Marquise Williams, Adrian Leddy are special for Lindenhurst
Lindenhurst's Marquise Williams blocks a field goal attempt and recovers the ball returning it for a first- half touchdown in the Suffolk I final at Stony Brook University on Nov. 21, 2014. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Special teams have been the foundation of Lindenhurst's success all season. So when it mattered most, it was no surprise to see the Bulldogs continue to do what they do best.
With 10:22 left in the second quarter of Lindenhurst's 30-27 win over Patchogue-Medford in Friday night's Suffolk I championship game at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium, senior defensive back Marquise Williams blocked a 32-yard field-goal attempt, then recovered the ball and ran it back 75 yards to give the Bulldogs (9-2) a 13-7 lead.
"Jeremy Ruckert and David Keller, they helped me off the edge, so I had a clear path and that's all we need and we make plays out there," Williams said. "When I got the ball, I knew no one was touching me."
It was Williams' fourth block of the season and the team's 10th.
"His play has been outstanding,'' Lindenhurst coach Nick Lombardo said. "He does a great job of coming off the edge. He's an explosive player, and the fact that he was able to block it, pick it up and take it for a touchdown was very impressive.
"Those types of plays have given us a lot of momentum."
Another key to Lindenhurst's special teams is senior kicker Adrian Leddy, who has been steady all season.
"We practice it every single day at practice," Leddy said. "Me and Sean Varela have a great connection. He always gets a great snap down. Even if it's a bad snap, he always gets it down. Then I just kick it through the upright."
In the last three weeks, Leddy has made five field goals -- two each in the quarterfinal and semifinal games and one in the final. His 26-yarder with 8:58 left in the third quarter contributed to the three-point difference on the scoreboard Friday night.
"Our special teams have been very good for us all year,'' Lombardo said. "We blocked our 10th kick of the year and Leddy's been very good."
Said Williams: "Special teams are a huge part of who we are as a team. That's where we've made turnovers. That's where we've made plays."
