Sports
Sachem 8-0 with Win Over Bay Shore, Will Play Brentwood in First Round
Sluggish start washed away by powerful ground game, yet again.
For the second consecutive year, Sachem completed the regular season with an undefeated 8-0 record.
After beating Bay Shore, 34-7, Saturday afternoon at Clifton LaPlatney Field, the Arrows head into the Suffolk County Division I playoffs as the top-seeded team.
Sachem will host No. 8 Brentwood (4-4), Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
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As usual, Sachem's ground attack got the best of its opponent, rushing for 432 yards. Quarterback Angelo Armine compiled 140 yards and two touchdowns, while Michael Andreassi had 136 yards and two scores.
"It's not easy," said Sachem head coach Dave Falco, who was doused with Gatorade coolers in the final minute of the game. "They worked hard and deserve everything."
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Sachem was the only team this season to hold Bay Shore to less than 25 points in a game, win or lose. The Marauders, however, were able to do something to Sachem that no other team has done this year – score first and take a lead on the Arrows.
Karl Allison, Bay Shore's 1,000-yard back, ran 54 yards for a touchdown at 9:39 of the first quarter. It was the second longest play Sachem has allowed all season, and longest run.
The Arrows answered back on their first possession, charging 70 yards down field and finishing with a 2-yard Andreassi touchdown at 5:09. Bryan Morris made the extra point.
Andreassi scored on Sachem's next possession too, but mixed it up and ran it home from 30 yards out with 6:59 remaining in the first half.Â
On their next set of plays, Dalton Crossan, who finished with 77 yards, set up Jesse Scanna's 19-yard touchdown at 4:04 of the second with a 52-yard run.
Armine, who was noticeably agile while running the option Saturday, ran 54 yards for his first touchdown and 63 yards for his second in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
"I either pull it or give it," Armine said, describing the option. "I pulled it and got my legs going [for those plays]."
"He practices 100 percent and when you practice 100 percent it shows up in the game and that's what happened today," Falco added.
The coaches and players are aware of last year's fait when Sachem cruised to the Suffolk County title game and lost.
"We need to get refocused," Falco said. "The playoffs are a different animal, a different bread of game. People have their backs against the wall and they play for four quarters."
On a historical note, this is only the third time in program history (49 seasons) that Sachem has started a season 8-0. The 1983 team started 7-0-1 and finished 9-0-1. The 1996 team finished 9-1 and the 2009 team finished 10-1.
News & Notes
-Receiver Bonifacio Aguila hurt his left knee in the second quarter. Aguila said he'll have an MRI in the next day or so.
-Mike McCarthy was sidelined with a shoulder injury this week.
-Other Sachem stats: Scanna had 63 yards on four carries and one touchdown.
-Bay Shore stats: Quarterback Kevin Cox was 15-for-27 for 163 yards, and added 16 carries for 27 yards. Allison finished with 12 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown. Devan Smith caught five balls for 94 yards.
-Bay Shore compiled 251 total yards … 163 of which were passing yards.
-Just in case you're wondering who Clifton LaPlatney (the field is named in his honor at BS) is ... He coached Bay Shore football for 28 seasons from 1927-1954 and compiled a 130-65-16 record. He started the program back in '27 and his 1944 team won the Rutger's Cup. Note, that the Rutger's Cup is given to Nassau Schools, while the Rutger's Trophy is given out in Suffolk. This was the only season that happened.
-This was the first time Sachem played Bay Shore since 1971 – a 14-14 tie in Fred Fusaro's first season as head coach of the Arrows. Bay Shore also narrowly won the Rutger's Trophy in 1983, beating out Sachem, who finished 9-0-1. Falco was on that team and will never forget that.
-Sachem North's JV team finished 6-2 and won their game against Bay Shore, 56-24, Saturday.
-Check Sachem Patch Sunday for the weekly "This Week in Sachem Football" blog.
              1      2       3      4       F
Sachem        7       14        6        7        34 Â
Bay Shore    7        0        0        0         7Â
B - Karl Allison 54 run, kick
SN - Michael Andreassi 2 run, Bryan Morris kick
SN - M. Andreassi 30 run, Morris kick
SN - J. Scanna 19 run, Morris kick
SN - Angelo Armine 54 run, Morris missed kick
SN - Armine 63 run, Morris kick
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