Longwood passes major test
Offense clicks in 44-26 upset at No. 2 Sachem North
By Grant Parpan
LAKE RONKONKOMA—Heading into the season, Longwood football coach Chris Meyer’s biggest concern was his offensive line. The Lions were starting three seniors, but only one with significant varsity playing experience. The only thing certain about Longwood’s front five was that it had to prove itself.
On the road at Sachem North Friday, in one of the biggest games of the season, the Lions’ line did just that in a 44-26 victory that sets Longwood up with an opportunity to potentially host two playoff games this season.
“The last two weeks this offensive line has just clicked,” Meyer said. “They all made sure they blocked the right man and they blew Sachem off the line all night.”
And virtually every Lion to touch the ball, benefited from the line’s dominance.
Senior Moses White led Longwood (3-1) with 134 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, and that only tells part of the story on offense for the Lions.
The green and gold combined to amass 583 yards of total offense, four players put the ball in the end zone and six different Lions had gains of 20 yards or more.
“We just clicked and clicked,” said quarterback Ed Wess, who had perhaps his best game in three seasons as the Lions’ signal-caller — completing six of nine pass attempts for 113 yards, while scrambling for another 39.
Teammate Nick Esposito, who scored two touchdowns and tallied 128 yards of offense at running back and wide receiver, used the same word as Wess and Meyer when describing the offense. Only he took it a step further, saying: “We clicked and clicked and clicked. We ran all over them all day.”
That much was obvious Friday, as Longwood’s offense scored on each of its seven drives that weren’t interrupted by the play clock. The unit didn’t turn the ball over once and committed just two penalties all game.
But for as good as the offense was, the Lions’ defense struggled for three quarters Friday. But when they needed a stop the most, they finally got one.
After a Longwood personal foul prolonged Sachem’s first drive of the fourth quarter and two big plays set them up with a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line, the Flaming Arrows (2-2) were in striking distance — trailing 38-26 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game. Even after two consecutive 1-yard runs, Sachem still had two more shots to gain just one more yard to cut the deficit in half.
The Lions didn’t let it happen. Junior cornerback Walter Miles swatted away a play-action pass into the end zone from Arrows quarterback Craig Geoghan on third down and stuffed a rushing attempt from tailback Anthony Quezada on fourth down to steal the momentum back. They then put the game away for good with a 99-yard drive that chewed more than six minutes off the clock.
“This defense, we thrive under pressure,” said White, a middle linebacker. “We actually like to have that pressure on us.”
Pat Caroll recorded an interception for Longwood on Sachem’s final drive.
Geoghan finished the game with 173 yards on 12 of 19 passing. He also rushed for 48 yards and a touchdown.
Quezada gained 120 yards and scored twice on 21 carries. He added 43 more yards on three catches.
Miles recorded 72 yards rushing and a touchdown on six carries at tailback for Longwood. He also completed a 62-yard pass to Tommy Scala on a first-quarter punt fake that helped set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Scala added a 17-yard touchdown run and 99 yards of offense for the Lions, whose 44 points were their most since 2005.
“This was a very big win for us,” said Longwood receiver Sherif Saad, who caught three passes for 71 yards Friday, including a one-handed circus catch on a 38-yard pick up in the first half.
“We set ourselves up for where we need to be,” added Wess.
The Lions, who have been ranked No. 3 in Division I the past two years, have now beaten the second-ranked team in each of those seasons. Their quest for a county title continues at Patchogue-Medford (2-2) Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
