This Week in Sachem Football: Suffolk County Division I Championship

Every week I breakdown each game and measure what it means from a historical perspective in the football programs at Sachem North and East. Here's the information from Friday's Suffolk County Championship:



Playoff Data

• The 34 points Sachem scored in the Suffolk County Championship are the most the program has ever put up in that game. The previous record was 27 in a loss to Commack in 2000.
• The title game was the highest combined point total in Sachem playoff history (75 points). It passes the 46-26 loss to Brentwood in 2006.
• Sachem scored more points this post season than ever before.
• We all know the history, this is the second time Sachem has last to Floyd in the county final in as many years.
• Sachem is 27-21 in the playoffs, all-time. 
• This was the first time Sachem has ever put up 40-plus points in back-to-back playoff games. In fact, Sachem has never even scored 30-plus points in consecutive playoff games.
• In playoff games, Sachem leads all opponents, 921-801, in scoring.
• In even number years, Sachem is 15-9 in playoff games. 
• In the 47 post-season games Sachem has played, only six actually featured scores of 40 points or more, and three were against Brentwood: (2002) 48-20 loss to Patchogue-Medford (Fred Fusaro's final game), (2006) 46-26 loss to Brentwood, (2009) 42-6 win over Brentwood, (2010) 42-14 win over Brentwood and (2010) 42-21 win over Northport, Floyd 41-34 win over Sachem (2010). 
• This was Sachem's 15th appearance in a county final. It has won six with its last coming in 1995.

Season Historical Data

• This is just the second team ever to earn 10 wins in a season at Sachem; last year's group finished 10-1.  
• Dating back to the final game of the 2008 season, North has won 21 of its last 23 games. 
• Sachem has scored 422 points this season, making it the highest scoring team in program history. The 422 points are the second most on Long Island this season behind Freeport. 
• In fact, only 12 other teams in the history of Long Island football have scored more points than this group. Football on Long Island has been played since 1884.
• Sachem recorded 4,494 yards of total offense this season - a program record.
• It also has rushed for 4,136 yards - another program record.
• Sachem has scored 40-plus points in six of its 11 games this season and no fewer than 28 in a game. The 40-plus points in five breaks the 2009 team's record for most 40-plus point games in a season. 
• Alumni report: Sachem alum Joe Cipp became the all-time winningest coach in Suffolk County after Bellport beat East Islip in the Suffolk County Division II Championship.
• The Andreassi File: With his 14 carries and 52 yards against Floyd, he finished his career 8th on Sachem's all-time rushing list. He has 1,966 yards on 302 career carries and 25 touchdowns. 
• The Scanna File: For his four-year career at Sachem, he has 169 carries, 1,531 yards and 17 touchdowns (rushing). Scanna is the 11th all-time leading rusher in Sachem history. On defense, he has over 300 career tackles, which is a Sachem record. Also on offense, he averaged more than 10 yards per carry, ranking him behind teammate Dalton Crossan for second all-time in a single season.
• The Armine File: He is 36-for-69 passing and has thrown for 613 yards. He also tossed eight touchdown passes, which ranks him fifth all-time in Sachem history for a career mark. He has rushed for 995 yards on 128 carries and scored 10 touchdowns on the ground (7 in 2009). 
• : Dalton set a season record for rushing yard average with 12.10 in 2010. Here's looking to the future: He already has 984 career rushing yards and 20 combined touchdowns (rushing, special teams, receiving, etc.) ... he only needs 555 yards to crack the top 10 for Sachem's career rushing list. Trent has 268 yards on the ground ... mark my words, in four years, he'll be Sachem's all-time leader in almost every rushing category, while Dalton has a shot at some big career numbers next season as well.

Stats at a glance (through 10 weeks)

-Bonifacio Aguila: 7 catches, 120 yards, 17.1 avg., 2 touchdowns

-Michael Andreassi: 150 carries, 1,035  yards, 6.81 avg., 16 touchdowns/ 3 receptions for 40 yards/ 0-for-1 passing

-Angelo Armine: 51 carries, 625 yards, 10.66 avg., and 15-of-25 passing for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns, 3 rushing touchdowns

-Davon Christopher: 20 carries, 124 yards, 6.20 avg., 2 touchdowns

-Dalton Crossan: 81 carries, 971 yards, 11.99 avg., 1 catch for 59 yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, 2 return touchdowns, 1 receiving touchdown, 2 interception touchdowns

-Trent Crossan: 22 carries, 272 yards, 12.36 avg., 1 rushing touchdown, 1 interception for a touchdown

-Mike McCarthy: 22 carries, 143 yards, 6.50 avg., 1 touchdown and 2-of-5 passing for 58 yards and one touchdown, 1 INT

-Bryan Morris: Converted 42 of 52 point after attempts

-Jesse Scanna: 76 carries, 828 yards, 10.67 avg., 12 rushing touchdowns/ 4 receptions for 58 yards and 1 receiving touchdown … 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown

Points by quarter

140

Interesting Facts

-Total offense gained: 4,494 (4,136 rushing / 358 passing)

-Total offense allowed: 1,271 yards (1,341 rushing / 913 passing)

-Total rushing touchdowns: 51

-Total passing touchdowns: 5

-Total interceptions for touchdowns: 3

-Total returns for touchdowns: 2

-Total red zone touchdowns: 32

-Offensive touchdowns of 50-plus yards: 12

-Offensive touchdowns of 40-plus yards: 15

-Touchdowns on first down: 25

-Touchdowns on second down: 20

-Touchdowns on third down: 10

-Touchdowns on fourth down: 1

-First half points: 254

-Second half points: 168

-First half points allowed: 46

-Second half points allowed: 93

-Most points for: Week 3 vs. Brentwood ... 48

-Least points for: Week 5 vs. Northport ... 28

-Least points against: Week 4 vs. Connetquot ... 0

-Most points against: Finals vs. Floyd, 41

-Most touchdowns in a game by one player: Dalton Crossan ... 4 vs. Northport in semifinals

-Most carries in a game by one player: Michael Andreassi ... 22 vs. Lindenhurst and Angelo Armine 22 vs. Floyd

-Most rushing yards in a game by one player: Armine 243 vs. Floyd

-Longest rush of the season: Trent Crossan, 85 yards vs. Northport in semifinals

-Longest pass of the season: Armine to Crossan, 59 yards vs. Longwood

-Longest run against: Stacey Bedell - Floyd, 64 yards

-Longest pass against: Pat-Med, 51 yards

-Most total offensive yards in one game: 513 vs. Connetquot

-Longest kick return: 85 yards, Dalton Crossan vs. Floyd

-Longest play: Dalton Crossan's 100-yard interception record vs. Brentwood

Fun Facts from Previous Games

• Sachem's win over Connetquot marked the first time Sachem has scored 45 or more points in back-to-back weeks in program history. 
• The shutout over Connetquot was the 59th shutout in program history.
• This season is the first time Sachem has scored 33 or more points per game in the first four games of the year.
• If you're wondering, the fewest points allowed in a Sachem season was 35 in 1977. For this year's Sachem team to be in the top five in program history, it would need to stay within the 50 point range: 1980 (38), 1986 (44), 1961 (46), 1983 (56) and 1978 (59). It has allowed 57 points in seven games.
• The 20 points Sachem scored in the first quarter of Week 6 were more than Floyd allowed in any previous quarter this season.
• This is the first time since 2002 that William Floyd has lost back-to-back games.
• Floyd has not allowed more than 28 points in any games dating back to 2004.
• Bay Shore, Sachem's Week 8 opponent, has outscored the Arrows, 181-154. It is the only other school besides William Floyd to have outscored Sachem in its history. 
• Bay Shore and Lindenhurst are the only teams to score first against Sachem this season.
• Sachem head coach Dave Falco played on the 1983 team that started 7-0-1 and assistant coach Dave Caputo played on the 1995 team, Sachem's last to win a county title and only group to appear in the Long Island Championship. Falco was just starting his career as a coach with Sachem in '95.

New York State Sportswriters Association Ranking: 20 ... For most of the season, Sachem was ranked No. 3 in New York. The organization has been ranking teams in New York since 1969. Sachem has been ranked in the top 25, 13 times … its highest spot ever was 6 in 1979.