Wayne White rushes for 196 yards, scores three TDs to lead Glenn
Glenn's Wayne White dives over Bayport-Blue Point's Anthony DeNicola in the first quarter during a Suffolk IV semifinal between Glenn and Bayport-Blue Point on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014. Credit: Bob Sorensen
As Wayne White ran down the right sideline, scoring wasn't the first thing on the mind of Glenn's junior quarterback.
"I was just trying to stay inbounds and run the clock down," White said.
But he did find the end zone on a 37-yard run with just more than 2 minutes left to cap the scoring in a Suffolk IV semifinal playoff as the host and second-seeded Knights defeated No. 3 Bayport-Blue Point, 28-12, Saturday.
What feels just as good is that Glenn is heading back to Stony Brook for the division championship to face Shoreham-Wading River, the only team to defeat the Knights this season.
"It's hard to get there [to the title game] and even harder to win," Glenn coach Dave Shanahan said. "We're playing a great opponent."
Running back T.J. Tiernan, who had scored the Knights' first touchdown, came to join White after the clinching score.
"I was so excited, he came off the field and I gave him the biggest hug," Tiernan said. "He's my best friend."
White and Tiernan proved to be quite a 1-2 punch for Glenn (9-1). White finished with 196 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns and Tiernan contributed 185 more, aided by an offensive line which was able to create holes for the backs to run through, jumping to a 21-0 lead.
Shanahan said, "They're both blue-collar kids."
"We're a very powerful team, one of the best lines in the conference," junior right tackle Dareus Smith said. "[The backs] got to the holes and finished plays."
Despite that and making three turnovers, the Phantoms (7-3) were able to get back into the game. Brendan Bateman (16-for-34, 215 yards) found Edgar Somerville (six catches, 118) for a 41-yard touchdown with 6:10 left in the game, then Bayport-Blue Point recovered the onside kick and George Ringer (59 yards, 12 rushes) punched it in from the 1 three minutes later. The Phantoms attempted another onside kick, but this time, it hit off a Bayport player and Glenn recovered, leading to White's clinching score.
"We couldn't get anything going in the first half," Phantoms coach Eric Iberger said. "I'm proud of my guys . . . It's a disappointing outcome, but our guys should be proud." The Phantoms had a first-and-goal near the end of the first half, but couldn't punch it in. Chris Forsberg led Glenn with 10 tackles.
And now comes the return trip to the championship game.
"Shoreham is a great team with a lot of weapons," White said. "It feels good [to go back]."
