Richardson clicks on trick play for West Babylon

It was the trick that just wouldn't click.

West Babylon had tried this gadget play before, with wide receiver Michael Richardson coming in motion, taking a handoff from the quarterback then pulling up for a long pass. "Every time we tried it, it was incomplete, or I slipped and something happened," Richardson said.

Then Saturday, on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage, the gimmick turned into a dazzling magic trick. Richardson came in motion from left to right, took the handoff from Clifton Melhado, started running to his right, then pulled up and launched a long pass downfield to Matt Ballone, well behind the Newfield defense. The play went for a 70-yard touchdown, the first of several big plays involving Richardson as the Eagles defeated host Newfield, 34-14, in a Suffolk II football game.

"I told Matt in practice, 'I got you.' He deserved it," Richardson said.

Melhado was almost as surprised as the Wolverines' defense. "I was shocked. I couldn't believe it," Melhado said. "I was nervous when I saw how open it was because it had never worked before."

That wasn't the only thing that clicked for West Babylon (4-0), which dropped Newfield to 3-1. After his touchdown pass, Richardson made an alert interception off a deflection and returned it 10 yards to the Newfield 23. On the next play, fullback Reggie Robinson burst through the middle for a 23-yard scoring run.

Richardson made it 21-6 later in the first quarter when he ran a slant pattern, caught Melhado's dart in stride and broke loose for a 53-yard touchdown. "That play is hard to stop. Even our defense can't stop it in practice," Melhado said.

SEE PHOTOSWest Babylon 34, Newfield 14

But the Eagles' defense did intercept Newfield three times, and made a huge stop near the end of the first half after the Wolverines had moved to within 21-14 on Zach Powell's 2-yard run that concluded a 72-yard, 12-play drive. A 2-yard punt that was partially blocked in the end zone set up the home team at the West Babylon 7 with 41 seconds left before halftime. But three running plays produced only 2 yards and a field-goal try missed.

Then on the first play from scrimmage of the second half, West Babylon ran another slant to perfection, with Melhado hitting Leiaje Sidberry down the middle for a 62-yard touchdown that made it 27-14.

Gary Green's second interception of the game thwarted one Newfield drive late in the third quarter, and West Babylon forced an incomplete pass on fourth-and-4 from the West Babylon 17 early in the fourth quarter.

Then it was time to ride the Reggie Robinson Express. "I call him the train," Richardson said of the burly 6-1, 245-pound senior who also excels at linebacker. Robinson carried 11 times for 46 yards as the Eagles put together a clinching 17-play, 83-yard drive that consumed 7:24 and ended with Robinson's 2-yard scoring run. He finished with 90 yards on 22 carries.

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"I just took the handoffs, read the huge holes my line gave me and ran with ferocity," Robinson declared. "No one will get in front of a train, unless they want to get trampled."