Rigo lifts East Islip over Hills West
Half Hollow Hills West High School running back #23 Jaquese Jones, right, finds an opening and rushes for a 34-yard gain in the third quarter of a Suffolk County Division II varsity football game vs. East Islip at Half Hollow Hills West High School. East Islip won by a score of 28-7. (Sept. 28, 2011) Credit: James Escher
For Tyler Rigo, the rewards are worth the risk.
The rugged 5-10, 205-pound senior running back for East Islip drags tacklers until he hears the referee's whistle and battles for extra yardage, even putting his body in peril at times when the prudent thing might be to go to the ground.
Last season, he played the final six games despite what his coach described as a badly torn groin. So what's a little knee injury that Rigo suffered on the last play of the third quarter Wednesday that at first looked much worse than it really was?
Rigo scrapped for 11 tough yards to the Half Hollow Hills West 6 on the play, lay prone on the turf, let out a scream of pain and allowed two teammates to help him off the field, where he watched the Redmen score on the next play. "I got up and stretched and I felt better. I wasn't staying out," Rigo said.
He returned to carry six straight times for 75 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to lead East Islip to a 28-7 victory over host Half Hollow Hills West in a Suffolk Conference II football game that left both teams at 2-2.
Rigo was the Redmen's workhorse all afternoon, carrying 35 times for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He also made a leaping deflection of a pass that was intercepted by teammate Pete Hanabergh on the play before his injury that curtailed the Colts' last serious scoring drive when it was still a 14-7 game. "I don't mind all the carries. I'd rather carry it more than less," Rigo said. "I get into a rhythm."
East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi changed the tune slightly on offense Wednesday, successfully deploying Rigo in a wildcat formation numerous times. "Just wanted to find different ways to get him the ball," Ciampi said. "It was working so we kept using it. It seems like Tyler's always playing hurt but he's always back out there, fighting for extra yards."
The Redmen also did a solid defensive job on Hills West star Devante McFarlane, limiting him to 37 yards rushing and 101 yards passing, while making three interceptions. Much of the credit goes to defensive ends Amiel Perez and Justin Haas, whose assignments were containment on McFarlane. "Just keep him from getting outside," Perez said. "That's where he's a big-time runner."
Rigo did his damage inside the tackles. "He's starting to put us on his back," Ciampi said
