Sean Zagorski, Witman Hernandez lead Whitman to first Long Island championship

Sean Zagorski picked the right time for his first goal of the season.

Yes, it was the Long Island Class AA championship game.

Yes, Whitman had never won a Long Island title before.

But most importantly: his girlfriend was in attendance.

Only, she wasn't wearing Whitman maroon.

"She goes to Hicksville," Zagorski said. "So it felt great when I scored.

"She was standing with Hicksville," he added with a smile. "I don't know what she was thinking."

SEE PHOTOSLong Island Class AA final: Whitman vs. Hicksville

Zagorski's goal in the 52nd minute went down as the winner in Whitman's 4-1 victory over Hicksville Sunday night at Farmingdale State, but all 80 minutes were dominated by the Wildcats.

Whitman (18-1-1) will face Hilton High School in a state semifinal at Middletown High School at 4:15 p.m. Saturday.

"Our coaches were part of the team that lost in the LIC [in 1996]," Zagorski said. "We just kept looking at the banner in [Hicksville's] North Gym and only saw Suffolk County. We wanted to make history and we did it tonight."

At the center of it all? Once again, it was Witman Hernandez, who scored two goals to extend his school-leading mark to 47 for his career.

His first goal was off a cross from Mike Lorello in the 25th minute, and required some improvising. "I couldn't head it, and couldn't kick it, either, so I hit it with my knee," Hernandez said. "That was the only option I had."

After Lorello sent the pass, he had trouble believing what followed. "Off his knee and off the post . . . ridiculous," Lorello said. "It's good to have a forward like that up there, it really helps me in the midfield because you could find him and he's either going to play off or he's going to go to goal."

In the 69th minute, Fabrizio Chamorro scored from 10 yards out off a pass from Hernandez.

Seven minutes later, Hernandez led a charge down the field before dishing to Chamorro, who passed back to Hernandez after dribbling a few yards. Hernandez slid and scored from 10 yards to give Whitman a 4-0 lead.

Nick Rodriguez's goal put Hicksville (14-1-2) on the board with three minutes left, but did nothing to overshadow the dominant the midfield play by Whitman.

"It was really about us keeping our shape, talking and being aware . . . and getting the ball and looking for each other," Lorello said. "Me, Jonathan [Consolo] and Blake [Aronson] have been playing with each other forever, so it was just about us finding each other and we have all the chemistry in the world."

Last year, Whitman fell to Commack in the Suffolk championship game, lending way to the mantra "Unfinished Business" being written on the backs of the players' practice jerseys.

So now, the Wildcats have checked off a Suffolk title. They've checked off a Long Island title. But the players will tell you they've still got unfinished business.

"It's not over yet," Hernandez said, "and we know that."