Gagne's big run helps Westhampton past Islip
Westhampton's #25 Brendon Eckart makes a carry during first half action. (Nov. 11, 2011) Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin
When Evan Gagne got the ball seconds into the fourth quarter, it was as if coach Bill Parry pulled back a rubber band and unsnapped it all at once. Gagne, a sophomore who mostly had been a non-factor in Westhampton's semifinal against Islip on Friday, was all pent-up energy and unstoppable force.
What happened next, then, should come as no surprise: the running back took a handoff from quarterback Jack Murphy, broke two tackles, and easily outstripped the defense up the left sideline before being pushed out at the 5-yard line for a 39-yard gain. Danny Gomez ran it in for a touchdown on the next play to give Westhampton a lead it never relinquished in a 28-13 win over Islip in a Suffolk III football semifinal.
The Hurricanes (8-2) next play either Sayville or Harborfields on Nov. 20 at Stony Brook.
Gagne had 55 yards rushing, including an 11-yard TD with a little more than two minutes remaining to give No. 2 Westhampton a 28-7 lead.
Workhorse Brendon Eckart "got hurt on the previous play and we were running Brian Curry a lot," Parry said of the decision to give Gagne the ball on the game-turning sweep play with the score tied at 7. Though Gagne was used more often in the regular season, "playing in a game like this is tough for a sophomore," the coach said.
"A game like this," as it turned out, was at times a frustrating defensive battle against fifth-seeded Islip (6-4), which had defeated Westhampton in Week 6.
The Hurricanes opened the scoring when Murphy connected with brother T.J. on a slant with 6:35 left in the first half. Jack Murphy -- 7-for-12 passing for 65 yards -- also ran it in from 12 yards with 4:36 remaining.
