Fudim leads Babylon back to Division IV final
Babylon running back Trevor Fudim rushes for a gain in the third quarter of the Suffolk Division IV semifinal playoff game vs. Bayport-Blue Point. He ran for two touchdowns in the first half to lead Babylon to a 21-0 win. (Nov. 13, 2010) Credit: James Escher
Trevor Fudim ran so far Saturday, he carried Babylon north on Nicolls Road all the way from Bayport-Blue Point to Stony Brook for next week's Suffolk Division IV final.
The senior running back ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries, as the No. 3 Panthers defeated No. 2 Bayport-Blue Point, 21-0, in a county semifinal Saturday afternoon.
Babylon (8-2) returns to the championship game after its streak of 13 straight appearances was snapped last season. Bayport-Blue Point (7-3) ended the Panthers' season a year ago, but Babylon gained confidence against the Phantoms in a 45-21 win in Week 6.
"We definitely had confidence," Fudim said, "but in a playoff semifinal environment, it's anybody's game."
Fudim scored on runs of 1 and 8 yards in the first and second quarter, respectively, to make it 14-0. Jeann Cruz added a 1-yard touchdown plunge in the third quarter for the final margin.
Babylon's defense had a dominant performance, holding Bayport-Blue Point to 10 rushing yards. Zach Fredericks and Andrew Hurst both had interceptions, Stephen Loudon recovered a fumble and Harrison Dittmeier made two sacks.
"Our defense played tremendous," Fudim said. "They've stepped up a lot the past few weeks. We wanted to wear down their defense and eat up the clock."
Mission accomplished.
Babylon hopes to do the same against No. 1 Glenn on Saturday at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium. The Knights and their standout quarterback Ryan Rielly breezed past Mount Sinai, 40-21, Saturday.
But first, Fudim will take a rest. After all, he traveled a long way. "They came out and hit real hard," he said. "I'm definitely sore."
