Rattmer tosses four TDs, Longwood goes on romp
Ruiz, Mike. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 14 Mar 2021
Noah Rattmer dropped to a knee as tears filled his eyes. Flooded with emotion, he suddenly recalled the moments he wondered if he’d ever receive this opportunity again because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s tough,” the Longwood senior quarterback said following his team’s season-opening 56-0 victory at Brentwood in a Suffolk League I football game on Saturday. “This past year-and-a-half, especially last year for me after an injury held me out for a lot of the season.
“It meant a lot to finally get back out here with my guys and fight and go to war with them. For me, it was everything. We really bonded and over these last couple of months, once we knew that we had a season, we really went out 100% and I think that showed today.”
Rattmer and his teammates found their rhythm from the opening drive and didn’t take their foot off the gas pedal in the first quarter. Behind its high-powered offense, Longwood took a commanding 28-0 lead to end the opening period before entering halftime ahead 35-0.
The Lions opened the scoring with a 64-yard drive, capped off by Rattmer’s 35-yard touchdown pass to CJ Pressley and Louis Kaleb’s two-point conversion run. Rattmer connected on a touchdown pass to Najee Henderson on the ensuing possession before Longwood added on back-to-back rushing touchdowns from Abeid Thomas and Fernando Rodriguez.
Rattmer completed 13 of 18 passes for 237 yards and four touchdowns.
“When everyone executes and does their job, you see the show that we can put on,” Rattmer said.
Longwood coach Jeff Cipp was happy with his team’s performance after the long layoff.
“This whole situation, it’s been a really long time since we’ve seen the field,” Cipp said. “And even doing everything that we’ve done since going virtual a year ago, you never know what to expect in this type of situation. But I’m more than pleased with my players. They came out and did a great job today.”
Cipp said he asked his players for just one thing before kickoff.
“We just asked the kids to give their teammates and their coaches all they had,” Cipp said. “This is supposed to be fun, it’s finally football so just give everything you have once you get out on the field. And I felt like we did that.”
Henderson did just that and more, hauling in three receptions for 51 yards and two touchdowns.
“I was just happy to get the ball,” Henderson said. “I was happy to just be out here playing again.”
He also likened Longwood’s potential to that of last season, when the Lions advanced to the League I final before falling to Floyd.
“This year I think we should go the same distance and probably win it,” Henderson said.
CAPTION: Noah Rattmer, Longwood High School during the Newsday 2019 Top100 Football Team photo shoot on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019. Joseph D. Sullivan
BENSON, ARRINGTON HELP ‘D’ MAUL LIONS: Each has 3 sacks, 7 tackles; Floyd allows 123 yards
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 21 Mar 2021
The Floyd defense had an important meeting scheduled for Saturday.
It was “let’s meet at the quarterback.”
Defensive ends Brian Benson and Darius Arrington recorded three sacks and seven tackles each as an athletic Floyd defense keyed a 28-8 win over Longwood in a Suffolk League I football game Saturday in Mastic Beach. The Colonials totaled 11 tackles for a loss, forced two turnovers and limited Longwood to 123 yards.
“We were one step ahead of them on the lines and pushed them around,” said Benson, who missed his sophomore season with a back injury. “All that weight room work throughout the pandemic really paid off. I felt like I was in the backfield all game chasing the quarterback.”
Benson came off the edge and repeatedly forced Lions senior quarterback Noah Rattmer to flee the pocket. He disrupted the Lions’ timing in the passing game by forcing Rattmer to throw early and before receivers finished routes.
Floyd led 14-0 late in the second quarter and Arrington strip sacked Rattmer and Benson recovered at the Lions 41. It was a microcosm of the day.
“We never let those plays develop and the scheme was to make it uncomfortable for Rattmer because he’s so good,” said Floyd coach Paul Longo. “He’s an athletic quarterback and escaped quite a few times where we had him.”
Rattmer was sacked eight times and still rushed for 52 yards. He only completed five of 13 passes for 32 yards and was intercepted by defensive back Nick Muelthaler on the Lions first drive.
“Start to finish we handled them,” said Floyd defensive tackle Stiven Ayala. “They were big, but we stayed low and drove them off the ball. We were much quicker and able to dictate the flow of the game. When you control the line play, you win the game.”
While Arrington, Benson, Ayala and linebacker Krishmar Powell shut down a Lions offense that scored 56 points last week against Brentwood, the Colonials offense was methodically bludgeoning the interior of the Longwood defense.
“We pounded the ball right down the field,” said Floyd senior halfback Jezayd Hall. “Our line was the key.”
Hall carried eight times for 66 yards on the Colonials opening drive which lasted 6:50. He capped the 11-play, 66-yard march with a 1-yard touchdown run for the 7-0 lead with 5:10 left in the first quarter.
Hall added a 12-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He burst up the middle, shed a tackler and then a well-placed stiff arm helped him run over the final defender before hitting the end zone. He finished the game with 23 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
“To be number one you have to beat number one,” Longwood coach Jeff Cipp said. “I really thought we’d beat Floyd this year. I had high expectations for our team. I’m more than a little disappointed because they kicked our butts out there. They handled us fairly easily.”
Floyd’s sophomore halfback Dylan Harris punctuated a six-play, 51-yard drive with a powerful 28-yard touchdown run for the 21-0 lead with 8:17 left in the fourth quarter.
Longwood averted the shutout after a 60-yard kickoff return by Tyson Taylor to the Colonials 35. Three plays later, Jahkeem Moye scored on a 5-yard run with four seconds remaining.
“My takeaway today was that we put some unreal pressure on a great quarterback,” Longo said. “We lost one of our best players last week when two-way starting lineman Zach Hoerter suffered a season-ending ACL injury. That hurt a lot. Our guys came together, and this was a great effort.”
RARE LONGWOOD-BELLPORT MATCHUP WILL HAVE CIPP FAMILY TIES WEEK 4 FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 01 Apr 2021
They scrimmage every year. And it’s so much more than a preseason workout. The football teams at Bellport and Longwood play that preseason contest for local bragging rights and the Bellwood Cup.
“It’s unofficial and a lot of fun as the coaching staffs at both schools are very close and have strong ties,” Longwood coach Jeff Cipp said. “Football is family and it’s a great way to get the season started.”
The schools are not only close in proximity but also in fan and family interest. And now they can call the Bellwood Cup official.
Longwood was on the bye week in Suffolk League I. Newfield from Suffolk League IV was put in quarantine, making Bellport available for a non-league game. Hence, the marriage of Longwood and Bellport and another non-league gem this week.
Jeff Cipp, the son of legendary coach Joe Cipp Jr., who has been retired for 11 years, locked in the game at the field named after his father for 1 p.m. Saturday.
Joe Cipp Jr., who started the program at Bellport in 1976 and won 211 games, 10 Suffolk titles and five Long Island Class II championships over 32 years, can still be found walking the sidelines at both schools on game day. The question will be where does Joe Cipp Jr. watch Saturday’s showdown.
“I’m going to have to hide out there,” Joe Cipp Jr. said. “I’ve been going to one practice for each team every week and I always wear neutral clothes. But for this game I may need my purple Easter outfit.”
The teams have only met only once before, with Bellport winning a non-league season opener, 50-8, in 1983.
Bellport quarterback Josh Halpin and halfback Ka’Shaun Parrish have the Clippers averaging 33 points per game and off to a 3-0 record. Longwood (1-1) was beaten in its last game at Floyd, 28-8.
PUNT? NOT WITH PARRISH: Bellport star scores four touchdowns, two of them coming on fourth down
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 04 Apr 2021
Fourth down is usually the place where teams punt. Unless, of course, you have an athlete like Bellport senior Ka’Shaun Parrish on your football team.
Parrish, a scoring threat from anywhere on the field, changes the dynamic of fourth down. He scored two of his four touchdowns on fourth down in Bellport’s 28-0 win over Longwood in a non-league crossover Saturday at Joe Cipp Field in Bellport.
The win earned the Clippers (4-0) the first-ever Bellwood Cup between the south shore programs.
“We have a guy that can score on any play at any time and that’s scary for a defense,” Bellport quarterback Jack Halpin said. “I just need to get the ball to him. I can trust he’ll catch any 50-50 ball.”
Halpin connected with Parrish for three touchdown passes, one in each quarter. And Parrish scored his fourth touchdown on a 5-yard run with 8:12 left in the game.
Parrish caught a 35-yard scoring pass from Halpin to open the scoring with 6:32 left in the first quarter. The speedy wide receiver got behind the secondary and Halpin was on target with the fourth-and-4 pass for a 7-0 lead. The hookup capped a seven-play, 58-yard drive.
“It’s incredibly hard to defend him because he’s so elusive and has breakaway speed,” said Bellport coach Jamie Fabian, in his third year. “He runs great routes and wants the ball.”
Bellport made it a two-score game when the Clippers drove 58 yards in eight plays. On fourth-and-5 with 56 seconds left in the half, Parrish split two defenders and Halpin lofted a pass over the top of the defense to find his receiver all alone in the end zone for the 27-yard score and a 13-0 lead.
“That was a backbreaker,” Longwood coach Jeff Cipp said. “We needed to keep them out of the end zone. We’d forced a couple of first-half turnovers and that score was tough to overcome.”
Two fourth-down touchdown passes separated the teams at the half.
“We just aren’t making the big plays,” Cipp said.
The Lions (1-2) punted three times and fumbled in the first four possessions but showed life in the final 47 seconds of the half. Longwood halfback Abeid Thomas ran for 12 yards and quarterback Noah Rattmer found Najee Henderson for 26 yards to the Bellport 35 with one second left.
“We tightened up the defense,” said Bellport linebacker Calvin Pedatella, who had eight tackles, a sack and an interception. “We locked it down in the secondary.”
Rattmer’s throw toward the end zone was intercepted by a leaping Parrish, his second takeaway of the half.
“I’m just out there doing my thing,” Parrish said. “Defense, offense, whatever my team needs. We’re playing well as a team and everyone deserves the credit.”
Midway through the third quarter, Parrish came up with another fourth-down gem. He went back into punt formation on fourth-and-12, this time in a reversal of roles and fired a pass to Halpin for 21 yards and a first down. Three plays later, Halpin found Parrish for a 24-yard touchdown strike. Parrish finished with six catches for 100 yards.
“When I sprint out, he’s my first look,” said Halpin, who completed 7 of 14 passes for 117 yards. “He’s always open.”
The Bellport defense recorded the shutout behind sophomore end Jaiden Green, who had three sacks and a forced fumble. Shaun Bolton, Alex Ciota and Jason Hunt also had sacks as the Clippers held Longwood to six first downs and 82 total yards.
“There’s a lot of ties between these coaching staffs at our schools,” said Fabian, who graduated from Longwood in 1999. “We bring the communities together for a game scrimmage every year. This year, we had the chance to play a game that counts for the Bellwood Cup. It was a game between friends and family. I’m proud of our guys
WEEK 7 PREVIEW IT’S PLAYOFF TIME FOR SUFFOLK; NASSAU ENDS REGULAR SEASON
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 16 Apr 2021
Longwood at Whitman, Saturday, 3 p.m.: Whitman won its first league title in 37 years as quarterback Nicholas Bottoni and a fantastic receiving corps led by Brandon Ivy lit up the Lindy defense in a 35-14 win. Longwood has won the past seven meetings but hasn’t won a big game this season. Lions quarterback Noah Rattmer found his rhythm with two TD passes in last week’s 28-0 win over Patchogue-Medford. The last time Whitman beat Longwood was in 1985.
Wild! Ivy gets it rolling: 99-yard fumble return propels Whitman to final
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 18 Apr 2021
The play will go down as one of the greatest in Whitman football history.
The Wildcats, playing in their first semifinal playoff game in 31 years, made the defensive stop of the year. Junior middle linebacker Liam Villanti jarred the ball from quarterback Noah Rattmer on a fourth down run inside the Wildcats one. A mad scramble followed, the fumble scooped by junior Brandon Ivy and returned 99 yards for a touchdown propelling Whitman to a 30-6 win over Longwood in a Suffolk Conference I semifinal playoff in Huntington Station.
The win helped Whitman snap a seven-game losing streak to Longwood that dated back to 1985.
The first quarter turnover set the tone for Whitman’s first playoff win since 1990 and moved the Wildcats into the Suffolk Conference I title game against Floyd on Friday at 5 p.m. in Mastic Beach.
“That defensive play was a 14-point swing and gave us all the momentum in the first quarter,” said Whitman coach Robin Rosa in his 11th season. “Villanti knocked it out and Ivy was in the right place at the right time. Then it was an exciting foot race for the length of the field to make it a two-score game. It was a play that took your breath away.”
The key play stole the momentum Longwood had built on its long drive for the potential tying score.
“We watched that play on film and I knew they were coming right up the middle and at me,” said Villanti, who had two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. “I stood the center up on the block and punched the ball out of the quarterback’s hands. And Ivy was right on it.” The Whitman defense forced six turnovers and never allowed the Lions back in the game.
“That’s a long time losing to the same team,” Rosa said. “We lost a 20-17 heartbreaker to them a year ago. And our guys wanted the chance to play them again. This one feels really good.”
Whitman (4-1) opened the scoring on a Tim Hunter 19-yard run and the extra-point kick from Josh Arevalo early in the first quarter.
“We worked all summer to be in this position,” said Hunter. “It was all gas no brakes. We’re always the underdogs here at Whitman and we know that. But we also knew we had an excellent all-around team for this season and we’re proving it.”
After Ivy’s defensive gem for the 14-point first quarter lead, senior linebacker Sean Bock jumped a short rout for an interception at the Longwood 25. A few plays later, Whitman quarterback Nicholas Bottoni found a wide-open Hunter in the middle of the defense for a 16-yard touchdown pass and the 20-0 lead with 9:08 left in the half.
“We’re an opportunistic team,” Rosa said. “We forced quite a few turnovers and we capitalized.”
Arevalo added a 24-yard field goal for the 23-0 halftime lead.
Longwood (2-3) recovered an onside kick to start the second half to set up their lone score. Halfback Abeid Thomas went on a 28-yard touchdown run where he trucked the safety before bulling into the end zone to make it 23-6.
Whitman’s Rasahn Thompson stopped the Lions next drive with a leaping interception. And halfback A.J. Evans capped a 55-yard scoring drive with an impressive 41-yard touchdown run for the 30-6 lead. Evans broke two tackles and bounced outside before he dipped inside to fake a defender and then run down the visitor’s sideline for the score.
“Evans is just a mini-wrecking ball,” said Hunter. “He’s a little beast and so elusive when he has the ball. I love watching him run.”
And now the Wildcats will play for the c