Hills West proud of its season
Half Hollow Hills West Quarterback Anthony Lucarelli #7 scrambles out of trouble in the first quarter of the Suffolk County Division II Championship game against Newfield at Stony Brook University's Lavalle Stadium on Nov. 20, 2015. Credit: Daniel De Mato
There were a dozen reasons why this could have been Half Hollow Hills West's season.
And they are the 12 sophomores who came up to varsity two years ago. Their arrival put into place what coach Kyle Madden called a three-year plan.
"Now they're seniors," Madden said in August, just before the season started, "and they're ready to go."
At times Friday night, the Colts showed just how ready they were, whether it was quarterback Anthony Lucarelli extending drives with his legs or Alexander Filacouris making catches downfield or Frank Pizzurro recording a sack.
But some costly mistakes against a team in pursuit of a perfect season cost them as the Colts fell to Newfield, 58-34, in the Suffolk II championship game at LaValle Stadium.
Lucarelli finished with 83 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and completed 10 of 17 passes for 223 yards. Filacouris made four catches for 78 yards.
"We all left it out on the field," Lucarelli said. "Unfortunately, we came up short."
Only twice this season has Newfield trailed, and both times it was against the Colts.
On Friday night, it was Ed Gonzalez who gave Hills West the lead. With Newfield at its 18, the Wolverines faked a handoff and pitched it back to a wide receiver. He lofted a pass that was picked off by Gonzalez, who returned it 22 yards for a touchdown that gave the Colts a 20-18 lead with 2:01 left in the first half.
But Elijah Riley's 4-yard TD run with 20 seconds left in the half gave Newfield (11-0) a 24-20 advantage. Two turnovers in a 53-second span in the third allowed Newfield to break open the game.
Hills West (9-2) was making its second straight appearance in the county final. Though the three-year plan reached its conclusion without a county title, the Colts walked off the field proud of what they accomplished.
"How many people can say they went to two county championships? Not many," Madden said. "They made this program what it is."
