Dieckhoff, Haggart power Sayville to win over ESM
Sayville Golden Flashes running back John Haggart (27) runs with the ball during the game against the Eastport-South Manor Sharks. (Sept. 16, 2010) Credit: Christopher Pasatieri
A rumble of thunder and a bolt of lightning shook the skies above the football field at Sayville early last night. Moments later, with 1:43 remaining on the clock, officials declared the game over and awarded Sayville a 43-20 victory over Eastport-South Manor, the score at the time Mother Nature struck.
The elements provided an appropriate backdrop because for much of the Suffolk Division II game, Sayville displayed its own version of thunder and lightning in the backfield - but with a twist. If you looked at running backs Tom Dieckhoff, a junior, and John Haggart, a sophomore, you probably wouldn't guess which one was which.
"I've got a sprinter and a slasher," Sayville coach Rob Hoss said.
Dieckhoff, amazingly nimble and elusive at 5-4, 145 is . . . thunder! That's right, the smallest player on the field week after week does almost all of his running between the tackles. Actually, it's behind the tackles, as Dieckhoff is skilled at hiding behind his blockers and then darting through an opening.
"It's tough to see Tommy," Hoss said. Tough to bring the kid down, too. Dieckhoff carried 19 times for 83 yards and a touchdown, and had a 29-yard touchdown run called back on a holding penalty on a run that perfectly showed us his hide-and-seek running style.
So that leaves Haggart, a bruising 6-foot, 180-pounder, to supply the lightning in the Golden Flashes' balanced offense. A sprinter on the track team, Haggart is most dangerous on sweeps. If he gets to the corner, he accelerates into the curve and leaves would-be tacklers in the dust. That occurred in the fourth quarter when he raced around left end for a 28-yard touchdown that was called back for a holding infraction.
"He's unbelievably explosive going outside," Hoss said. Even in limited playing time Thursday because of a thigh bruise that caused him to miss some practice time, Haggart showed off some of that speed. He rushed for 53 yards on seven carries, including touchdown runs of 12 and 15 yards.
Sayville isn't all thunder and lightning, of course. Quarterback Steven Ferreira continued to deliver a steady beam of sunlight. He completed 11 of 20 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns, giving him seven scoring passes in the first two games, both high-scoring victories for Sayville.
However, it was a defensive play that turned the game. Sayville led only 21-20 at halftime, as the Sharks' Luke Combs threw for two touchdowns and Alan Henderson (68 yards on 18 carries) ran for one. But early in the third quarter, Sayville defensive end Justin Fronckwicz broke free on the right edge and sacked Combs in the end zone for a safety and a 23-20 lead.
After a short free kick gave the Golden Flashes good field possession, Haggart capped a four-play, 47-yard drive with a 12-yard scamper and a 30-20 lead that took the bite out of the Sharks (1-1). "That safety was the turning point," Hoss said.
Sayville kept up the pressure on Combs in the second half and beat the deluge by turning the game over to Dieckhoff and Haggart, aka flash and crash.
