VIDEO: Sachem Tops West Islip in Division I Battle

When it’s crunch time for Sachem, there's a good chance Dalton Crossan will get the ball. Even when it’s fourth-and-6 from his opponent's 21-yard line with 1:38 left.

Crossan dipped and twisted like he normally does to break through West Islip’s line and barrel into the end zone for his third and decisive touchdown of Sachem’s 25-14 win over the Lions at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium Friday night.

“There are conversations in the huddle,” Sachem coach Dave Falco said of Crossan, “‘Do you keep giving it to him? Do you counter off him?’ We gave it to him on fourth down and it worked out for us. I think he’s the best player on the island. He’s electric and dangerous. You know he’s getting it and you still cant stop him.”

RELATED: PHOTOS: See pics from the Sachem-West Islip game

Crossan, who now has 11 touchdowns and over 540 rushing yards in three games, finished with 192 yards on 22 carries. His brother Trent rushed 16 times for 75 yards and 1 touchdown and Tyler Andreassi carried 12 times for 58 yards. The Flaming Arrows (3-0) combined for 333 rushing yards.

“We wore them down,” Dalton said. “I broke some, Trent broke some and the line blocked excellent.”

West Islip’s (2-1) touchdowns came off a 50-yard rush by Paul Riportella in the first quarter and a 42-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Santo to Sam Ilario in the fourth. Santo was 8-for-17 passing for 112 yards and one touchdown. He also had 18 carries for 108 yards.

Tied at 7 at the half, Sachem’s Vincent Provenzano recovered a key fumble on West Islip's 25-yard line, allowing Sachem to score six plays later when Trent Crossan converted on a 14-yard end around for a touchdown, giving the Flaming Arrows a 13-7 lead.

Dalton Crossan scored on a 4-yard touchdown at 9:53 of the fourth quarter, and solidified the win later on.

“We knew they were a good team and weren’t going to back down,” Dalton said, “so we knew we had to step up. It was a four-quarter war.”

“My kids played with heart,” West Islip coach Steve Mileti said. “I think we’re going to see these guys again. We were supposed to get crushed and we held our own. A fumble here and missed tackle there and we’ll clean it up for next time.”

Fourth and Long

• Sachem wore new gold throwback jerseys in honor of the program’s 50th anniversary season. The jerseys resemble the original uniforms worn by the team in 1961. They weren’t gold back then, but had similar shoulder bands. “I love these gold jerseys,” said Dalton. “It boosted us up a little bit and made us more excited at the beginning of the game. I think it helps.”
• Sachem hadn’t played West Islip (2-1) since 1986, a 14-0 victory for the Flaming Arrows in the Suffolk County championship. Historically, however, the Lions have gotten the best of them, winning 14 of their 18 battles dating back to 1967 when the rivalry began on the gridiron.
• Stat notes: Santo completed passes to five different receivers. Mike Cestaro ran 10 times for 72 yards.
• Next up: Sachem hosts Longwood, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m., while West Islip hosts Bay Shore at 2 p.m. the same day.

                     1          2           3           4           F

Sachem        0          7           12         6           25

West Islip    7          0           0           7           14        

-W: Riportella 50 run,  Woodburn kick

-S: D. Crossan 6 run, Morris kick

-S: T. Crossan 14 run, Missed PAT

-S: D. Crossan 4 run, Missed 2PT Conversion

-W: Santo to Ilario 42 pass, Woodburn kick

-S: D. Crossan 21 run, Missed PAT