Wagner's return sparks Glenn
John Glenn's Tommy Forsberg, right, congratulates Nick Wagner on his touchdown against Mt. Sinai in the Suffolk high school Division IV football game. (Sept. 17, 2011) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Remaining undefeated is a weighty mission for Glenn's football team. There is obviously no margin of error, so even a tie score at the half can cause some uneasiness. But it can also add resolve, as it turned out in a 28-7 victory over visiting Mount Sinai Saturday in Suffolk IV.
Glenn's Nick Wagner would have his hands on the ball to start the second half and he know the importance of getting his team in good field position against Mount Sinai.
Wagner returned the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown and erasing any doubt that, after 13 straight victories over two seasons, Glenn was about to stumble.
"Tie game," Wagner said, "a great chance to break the game open and swing momentum in our favor. The ball came right to me, my blockers did a great job blowing people up and I saw a seam and took it to the end zone."
Quarterback Rich Czeczotka said Wagner took the halftime talk to heart. "We were in the locker room talking about how we have to come out strong," he said. "That [return] lifted everyone's spirits. From then on, we just kept rolling and rolling."
That roll has lasted 14 games, two this season, and the defending division champion shows no sign of slowing. "Definitely coming into every game it's always something in the back of your head," running back Tommy Forsberg said of the streak. "[Mount Sinai] were a hard hitting team, they were quality competition, they were good.''
Glenn scored on its first possession when Czeczotka connected with Jon Mannix on a 12-yard scoring pass. Mount Sinai (1-1) responded with Patrick Hogan's 14-yard reception from Austin Kay with 4:30 left in the first quarter. That would be it for the half.
"We knew it would be a battle," Wagner said. "We weren't surprised it was that close."
At least until Wagner entered the picture. "That takes the pressure off right away," Glenn coach Dave Shanahan said. "We can score from anywhere on one play with a great athlete. The seniors were juniors on a championship team [last season], so they know what it takes. You prepare them, they are confident, that gets you over the hump in big games."
The offense flowed smoothly after Wagner provided the 14-7 lead. Czeczotka (106 yards on 13 carries) scored on a one-yard run with 5:18 left in the third. Forsberg completed the scoring on a four-yard run with 4:29 left in the game. Glenn's defense was led by Mike Diesu (eight tackles), Marc Lucien (6½), Mannix (six) and Nick Princiotta (5 ½).
Glenn has six games left in the regular season and what looms as a serious threat to the streak is top seed Amityville. "We got three more games until we play them," Czeczotka said of the Oct. 15 meeting at Amityville. "That will be a huge game for us. That's a game we can't wait for."
