Babylon shares the scoring load in 22nd straight win
Babylon quarterback Nick Santorelli attempts a pass downfield. (Nov. 15, 2013) Credit: Steven Ryan
It's nice to have choices on offense in a football game.
And the Babylon offense might have as many as any team on Long Island.
Babylon put forth an all-around performance Friday night as four different players scored for the top-seeded Panthers in a 42-13 route of No. 4 Shoreham-Wading River (7-3) in a Suffolk IV semifinal.
It was the 22nd straight victory for Babylon (10-0), which plays No. 3 Glenn, a 21-14 winner over No. 2 Mount Sinai, in the Suffolk IV final at 7:30 Thursday night at Stony Brook.
It was an unusually inauspicious start for Babylon as the normally efficient Panthers fumbled on their first possession of the game.
But Babylon quickly recovered as Jake Carlock made the first of his two interceptions on the night, a one-handed grab in the end zone, on SWR's ensuing possession.
That was all Babylon needed as it scored on its next six possessions.
"It definitely woke us up," Carlock said of the fumble. "I just told the guys in the huddle [after the interception] to forget about it. It's a new game now."
Senior running back Eric Schweitzer gave Babylon a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter on a 37-yard touchdown run.
Panthers quarterback Nick Santorelli added an 18-yard scoring run.
Schweitzer scored for the second time on a 1-yard run with 5:16 left in the half to give Babylon a 20-0 lead.
"With all the weapons we have, it's got to be hard to defend us," Schweitzer said.
Schweitzer was referring to Carlock, Santorelli, Ray Wardell and running back Luke Zappia. Carlock had two touchdown catches, Wardell a scoring reception, and Zappia had 61 total yards.
Tyler Anderson, Shoreham-Wading River's all-time single-season rushing leader, finished with 142 yards and a touchdown.
