Joe Yarusso helps Plainedge pick apart Lynbrook

Joe Yarusso missed the first weeks of the season with a broken collarbone.

The Plainedge senior defensive back has made up for his missed time in a big way. Yarusso had three interceptions -- including one that he returned 97 yards for a touchdown late in the third quarter.

He also hauled in a 20-yard reception at wide receiver as top-seeded Plainedge remained perfect after a 34-7 win against No. 7 Lynbrook in the Nassau Conference III semifinal at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium. The Red Devils play in the Nassau III final at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Junior running back Luke Lombardi (133 yards on eight carries) added a pair of 45-yard touchdown runs as Plainedge (10-0) advances to a Nassau final for the first time since 2015, a game the Red Devils won (56-34 against Glen Cove).

“When he was out, he was at every practice and every game, always with a smile on his face,” said Plainedge coach Rob Shaver of Yarusso. “He’s given us explosiveness at the wide receiver position.

One of the pivotal plays of the night came on a fourth-and-8 from the Plainedge 29 with 3:30 left in the third quarter as Lynbrook trailed 14-7. Yarusso stepped in front of an Owls pass inside the Red Devils 5.

He ran along the Plainedge sideline, picked up a bevy of blocks, and rode a Red Devils caravan into the end zone for a 97-yard interception return. The 5-10 Yarusso missed tying a Nassau playoff record by one yard. (Locust Valley’s Alex Mauro had a 98-yard INT return against North Shore in 2006.)

“At first, I thought about just knocking (the pass) down. It was fourth down,” said Yarusso, who had three catches for 51 yards. “But then I decided to try and make a play.”

Lombardi later added a 45-yard run just 13 seconds into fourth quarter as the Red Devils’ advantage was extended to 27-7. Dion Kuinlan scampered in from 19 yards out with 3:49 left in the game to put the finishing touches on a 20-point, second-half explosion by Plainedge.

Lynbrook (5-5) was looking to reach a Nassau final for the first time since 2010. The Owls had knocked off No. 2 Lawrence in a quarterfinal last week. While they played the No. 1 seed tough Saturday, they couldn’t pull off a second straight stunner.

After Lombardi’s 45-yards touchdown run on the game’s opening drive, Lynbrook responded with an 11-play, 68-yard drive capped by a 1-yard scoring run from Jonathan Cabral-Martin. Sal Cimato’s kick tied the score at 7 with 8:39 left in the first half.

But Plainedge answered quickly as the Red Devils needed four plays and less than a minute to traverse 68 yards, punctuated by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Dan Villari to Yarusso with 7:40 to go as Plainedge went up 14-7.

“This is such a special group, they’re great to be around,” Shaver said. “Even, earlier in the year when we had breaks, we always wanted to get back together. We don’t want this end.”