Class IV Long Island championship preview
Seaford's Joe Kirincic celebrates his team's fourth Nassau Conference IV final championship in a row by a score of 28-25 over Roosevelt. (Nov. 20, 2010) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
CLASS IV
SEAFORD VIKINGS (11-0)
VS.
GLENNKNIGHTS (11-0)
4:30 p.m. at Stony Brook U.
The only two unbeaten public school teams on Long Island can make a strong case for the Rutgers Cup (Nassau) and Rutgers Trophy (Suffolk) if they complete perfect seasons today.
Seaford has won 43 straight Nassau games and is riding an overall 23-game winning streak. The Vikings are the defending Long Island champions and stick to a tried-and-true formula of ball-control offense and relentless defense. Running backs Justin Buckley (205 yards in last week's 28-25 win over Roosevelt) and Travis Langan lead the way. Langan had a big day defensively against Roosevelt, with five tackles for losses.
Glenn (37 ppg) once again rode the arm and legs of quarterback Ryan Rielly to a 34-26 victory over Babylon in the Suffolk final. Rielly ran for 224 yards and two TDs and passed for 207 and three TDs. The week before, he ran for 223 and passed for 209 in a victory over Mt. Sinai. Rielly has accumulated more than 3,000 yards of total offense. Receiver Tom Forsberg caught seven passes for 110 yards, including a 54-yard TD. He also had a key 29-punt return to set up the go-ahead touchdown.
Seaford is appearing in its sixth Long Island Championship. The Vikings are 2-3 and gave coach Rob Perpall his first Long Island championship last year with a 34-20 win over Amityville. Glenn is, joyfully, playing in its first LIC. "I tell the kids, you can't buy back time," said coach Dave Shanahan. "Make the most of this moment."
