Dalton Crossan Impresses in Sachem Debut, Flaming Arrows Trounce Pat-Med in Season Opener

Dalton Crossan welcomed himself to the Sachem family full force Saturday night.

The newcomer, who transferred along with brother Trent from Shoreham-Wading River this past off-season, lit up the score sheet, rushing for 122 yards on 13 carries, adding two touchdowns on the ground attack, and running back Sachem's opening punt 68 yards for a score in the Arrows' 33-7 victory against Patchogue-Medford at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium.

RELATED: Checkout the Live In-Game Blog from Saturday's game

Trent added 42 yards on four carries, while senior Michael Andreassi had 70 yards on seven carries for two touchdowns. Sachem combined for 334 total rushing yards, sticking with their roots by pounding hard on the ground attack.

Dalton's 68-yard punt return to open the contest sent shivers down the spines of Sachem faithful. It marked the beginning of the 2010 season in monstrous fashion, whipping away the devastating loss in last year's Suffolk County title game to William Floyd and focusing on a fresh season where the Flaming Arrows are ranked as the top team in Suffolk County's Division I.

"I got the ball, took it slow the first couple steps, saw the hole and just exploded through it," Crossan said. "It was special and a good boost for my team."

Two plays after Dalton's touchdown, Trent intercepted Patchogue-Medford quarterback Kevin Gerard at the 42-yard line. On the next play, Sachem's first offensive stance of the game, quarterback Angelo Armine exchanged interceptions, coughing up the ball to the Raiders.

Pat-Med then turned the ball over on downs and Andreassi helped set up a 1-yard dive touchdown after a 30-yard scramble in the same series. Sachem led 14-0 with 2:29 remaining in the first quarter.

Andreassi answered back with a 20-yard touchdown at the 10:48 mark of the second quarter.

Dalton put himself on the board again at 3:40 after a 32-yard touchdown run up the belly of the field. Brendan Gary missed the point-after attempt for Sachem and the Arrows led, 27-0.

Sachem opened the third quarter with 13 offensive plays, including a 17-yard pass from Armine to Bonifacio Aguila. Dalton finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown at 4:28. Gary missed the extra-point on that touchdown also and Sachem's offensive output was done from that point forward.

The Raiders scored their only points of the game thanks to a botched play in the secondary by Trent Crossan. Had he been on his man, the 51-yard toss from Gerard to freshman Connor Coughlin would not have happened.

Alex Katos and Vince Fragale each intercepted passes for the Arrows in the second half, but their efforts looked drastically different than the first two quarters.

"Getting a win in Division I is never an easy thing," said North head coach Dave Falco. "We played a great first half, very emotional, and I think we did not have a lot of emotions in the second half. We sat back and were comfortable with our lead."

Still, even with an uneasy joy of winning, Falco is optimistic for the long haul.

"I think we're going to get better from here like we always do," he added. "I'm excited about our group. I think we have some weapons and we're going to get better as we go."

North will host Lindenhurst Thursday at 7 p.m.

Notes & Quotes

-Senior quarterback Mike McCarthy, who rotates in with Armine, finished the game with 51 yards on three carries.

-Andreassi sat out most of the second half with a bicep injury, but it was diagnosed as nothing more than a bruise. He'll be ready for Thursday.

-Those in attendance Saturday could hear the fine tunes of vuvuzela's circling the stadium. Thanks to the World Cup phenomena that gained international attention, Sachem football fans are now subjected to the awful sounding horns.

-Falco on the Crossan's: "They are definitely exciting kids. They work hard, they're great students, good role models for our younger kids. We're excited they're here. I think they understand they're just pieces of the puzzle. I think they fit into that role so far great and we'll keep going."

-Division I spotlight: Lindenhurst beat Longwood, 27-6. Lindy quarterback Steven Skon completed 11 of 15 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns. William Floyd beat Bay Shore, 35-38. Central Islip beat Sachem East, 43-10.

Check Sachem Patch Sunday afternoon for the first installment of "This Week in Sachem Football."

                                          1            2            3           4             F

Sachem North       14               7                6                0               33

Pat-Med                      0                 0               7                0                7

SACH- Dalton Crossan 68-yard punt return (Garry kick)

SACH- Michael Andreassi 1-yard run (Garry kick)

SACH- Michael Andreassi 20-yard run (Garry kick)

SACH- Dalton Crossan 32-yard run (Garry missed kick)

SACH- Dalton Crossan 12-yard run (Garry missed kick)

PM- Connor Coughlin 51-yard catch (Castillo kick)