Longwood – Season Preview
Coach: Adam DeWitt (second season).
Key players: Sr. QB/DB Anthony Borriello (5-11, 180), Sr. FB/LB Mike Robertson (6-1, 195), Sr. OL/DL Sean Kluber (6-2, 245).
On the Lions: Can the sequel be as good as the premiere? The 2004 Longwood tale was a story about a first-year head coach taking an underachieving group of players, molding them and producing a Class I Long Island champion. The Lions stormed through the Suffolk playoffs, avenging regular-season losses to Floyd and Patchogue- Medford and then walloped Farmingdale in the title game. The maturation of starting quarterback Anthony Borriello had as much to do with Longwood’s rise as the running ability of the now-graduated Brett Wilson, an All-Long Island halfback. Borriello leads an experienced team in defense of the Class I Long Island crown. The schedule in the early part of the season is one of the toughest on Long Island as the Lions face five straight programs with winning records, including Floyd and Patchogue-Medford.
Longwood 48, Northport 35: Mike Robertson rushed for 151 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns for defending top-seeded Class I Long Island champion Longwood. Anthony Borriello rushed for 63 yards on 10 carries and threw for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 6-for- 12 passing. No. 7 Northport is 0-1. Sept. 18
LONGWOOD 27, SACHEM EAST 21, Borriello, Wali make OT connection: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]
TOM ALLEGRA. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 24 Sep 2005:
Sheblee Wali is known for his sideline-to-sideline pursuit from his linebacker position. But it was the Longwood senior’s soft hands and powerful legs on offense as a tight end that made the difference in Friday night’s Suffolk Division I matchup against Sachem East.
Wali’s 21-yard touchdown reception in the first overtime gave Longwood a 27-21 victory in front of 2,500 fans at Sachem East. With the Lions (2-0) facing third-and-11, Wali came back to grab the rollout pass from quarterback Anthony Borriello (13-for-24, 231 yards, three TDs) at the 12-yard line, slipped his defender and raced into the end zone standing up.
“I was telling my coach [Adam DeWitt] the whole game, just get me the ball and I’ll run over people,” said the the 6-1, 230-pound Wali, who finished with four receptions for 54 yards.
Sachem tailback Matt Ferber did most of the running over would- be tacklers. He rushed for 175 yards on 28 carries, including a 68- yard scamper that set up Joseph Biondolillo’s 3-yard touchdown run with 2:41 left in regulation. Russell Draghi’s ensuing extra point knotted the score at 21 less than two minutes after Erik Merkerson ran him over on the 11-yard scoring run that gave Longwood the lead.
Longwood won the overtime coin toss and elected to take the ball second. Sachem East (1-1) had a fourth-and-3 from the 13-yard line on its overtime possession, but Lions linebacker Mike Tricarico sacked John Sacco.
“Our tight end was wide open in the end zone,” Sachem East coach Al Bertolone said. “We just didn’t pick up the blitz.”
Said Ferber: “I look forward to seeing them again in the playoffs.”
DIVISION I, Brentwood shuts down No. 1 Longwood: [SUFFOLK Edition]
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 02 Oct 2005:
James Kuhlmeier’s 4-yard touchdown run with six minutes left in the second quarter was all Brentwood needed in an upset of last year’s Class I Long Island champion.
Kuhlmeier had 154 yards on 34 carries as fifth-seeded Brentwood beat top seed Longwood, 14-0, yesterday in a Suffolk Division I football game. Kuhlmeier’s touchdown was set up by Robert Moore’s 50- yard punt return to the 4-yard line.
Moore later caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tony Goode with 6:30 left to make it 14-0. Offensive linemen Donato Gonzalez, Omari Brown and Johkari Royal helped Brentwood (2-1) amass 187 rushing yards, and the Indians’ defense limited Longwood to 89 yards of total offense, 15 in the second half. Longwood is 2-1.
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DREAM SEASON, Floyd vs. Longwood always exciting: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]
JEFF GOLD. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 07 Oct 2005:
It isn’t always this easy.
Picking the dream game of the week before the season led to some difficult choices. Make sure Nassau, Suffolk and the CHSAA are all covered. Avoid blowouts. Seek compelling matchups, storylines, rivalries, history – and of course, top quality teams.
If there was one regular-season game to go to, tonight is the one when Longwood hosts Floyd at 6 p.m.
It’s a battle of the last two Suffolk Division I champions. A battle of two perennial powers whose schools are just eight miles apart. Two teams with respect for the other, and an insatiable desire to return to the top.
“They know us. We know them,” Longwood coach Adam DeWitt said. “There are kids who are a couple streets away from going to the other school. There’s a different feeling the whole week we play them.”
A year ago, Floyd was on its way to a magical season. Trying to complete its second straight county title, it was upset by Longwood in the Division I final, 27-20. During the regular season, Floyd defeated Longwood, 42-12.
“There’s no doubt to beat them by 30 and lose in county finals was a shock,” Floyd coach Paul Longo said. “They played a great game and we just played our worst game.”
A year later, top-seeded Longwood was supposed to come into this game as the favorite, but a hiccup against Brentwood last week has left No. 3 Floyd as the only remaining undefeated team in Division I.
For Floyd (3-0), Terry Stoner has stepped in as one of Suffolk’s best quarterbacks and Blair Bines is an intimidating hitter on defense.
Longwood (2-1) has a two-year starter in Anthony Borriello at quarterback and one of the top linebackers in Sheblee Wali.
DREAM SEASON, FLOYD 22, LONGWOOD 19, Colonials get comeback W Series: DREAM SEASON. This is the fourth game of the Dream Season.: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]
JEFF GOLD. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 08 Oct 2005:
They walked onto the bus a self-assured group. Perhaps too confident for Paul Longo’s comfort. Floyd’s coach never needs to worry about his players feeling doubt. No concerns over nerves no matter how big the game.
A 17-minute bus ride full of reminders of responsibilities and motivational speeches and Floyd had arrived. Floyd vs. Longwood. The familiar foes. The last two Suffolk Division I champions. The neighbors were set to meet again.
A classic was about to commence. The L.I. powers added another chapter to this rivalry as Floyd rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit Friday night to defeat Longwood, 22-19.
“This is one of the best regular-season wins I’ve ever had,” said Longo, in his 11th year. “To come back from 13 against Longwood was just unbelievable.”
Longwood defeated Floyd in the last Suffolk title game after Floyd had won during the regular season.
With Floyd (4-0) trailing 19-14 with 6:30 left and the ball on its own 27, quarterback Terry Stoner hit wide receiver Rob Zippel for what appeared to be a short gain before Zippel escaped onrushing Longwood (2-2) defenders and ran down the sideline to Longwood‘s 20 for 53 yards.
Three plays later, Zippel made a one-handed, 10-yard catch on third-and-9 to keep Floyd’s drive alive in a play Longo referred to as “a twilight zone catch.”
“I just put my hand up and gripped it, but I was surprised I had it,” Zippel said.
Anthony Minerva’s 4-yard run gave Floyd a 20-19 lead and the Colonials added the two-point conversion.
Floyd sealed the victory when Jamar Johnson forced a fumble by Mike Robertson at Floyd’s 44 with 1:36 left that was recovered by Carmine Tanzillo.
The first half was dominated by Longwood. A 74-yard run by Robertson set up Longwood‘s first touchdown. Quarterback Anthony Borriello ran for a 5-yard score to give Longwood a 13-0 lead with 3:45 left in the half. Borriello also hit Sheblee Wali on an 80- yard TD to give Longwood a 19-7 lead with 3:18 left in the third quarter.
After a first half in which Floyd struggled to move the ball out of a spread offense, the Colonials switched back to wing-T and I- formation sets. With a ground game that was non-existent in the first half now an option, Floyd’s preferred method of moving the ball through the air was more effective, and Longwoodstruggled to contain that.
Stoner finished 11-for-24 for 225 yards and two TDs. In the second half, he was 6-for-9 for 130 yards and both scores.
“They’re a championship team and made some great adjustments at halftime,” Longwood coach Adam DeWitt said. “We just need to bounce back. This doesn’t end our season.”
This is the fourth game of the Dream Season.
Longwood 32, Connetquot 7: Anthony Borriello’s 77-yard touchdown pass to Erik Merkerson with 2:38 left in the first half sparked a 25- 0 run for Longwood (3-2). Merkerson had a 46-yard TD run in the third to give Longwood a 20-7 lead. Mike Robinson [CORRECTION: Longwood halfback Mike Robertson scored two touchdowns in Saturday’s win over Connetquot. His name was misspelled in Sunday’s editions. pg. A19 NS 10/18/05] added 125 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Connetquot is 1-4. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 16 Oct 2005:
LONGWOOD 28, PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD 14, Wali has a big night, Senior linebacker makes defensive stop of game late in fourth: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]
TOM ALLEGRA. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 22 Oct 2005:
It’s fourth-and-2 from the Longwood 29-yard line. The Patchogue- Medford offense is lined up tight. Longwood has 11 men stacked in the box. There is little room for error on either side of the ball.
On one side is Red Raiders running back Chris Hanlon, who three plays earlier converted a fourth-and-short, and earlier in the half broke off the tying 46-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-inches. Both plays went off right tackle.
Lined up over right tackle is Longwood linebacker Sheblee Wali, an All-Long Island player who finds himself in the right time on Friday nights, as demonstrated by his winning TD catch in overtime four weeks ago against Sachem East.
Wali broke into the backfield on an eagle stunt and stopped Hanlon for a 1-yard loss with 4:03 left as Longwood preserved a seven-point lead in its 28-14 home win over Patchogue-Medford on Friday night in a Suffolk Division I football game.
Patchogue-Medford quarterback Nick Izzo slipped on the wet grass just before making the handoff, giving Wali just enough time to shoot the gap and stuff Hanlon.
“Whenever we need a big play, Sheblee always comes up big for us,” said Longwood fullback Mike Robertson, who had 183 yards and two TDs on 21 carries, including the 3-yard scoring plunge behind left guard that gave the Lions the lead for good at 20-14 with 10:04 left.
“We had a couple of mishaps and they stopped us,” said Hanlon, who finished with 115 yards and a TD on 24 carries for PM (3-3). “Wali came in real quick and made the play.”
Making the most plays for Longwood (4-2) were Robertson and Erik Merkerson, who added 74 yards and the clinching 10-yard TD run with 1:39 left.
But flying under the radar was Michael Parrish, who made two tackles for a loss from his free safety position and alertly recovered a Robertson fumble to preserve possession during a 92- yard, 15-play drive he capped with a 16-yard TD reception. Merkerson’s ensuing two-point conversion gave Longwood an 8-7 lead with 2:59 left in the first half.
“He does a lot of things that don’t get noticed,” Longwood coach Adam DeWitt said of Parrish, a sophomore. “He made a couple of sticks on Hanlon when he could have broken it.”
No stick was more important than Wali’s on Hanlon.
“We told him right before the play, it was going to be you and [Hanlon],” DeWitt said, “and we knew who was getting the ball. Thankfully, [Wali] was able to get through and make the tackle.”
LONGWOOD 28, PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD 14
DIVISION I, Longwood thumps Commack: [SUFFOLK Edition]
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 30 Oct 2005:
Mike Robertson had 219 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries as Longwood beat Commack, 35-22, yesterday in Suffolk Division I football. Sheblee Wali had a 26-yard scoring run and added TD catches of 28 and 38 yards for Longwood (5-2). Commack is 3-4.
Longwood 33, Sachem North 0: Mike Robertson rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries for Longwood (6-2). Robertson has 1,196 yards and 10 TDs this season. No. 2 Longwood hosts No. 3 Brentwood in a Division I semifinal at 1 p.m. Saturday. Sachem North is 2-6. Nov. 6
BRENTWOOD 44, LONGWOOD 37, Understudy nails it, Indians starting QB goes down and backup sparks comeback win: [SUFFOLK Edition]
GREGG SARRA. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 13 Nov 2005:
Knocked down but not out, Joshua Jacques, gathered himself after a hard third-quarter tackle and walked slowly back to the huddle. So this is the life of a varsity quarterback?
Jacques, a backup junior quarterback, never saw the field this season for Brentwood – not one snap from center.
Yet, here he was, on Longwood‘s field, trying to lead the Indians against Long Island’s defending Class I champs before a raucous home crowd in a Suffolk Division I semifinal playoff game.
Could there be a bigger stage for a kid with no experience?
“I had to take a breath and really open my eyes to see that this was all happening,” Jacques said. “One minute, I’m standing there watching, like I always am, and the next, I’m the man. Pretty good!”
How about pretty extraordinary? Jacques shook off the hit and engineered two fourth-quarter scoring drives to lead No. 3 Brentwood in a 44-37 victory over No. 2 Longwood before a crowd of 1,200 in Middle Island.
Jacques completed 7 of 13 passes for 83 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversion passes. The win enabled Brentwood (6- 3) to meet top-seeded Floyd (9-0) for the Division I title at 4 p.m. Saturday at LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University.
Trailing 37-36, Jacques lofted a 30-yard scoring pass to wideout Dyshawn Flournoy and hit Xavier Brown with the conversion pass with 3:10 left in the game.
Longwood (6-3) drove from its 20 to the Brentwood 4 with 55 seconds left. The Lions got no further as the defense stopped a fourth-and-goal for no gain.
“It was a game loaded with offense,” Brentwood coach Steve Perretta said. “And it came down to a defensive stand.”
And Josh Jacques.
“Josh is a great athlete,” Perretta said. “and it was just a matter of getting him a shot.”
Jacques’ one shot saved Brentwood’s season. Longwood had erased a 28-14 deficit and seized a 29-28 lead with 1:46 left in the third quarter. With the momentum clearly shifted to the defending champions, and starting QB Tony Goode on the bench with an injured left shoulder, the Indians’ season began to slip away. Jacques responded with a cool demeanor, unfazed by the stakes. He was unflappable and as efficient as a seasoned veteran.
Longwood jump-started the high-scoring affair on the opening kickoff. Erik Merkerson followed a great block from Anthony Scalice and went 85 yards down the home sideline for a touchdown.
Brentwood answered when Goode threw a 15-yard scoring pass to a leaping Flournoy with 7:42 left in the first quarter to tie it at 6. Junior wide receiver Robert Moore keyed the drive with a 22-yard reverse and a 15-yard reception.
It was a sign of things to come from Moore. He also had an 80- yard touchdown reception to give the Indians a 20-14 halftime lead, and he returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a score.
Both teams had their share of playmakers. Longwood rode the legs of halfback Mike Robertson, who had 31 carries for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and QB Anthony Borriello, who had second-half scoring runs from 3 and 11 yards. But the Lions lost defensive star Sheblee Wali in the first quarter with a right knee injury.
“I still can’t believe it,” Jacques said. “This is just great.”