East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi tips his cap to Carey
East Islip head coach Sal Ciampi looks on from the sidelines on during the Class II Long Island Championship against Carey on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014 at Stony Brook University. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
It didn't take long for Sunday's Long Island Class II championship game to turn sharply away from East Islip.
"Second play," coach Sal J. Ciampi said.
It was a screen pass on which quarterback Jack Hannigan got hit as he threw. "The minute that happened, he wasn't the same," Ciampi said. "That did it. He already had a torn [knee] ligament from Week 8."
After that early hit, Hannigan lost some of the mobility that makes him a dangerous runner. And once the Redmen fell behind in the third quarter and were forced to throw, they became a one-dimensional team.
Against Carey's many dimensions, it was too much to overcome. East Islip lost, 41-7, at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium after trailing only 13-7 at the half.
Hannigan completed six of 14 passes for 86 yards and carried 13 times for minus-20 yards, including six sacks. The Redmen entered the fourth quarter with a total of one yard on the ground.
"We try to control the clock with our line, but we weren't able to do that," Ciampi said.
Hannigan also made 31/2 tackles from his linebacker spot before he was pulled from his defensive duties in the second half. "When Jack is healthy, we're a different team," Ciampi said. "One of the reasons it took us a while to get going early this season is that Jack missed two games with a concussion. We struggle offensively without him."
East Islip's defense, a staple this season, got pushed around in the second half by the Seahawks (12-0), who own a 24-game winning streak.
"Carey is a great team. My family has a long history in Long Island football, and what they've done the last two years is as good as it gets," Ciampi said. "They deserve all the accolades they are going to get."
Ciampi had praise for his players, who followed a 2-2 start by reaching the Long Island Championships for the first time since 2007. "They accomplished a lot against a lot of adversity," he said. "I feel good about winning the county championship, but once you get here, you want to give a better performance. I know they are disappointed now, but when time passes, they'll look back at what they've achieved."
Hannigan, a junior, will be back next year to lead East Islip's defense of its county crown. As he watched his team's top offensive player limp to the bus in one of two lines of Redmen players, Ciampi acknowledged, "The way Carey played, honestly, I don't think it would've mattered if Jack was a hundred percent healthy."
