Depleted Lutheran rolls in opener

LI Lutheran's Traishawn Hubbard holds up the ball after a... — LI Lutheran's Traishawn Hubbard holds up the ball after a touchdown run. (Sept. 3, 2011) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy

By LAURA ALBANESElaura.albanese@newsday.comSeptember 3, 2011

There was a head count and another count after the first three quarters of football on Long Island Saturday.

The injury count: The number of Long Island Lutheran players, sometimes as many as four or five, including the quarterback and two starting running backs, hunched over on the bench or painfully testing calves and knees and ankles on the sideline of their bruiser against Baltimore's Lutheran High School. The head count? Well, that's what the coaches were doing: Who's left to play defense? Who will be the 11th man on the kick return? Hands up if you can play.

By the fourth quarter, though, the only two numbers that really seemed to matter were 44 and 20.

With the score tied, Tiquan Garner, No. 20, rolled left, stiff-armed one defender and broke a second tackle for a 32-yard touchdown on the opening play of the fourth. Meanwhile, No. 44, junior Traishawn Hubbard, had a career day, amassing 206 yards on 14 carries with three touchdowns and an interception, as the Crusaders kicked off the year with a hard-fought 48-28 win at home.

"Traishawn is an incredible player," said coach Chris Reno, adding that his contribution helped a team that was very literally hurting. "We had guys coming off the bench. We were running out of players -- with this heat, there were cramps and dehydration."

All of the players are expected to return next game, Reno said, except for backup running back John Schmitt, who broke his collarbone.

All in all, it was an auspicious start to Lutheran's season, as well as an apt demonstration of its ability to compete in the Fairchester Athletic League after going 7-3 in an independent league last year. The Crusaders have only 35 players, but pack a punch with standouts like Hubbard and Garner, who demonstrated a nearly surgical ability to dissect a defense, as well as star returnee Brandon Alford, also a running back.

SEE PHOTOSLong Island Lutheran 48, Baltimore Lutheran 28

"Our biggest strength would have to be our backfield," Reno said in a telephone interview before the game. "We're going to have some challenges rebuilding our defense. That'll be the challenge for us this year."

He was pleased with what he saw in the second half, when that same defense, led by Dera Mezue and John Martone, shut out the Saints and wiley quarterback Aaron Armes. Mezue collected four sacks and as an offensive lineman helped set the tone for a run-heavy attack that lost quarterback Rob Waldman to injury in the first drive of the third quarter.

"My linemen were blocking," said a beaming Hubbard. "They opened up all the gaps."