Football

Newsday > Sports > High School > Football

Content Preview

Newsday/Optimum Online^® subscribers click here for full access
Not a Newsday or Optimum Online^® subscriber? Click here

Allen leads Freeport past Farmingdale, 34-20

November 22, 2009 By MARK MACYK. Late in last night's Conference I championship game, a 34-20 victory for Freeport over Farmingdale, a debate started in the pressbox about whom you'd most want to quarterback your team if you had a choice. Freeport's Kevin Allen or Lawrence's John Kinder?. Kinder, one of the most dangerous quarterbacks on Long Island, had just led his team to a 41-7 victory over Lynbrook. He'll play for Syracuse next year.. Allen, meanwhile, was playing his second game at the position. But he's a fast learner.. Allen, who started in place of injured quarterback Paul Ketchens, rushed for 244 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries and completed 4 of 6 passes for 106 yards and a touchdown.. Allen has 31 touchdowns this season, giving him sole possession of the Nassau County record. He passed Mepham's Amos Zereoue, who went on to play in the NFL.. The week of practice was Allen's first at the position. "It's a little confusing at first," he said with a smile.. He didn't seem confused, though. Anything but. On what wound up being the game-winning drive, Allen carried the ball on every play of a seven-play, 80-yard drive to put Freeport ahead 26-17 at halftime.. "I ask him how he doesn't get tired," said senior Ashanti Foster-Felder, who caught a 66-yard touchdown pass from Allen in the second quarter. "He really got a chance to shine this year. You didn't even see all he can do.". In his typical style, Allen put the credit elsewhere. "The linemen just worked their tails off today," he said.. Allen played running back until last week and wasn't even the team's backup quarterback. He had taken some snaps in the Wildcat formation, and when Ketchens went down, Freeport decided to put him in.. "You're gonna sink or swim with your guy," Freeport coach Russ Cellan said.. Freeport earned its second straight county title and sixth since the playoffs began. The Red Devils (9-2) will meet the winner of today's Sachem North-Floyd game in the Long Island Class I championship game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Stony Brook.. "It feels great knowing that we did it twice," Allen said. "Some teams don't get a chance to do it.". "I don't know if I can see us losing," Foster-Felder said. "We're a different team. We've been more aggressive.". Freeport scored its first touchdown two minutes into its first drive, finishing it with a 2-yard run by Allen. The Red Devils made it 14-0 with a two-play drive on its next possession. Allen rushed 25 yards before Daniel Olivier followed with a 22-yard touchdown run.. Farmingdale answered with the next two scores. Sal Tuttle hit Keith Hadnagy for a 31-yard touchdown pass, set up by Kevin Wahl's 42-yard run. Wahl's 1-yard TD run tied it.. But Freeport quickly took back the momentum with the touchdown pass to Foster-Felder, which capped a four-play, 80-yard drive.. Hadnagy kicked a 33-yard field goal to give Farmingdale a 20-17 lead, but Allen's 14-yard touchdown run capped an 80-yard drive in which he gained all the yardage. That put Freeport ahead 26-17. mark.macyk@newsday.com.

Farmingdale looked as if it might answer before halftime, but Freeport's Michael Groover made an interception deep in his own territory.

Hadnagy kicked his second field goal, a 34-yarder that tied the Nassau playoff record for field goals in a game, early in the third quarter to move the Dalers within 26-20. But Allen answered with a 13-yard TD run and ran in the two-point conversion to make...

newsday.com is now available at no charge to Newsday and Optimum Online^® subscribers. To continue reading, please log in or register now.