Sachem North pounds Lindenhurst on the ground
Sachem running back Michael Andreassi (31) for the gain around the left side in the first half. (Sept. 17, 2010) Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan
For three straight possessions, the Lindenhurst defense kept Sachem North off the scoreboard. It forced two fumbles and halted one Flaming Arrows drive on downs deep in Lindy territory.
But Sachem North kept coming. The offensive front wore down the Lindenhurst defense and senior halfbacks Mike Andreassi and Jesse Scanna took over the game in Sachem North's 34-15 win over Lindenhurst on Friday in a Suffolk Division I football game.
The Bulldogs had no answer for one of Long Island's toughest running games as Sachem North pounded out 276 yards on the ground of 331 offensive yards.
The Flaming Arrows, the eighth-ranked team in the MSG Varsity tri-state poll, scored two touchdowns in a 23-second span in the final 1 minute, 29 seconds of the first half to take a 14-6 lead and they took a commanding 27-6 lead with 11:51 remaining.
"We stopped turning the ball over and the momentum swung in our direction," Sachem North coach Dave Falco said. "We were moving the ball well in the first half and we made a few mistakes."
Lindenhurst (1-1) opened the scoring after Mike Chaffin recovered a fumbled punt at the Flaming Arrows' 27 with 3:58 left in the opening quarter. The Bulldogs capitalized on the miscue when quarterback Steve Skon hit his brother Ken Skon on a 3-yard touchdown pass with 2:13 left in the period.
The Sachem North defense, which allowed only one first down in the first half and dictated field position, forced a short Lindy punt to set up its first score. After sophomore linebacker Tyler Andreassi and defensive back Mike McCarthy sacked Steve Skon at the Bulldogs' 22 - one of eight sacks by the Flaming Arrows - the ensuing 24-yard punt enabled Sachem North to set up shop at Lindy's 46 with 5:29 left. Andreassi capped a seven-play, 46-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown run with 1:29 left. Brendan Garry kicked the extra point for a 7-6 lead.
On Lindy's next possession, the ball was forced from Skon's grip on a scramble. Scanna picked up the fumble and returned it to the 3. He scored the first of his three touchdowns on a 3-yard run with 1:06 left in the half for a 14-6 lead.
Mistakes continued to plague Lindy at the start of the third quarter. the ball flew over punter Vin Balela's head and into the end zone after a bad snap and only a great effort on Balela's part avoided a safety. His punt rolled dead at the Lindy 29. Eight plays later, Sachem methodically moved downfield and Scanna scored on another 3-yard run.
"We knew it was stop the run or come up short," Lindenhurst coach Nick Lombardo said.
