Keefe, Scotland lead Comsewogue win
Comsewogue tight end Kenny Scotland makes an over the shoulder grab for a touchdown as Bellport defensive back Travis Correa #18 watches. (Sept. 10, 2011) Credit: George A. Faella
Kenny Scotland stood in the middle of the Comsewogue defensive huddle and demanded the attention of his Warriors brothers. "I told them we were 1 yard away from a win over Bellport," he said. "It was very quiet. Everyone knew what was at stake."
Bellport, trailing by 21 points at the half, was less than a yard from its third straight second-half touchdown in a wild comeback attempt. With 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs faced a fourth down and inches at the Warriors' goal line.
"It was go time for the line," Scotland said. "We needed a big stop."
Bellport quarterback Justin Honce took the snap and darted to the left of center and burrowed into the line. He was met by tackles Albert Torres and Danny Tavares at the goal line and denied the touchdown. The stop halted an 11-play drive that consumed 6:03 of the clock.
The goal-line stand allowed Comsewogue to hang on for a 21-14 win over Bellport Saturday before a crowd of 1,200 in the Suffolk II football opener at Comsewogue. Bellport's seven-game win streak was snapped.
After the big stop, Comsewogue needed to move the ball out of the shadow of its own end zone. With 2:44 left, on third-and-6 from the Warriors' 4-yard line, halfback Dan Infanzon followed a big block from Tyler Deluca and raced 60 yards for a first down to seal the win.
"That was an incredible win over a storied rival," Comsewogue first-year coach Sean Tremblay said. "We had a comfortable halftime lead. But it's Bellport. And we told our guys, Bellport rolls over for no one. We expected some adjustments and that they'd come out ready to battle."
Bellport, after an abysmal first half, grabbed momentum midway through the third quarter and made a game of it. "It's a character builder," Bellport's first year coach Joe Cipp III said. "I thought we responded well in the second half."
And the Clippers, after scoring twice in the third quarter, on an Armand Correa 2-yard run and a Nathaniel Chavious 6-yard run, came up a little short of a tying score. The Comsewogue defense, which held the Clippers to 38 first-half yards, rose to the challenge in the fourth to seal it.
"Our defense was beating them off the ball most of the game," said Scotland, who had 31/2 sacks. "We were just quicker off the edge and came free on the quarterback a lot."
While the Comsewogue defense stymied Bellport, it was an efficient double-wing offense run by quarterback Ryan Keefe that helped the Warriors score on three of four first-half possessions. Infanzon scored untouched on a 20-yard run with 9:21 left in the first quarter to cap a five-play, 60-yard drive. Matt Cossidente added the kick for a 7-0 lead.
"The execution on the O-line was great today," Keefe said. "My option reads were easy because of the blocking."
Keefe added a 10-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and then fired a 27-yard scoring strike to Scotland with 1:52 left in the half for a 21-0 lead.
"We were in complete control," Keefe said. "I knew it was a touchdown when I let the pass go. He's such a big target."
Scotland's presence was felt on both sides of the ball. He harassed Honce and disrupted the passing game all afternoon.
"It's about athleticism and we were more athletic," Scotland said. "They're always a good team. But our quickness was the difference."
