scored again on the first possession of the third quarter when Reid took it 67 yards up the sideline for a 19-0 lead. Reid ran for 204 yards on 12 carries and also had an 89- yard run called back on a penalty.
“We felt good coming into the season but we didn’t think we’d dominate the league like this,” Reid said. “Right now everybody has the confidence that we can’t be beat.” Brentwood also stepped up defensively. Longwood‘s first two possessions ended on turnovers – one on a fumble recovered by Chris Porter after a jarring hit by Lobo and another on an interception by Jude Brun. Longwood (3-3) didn’t get within 40 yards of the end zone until the fourth quarter. Brentwood made a goal-line stand midway through the fourth before the Lions scored on Tremaine France’s 6-yard run with 3:26 remaining. Brun’s second interception put the game away.
“We’re amped,” Lobo said. “Brentwood hasn’t been this good in 13 years, and it feels good. This is our year.”
Longwood 27, Northport 21: Longwood took a 27-0 halftime lead and survived a tense second half to stay in the playoff picture. Tremaine Frace capped the opening drive with a 6-yard run to give Longwood (4- 3) a 7-0 lead. Later in the first quarter, quarterback Brian Doohan found Marley Watkins for a 30-yard touchdown pass and a 13-0 lead. The Lions scored on four of their five first-half possessions. –
Jamie Fabian ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, and D.J. Holmes had 100 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries for Longwood, which totaled 315 rushing yards. On defense, Dan Sable had 10 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 caused fumble and 1 recovered fumble. Northport is 3-4. Oct. 31
Central Islip 14, Longwood 6: The Central Islip defense stuffed Longwood (4-4) on the Musketeers 19-yard line on a fourth-and-1 play with 4:30 left.
Linebacker Vladimir Silverio came up big when he stopped Lions quarterback D.J. Holmes on an option run. Central Islip (4-3-1) ran out the clock to end the game. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 07 Nov 1999:
SUFFOLK DIVISION I / Brentwood Triumphs in Breeze: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]
Barry Hauptman. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 21 Nov 1999
When you match the offense that is thought to be best in Suffolk County against the defense that is considered the strongest, the result should be simple to predict. The team that gets the breaks will win.
Such was the determination in Brentwood’s 22-3 defeat of Lindenhurst in the Suffolk Division I final yesterday at Brentwood’s Frank Mauro Stadium, before a crowd of 2,900.
Brentwood intercepted quarterback Erik Conroy three times and sacked him, forcing a fumble, on his only third-quarter pass attempt. Two of the errant passes were returned for scores and the fumble recovery led to the only offensive touchdown of the game.
Brentwood’s win, in the school’s first appearance in a division final since 1972-combined with Huntington’s loss in the Division III final-leaves Brentwood (11-0) as the only undefeated Long Island football team. The Indians now will meet Farmingdale (8-2) in the Long Island Class I championship next weekend.
A strong south-to-north wind was present throughout the game. So powerful were the gusts that Indians coach Bob Kolar deferred on his team’s win of the coin toss, electing to give up the ball and receive the wind at Brentwood’s backs in the first and fourth quarters. And the move paid off.
Brendan Farrell opened the game with three short runs for a first down. But the drive stalled abruptly when Conroy launched the passing game.
Defensive back Tom Blumenauer came on a blitz on second down, nailing the 6-6, 205-pound passer as he threw. Then, on third down, linebacker Antonio Pegues got his hands on a short pass, which ended up in the grasp of Ollrich Louis, who raced 37 yards for a 7-0 lead.
“We made mistakes too,” Kolar said. “Penalties cost us three big plays.” The difference, however, is that only one of Brentwood’s miscues, a blocked punt on the first drive of the second half, led to a Lindenhurst scoring opportunity. And even that turned into a positive, when the Indians defense held Mike Kelly to just a yard on three carries from the 5-yard line. The Bulldogs settled for a 21- yard John Maes field goal to narrow the lead to 7-3.
But, the stand took the winds from the Lindenhurst sails.
On the ensuing drive, tailbacks Dwaine Reid and Chris Porter munched up the clock as they had in the third quarter a week ago in a 27-6 win over Longwood.
Reid, who came into the game with 1,259 yards and 17 TDs, was held to 43 yards on 14 carries. He did, however, have a 32-yard run and a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown brought back on penalties.
“Stuff like that happens in championship games,” Reid said. “We had trouble getting the blockers out against them.” Porter scored on a 3-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter, capping a 67-yard drive that began with his own sack of Conroy, which caused the fumble.
After the teams traded punts, Conroy-who missed his first eight pass attempts through three quarters, finally made five connections on his first eight in the fourth.
But Porter, who patrols the defensive backfield in his spare time, returned an interception 46 yards for the clinching score, six minutes later.