Dion Kuinlan’s huge game lifts Plainedge

With the stakes at their highest Plainedge’s Dion Kuinlan had his best performance.

The junior running back ran for 187 yards and five touchdowns — two of them in the fourth quarter — on 27 carries to help Plainedge knock off Lawrence, 49-41, and finish off an 8-0 regular season in Nassau III.

After Lawrence’s Jordan Alexander caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Christian Fredericks to pull the Golden Tornadoes to within 42-33, Kuinlan answered with his final touchdown — a run of 17 yards — to seal the game for Plainedge.

Fredericks added an 11-yard rushing score later in the quarter to provide the final margin.

It was the second straight year the Red Devils knocked off Lawrence in a tightly contested battle with playoff seeding in Nassau III on the line.

Dan Villari ran for 158 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and Luke Lombardi ran for 66 yards and a score and recovered a fumble for Plainedge. — GENE MORRIS