Grigorakos scores twice as Massapequa advances
Massapequa High School running back #25 Taylor Bocchiaro breaks loose for a 74-yard rushing gain. (Nov. 5, 2011) Credit: James Escher
About 20 yards north of Baldwin's football field sits a small, blue house. The house is the childhood home of Massapequa head coach Kevin Shippos and remains the address for former Bruins coach Steve Shippos, his father.
With the younger Shippos returning to Baldwin for the first time in his coaching career, there was added pressure to win -- especially with the elder Shippos watching the game not too far away from the comfort of his living room.
"It was weird standing on the away sideline and not the home sideline," said Kevin Shippos, who played for Baldwin. "But it felt nice to be back."
The Shippos-led Massapequa Chiefs upset fourth-seeded Baldwin, 28-7, Saturday in the Nassau I quarterfinals.
Vassilis Grigorakos scored two touchdowns on five carries for the Chiefs, Jack Korber added 101 yards and a score on two (yes, two) carries, and Taylor Bocchiaro had 113 yards on ten carries.
Massapequa capitalized on big plays early and often. Quarterback Matt Pagano ran for 67 of his 84 yards on the Chiefs' opening drive, which was culminated by a seven-yard touchdown plunge by Grigorakos.
Baldwin returned fire later in the quarter, as Javaun Tomlinson broke free on a 25-yard score with 1:34 left. But a 74-yard run by Bocchiaro set up another seven-yard score by Grigorakos with 3:08 remaining in the second quarter.
The game's tipping point came midway through the third quarter. Two plays after Massapequa recovered a fumble on the five-yard line, Korber outran six defenders along the left sideline en route to a 97-yard touchdown run that gave the Chiefs a 21-7 lead with 6:33 left.
"It was actually a new play we drew up this week," said Korber. "I just saw a hole and did what I had to do to get to the end zone."
After completing a 31-yard pass down the Baldwin sideline to receiver Harry Lowe, Pagano added a three-yard touchdown run with 9:19 left in the game to give Massapequa a 28-7 lead. The quarterback went two-of-six for 47 yards passing.
"Big plays win games," Pagano said. "We saw opportunities to make plays, and we made the most of them."
The win puts the Chiefs in the semifinals for the first time since 2008.
"These kids knew they were 48 minutes away from playing in Hofstra," Shippos said. "They really played lights out."
But the game's sentimental value was not lost on the players.
"Everybody was playing for somebody," said Korber. "As a team, we were playing for our coach."
And what did the elder Shippos have to say about his son's coaching performance?
"Kevin is a very intense kid," said Steve Shippos in the kitchen of the small, blue house. "It was a little strange for me to see him on the other side of the field, but I'm proud of him."
