Sayville 'D' helps grab Suffolk III title
Sayville's Tom Hannon tackles Westhampton'sTJ Murphy in the Suffolk Division III final. (Nov. 20, 2011) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It is the forgotten unit, overshadowed by a record-setting quarterback and a diverse offense that features a half-dozen legitimate game-breaking weapons. It is the Sayville defense, and Sunday it stood tall and strong and sent out a loud message: Don't forget us.
The Golden Flashes allowed only one score -- on a blown coverage in the fourth quarter -- and were dominant in a 28-6 win over Westhampton in the Suffolk III championship game at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium.
Sayville (11-0), the only unbeaten public school team in Suffolk, will face Lawrence (10-1) in the Long Island Class III title game Sunday at noon at Stony Brook.
"I loved the way they swarmed to the ball," Sayville coach Rob Hoss said. "Due to the records by Steven [Ferreira] and the numbers we've put up, the defense gets overlooked. But they've been great all year and they were excellent today."
Two of the best defensive players Sunday, John Haggart and James Rupp, also figured prominently in the efficient offense.
Haggart was a swivel-hipped demon, gaining 138 yards on 24 carries with TD runs of 2 and 5 yards, the latter set up by his juke-infused 37-yard run to the 5. He also had two sacks, forced a fumble and recovered it himself.
"Our defense has been huge. We've hardly had any close games this year," he said. "And a lot of the points came with the starters out of the game."
Hoss said he shifted Haggart from an outside edge rusher to an inside lineman because Westhampton (8-3) likes to pull its guards. "I just followed the pulling guard and beat my man to the ball," Haggart said. "I used my speed."
So did Rupp, who ran a post pattern and caught a 33-yard pass from Ferreira (13-for-17 for 205 yards, two TDs) that opened the scoring. Rupp came up huge twice on a goal-line stand at the end of the first half that preserved a 21-0 advantage. On second-and-goal from the 6, he shot through and nailed Brendon Eckart for a 3-yard loss. On the next play, he made a diving interception in the end zone. "I read the coverage and jumped the route," said Rupp, who caught five passes for 110 yards. "We're a great defensive team and no one gives us credit for that."
They will now.
