Lynbrook tops Sayville, wins LI Class III title
Lynbrook quarterback Paul Magloire, left, attempts to evade the tackle of Sayville's Anthony Cavaliere in the fourth quarter of the Class III Long Island Championship at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium. (Nov. 26, 2010) Credit: James Escher
Paul Magloire wasn't born yet when Lynbrook won the inaugural Long Island Class III championship in 1992.
Lynbrook hadn't been back until Friday night. That's when Magloire helped give the Owls another title.
The senior quarterback ran for three touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions to lead Lynbrook to a 42-27 win over Sayville in the Long Island Class III championship game at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium.
"It feels great to make history," Magloire said. "When we're old and gray, we're still going to be talking about this."
For Magloire, the story will begin with one of the most spectacular plays of the 2010 season. After Travis Lock's 2-yard touchdown run gave Lynbrook (11-1) a 32-27 lead with 7:28 left in the fourth quarter, the Owls lined up for the two-point conversion.
They shifted into an empty backfield with Magloire in the shotgun. He looked to run straight up the middle but then bounced outside to the right, leaped over two Sayville defenders and rolled into the end zone.
Said Magloire: "The way I see it, if you're only 3 yards away from the end zone, you have to get in no matter what."
Lynbrook coach Steve LoCicero gave his quarterback free rein to pick his route to paydirt.
"I entrust them with going to the weight room, being at practice on time and doing the right thing in the classroom," the coach said, "so why not entrust them to make a decision in a big game?"
Magloire's turned out to be the right one.
Kendall Bruton set up the short drive when he intercepted a pass at midfield and raced 43 yards down the left sideline. "He changed the game," Lock said of the play.
Lynbrook's recipe for success all season has been a heavy helping of Magloire, Lock and Mike Kozlakowski out of the backfield, and that didn't change Friday night. Lock (the speedy tailback) ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns, Magloire (the shifty QB) had 120 rushing yards and three touchdowns and Kozlakowski (the punishing fullback) amassed 77 yards and a score on the ground. Magloire (two) and Kozlakowski also ran for conversions.
"It starts up front," LoCicero said, "but we're gifted in a sense where we have three guys who use their speed off those blocks."
The offensive line made it extremely easy for Lock to provide the game's longest play. On third-and-1 from the Lynbrook 28 midway through the second quarter, Lock shot like a cannon out of the backfield and went 72 yards untouched to give Lynbrook a 20-12 lead.
"I just saw daylight," he said. "All it took was one cut."
John Haggart was Sayville's workhorse, carrying the ball 27 times for 123 yards and three touchdowns. His last score came on a 1-yard dive into the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter, and after his own extra point, the Golden Flashes (10-2) led 27-26.
But the night belonged to the nocturnal Owls, who, along with seemingly their entire town, returned to Lynbrook with some valuable hardware.
"The whole community supported us," Lock said. "Stores were closed today."
On Black Friday, all Lynbrook thought about was football. The gifts they received have no price tag.
