North Babylon-Half Hollow Hills West suspended
North Babylon's Adam Amin with big run against Half Hollow Hills West. (Sept. 16, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
The skies darkened and the wind grew steadily throughout the fourth quarter of yesterday's Division II football game at North Babylon. As the Bulldogs were putting the finishing touches on a hard-fought win over Half Hollow Hills West, referee Ed Hickland waved his arms over his head and called for a stoppage in play.
Hickland saw lightning and suspended play with North Babylon holding a 35-21 lead over Hills West with 4:50 left before a crowd of 800. The teams were ushered into the respective locker rooms and fans were asked to leave the bleachers immediately as school security swept through the stands as quickly as the looming storm came through the area.
"Safety first at all times," Hickland said. "As soon as we see the lightning, we have to stop. We met with the coaches and suspended the game."
North Babylon halfback Preshod McCoy, who scored three touchdowns, was tackled at the Colts' 48 on a third-and-4 run when the game was halted. Linebacker Mike Marino made the stop after a 2-yard gain, setting up a fourth-and-2 situation when play resumes Friday.
"We'll finish it up tomorrow," said McCoy, who had 137 yards on 29 carries.
For Hills West, the return trip to North Babylon could be just a formality. Or, it could be a ride to a memorable comeback win.
"We'll come back to North Babylon and give it our best shot," Hills West coach Kyle Madden said. "Who knows? It's fourth-and-2 and if we can stop them and get the ball back and score in a hurry, anything is possible."
The game featured two of last year's defending divisional champions. And it was a contrast in offensive styles. North Babylon (1-0), the Division II titlist, pounded the smaller Hills West defensive front and pushed the Colts around for the better part of 31/2 quarters, scoring on four consecutive drives.
"They are one of the most skilled spread teams we've ever played," North Babylon coach Terry Manning said. "We had to keep their offense off the field. We had to keep them playing catch-up."
North Babylon capitalized on a first-quarter turnover when halfback Adam Amin scored on a 5-yard run. His extra-point kick made it 7-0.
Hills West wasted no time playing catch-up. The Colts went 80 yards in seven plays, capped by a Dan McCord 10-yard TD catch from quarterback Chris Busuttil. Kevin Stanis added the point to tie it at 7 with 1:53 left in the half.
North Babylon responded with an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive before the half ended. Quarterback Brian Kennedy found McCoy alone in the end zone on a 5-yard play-action pass with five seconds left for a 13-7 lead. The Bulldogs opened the second half with a five-play, 58-yard scoring drive, punctuated by a McCoy 20-yard run for a 19-7 lead.
"We just beat them up front," Manning said. "You better spend time in the weight room if you want to play with us."
