Secret weapon Jake Wilson scores four rushing TDs as Shoreham-Wading River wins Suffolk Conference IV title

Jake Wilson did not run the football the entire season. Not one carry for the senior — nada.

Shoreham-Wading River won all five of its games coming in, none closer than 28 points, heading into the Suffolk Conference IV title game against Mount Sinai.

Wilson, a dynamic defensive end, hadn’t been called on offensively all season. He was the hammer in a drawer never opened and maybe never needed.

Well, Mount Sinai went toe-to-toe with the two-time defending champion Wildcats Saturday and guess what drawer SWR coach Aden Smith opened.

The one with Jake Wilson — the hammer.

The result was four rushing touchdowns in three quarters, including a game-clinching 50-yarder around the left end with 3:40 left to secure a 34-20 win and Shoreham-Wading River’s third straight Suffolk Conference IV championship.

"I never had the chance to run the ball all season but, hey, it’s a team game and we were doing great anyway," said Wilson, who gained 101 yards on the day. "I finally got the opportunity to carry the ball and contribute and it was worth the wait. I’m grateful to an excellent offensive line and the push they had up front. It was an amazing win against a very good team."

The two Conference IV heavyweights battled through a physical first half tied at 14. Shoreham-Wading River (6-0) set the tone with an opening drive that covered 80 yards in 10 plays. Despite two critical holding penalties, the Wildcats were able to convert on three third-down plays to sustain the drive.

Quarterback Chris Visintin opened the scoring with a 31-yard run. Jake Ekert added the kick for the 7-0 lead with 7:17 left in the first quarter. Visintin completed three passes for 30 yards, including two to Johnny Schwarz for 16 yards.

"We responded to a well-coached team today that tested us," Smith said. "And Wilson was our little secret that we needed to break out for the big game."

Mount Sinai (4-2) answered with a 10-play, 73-yard drive, capped by Matt Graffeo’s 4-yard touchdown run. Reese Pedra added the kick to tie it at 7 with 9:43 left in the half.

And then it was hammer time.

Wilson opened the Wildcats’ next drive with a hard 8-yard run in which he carried two defenders into the secondary.

"He’s like a runaway train so get off the tracks," Shoreham guard Jake Ekert said. "Our line gives him some room and he’s physical and runs downhill."

Visintin ran 22 yards to the 1-yard line before Wilson bulled his way into the end zone for the first of his four touchdowns and a 14-7 lead with 3:08 left in the half.

The Mustangs counterpunched on the ensuing drive when quarterback Joe Spallina connected with wide receiver Derek Takacs for a 28-yard touchdown strike to tie it at 14 with 52 seconds left in the half.

Wilson keyed the next SWR possession with four carries for 21 yards and a 2-yard TD for a 21-14 lead. Max Barone contributed 38 rushing yards on the nine-play, 63-yard march.

"We were moving them off the ball," Smith said. "And Jake Ekert is just a monster clearing the way on those inside runs. He gets after it on special teams, on the offensive line and he calls our defensive signals."

The Wildcats took a 27-14 lead when they drove 77 yards in 10 running plays with 11:31 left in the fourth quarter. Wilson made a neat cut inside the tackles for a 4-yard score.

Mount Sinai stormed back down the field to make it a one-score game. This time, Spallina found Gavin Takacs for a 20-yard touchdown on a third-and-goal from the 20 with 3:52 left.

The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Wilson.

On first down, he sealed the win with the 50-yarder to the end zone.

"The onside kick took a nice hop," Wilson said, laughing. "The long touchdown run felt great."

It was worth the wait.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.