Garden City tops Carey, eyes record-tying 6th Nassau title in row
Garden City quarterback Luke Schmitt rushes ball against Carey on this play, but he threw for four first-half touchdowns as the Trojans jumped to a 42-7 lead in the Nassau Conference II semifinal playoff game on Nov. 13, 2021 at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Garden City put itself in position to go for a record-tying sixth straight Nassau playoff title next weekend.
The Trojans took another step in that direction with a 52-13 win over Carey in a Nassau Conference II semifinal playoff game late Saturday night at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium.
Garden City quarterback Luke Schmitt completed six of nine passes for 67 yards and four first-half touchdowns as the Trojans jumped out to a 42-7 lead. The Trojans scored on six of their seven first-half possessions. Wide receiver Jackson Perisa caught four passes for 55 yards and three scores in the first half.
Garden City (10-0) will meet the winner of the Mepham- MacArthur semifinal for the Nassau Conference II title.
Schmitt opened the scoring with a 22-yard run and Michael Fargione added the extra-point kick for the 7-0 lead with 9:20 left in the first quarter. The Trojans extended the lead when Schmitt found Perisa with a 16-yard touchdown strike in the corner of the end zone for the 14-0 lead with five seconds left in the quarter.
Carey (5-5) cut the deficit in half early in the second quarter. Quarterback Dean Metzger beat the Trojans defense with a 76-yard touchdown pass to Shane Hogan with 10:43 left in the half to make it 14-7.
Garden City, which averaged 44 points per game this season, responded with four straight second quarter touchdowns. Schmitt hit Perisa with a 10-yard scoring pass, Will Peters caught a 4-yard touchdown pass, Steve Finnell added a 6-yard scoring run and Perisa caught another 10-yard TD pass for the 42-7 lead.
The Trojans outrushed Carey, 143-9 in the first half. It was the Trojans' 10th straight win against Carey, including a 41-0 pasting in Week 3 earlier this season. With the result in hand and a byproduct of Garden City’s dominance this season, coach David Ettinger was able to clear the bench and rest his regulars.
Garden City’s senior halfback Evan Katradis led all ballcarriers with 74 yards on four carries.
The Trojans march on to the next.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
