It wasn’t long ago when Sachem North had what coaches and media referred to as the three-headed monster. That monster consisted of Michael Andreassi, Jesse Scanna and Dalton Crossan. You know the names and you know them well.
Fast forward two seasons and Sachem is at it again, only this time call it a five-headed monster. Trent Crossan and Tyler Andreassi, younger brothers of the notable Sachem alums, combine with Malik Pierre, Anthony Ross and now Kevin Bragaglia to make up one of the most versatile back fields in all of Long Island this season and next.
“It’s hard to stop,” Crossan said, “especially with this offense. They’re all threats at any time. It’s hard to stop us.”
“This is going to be the three-headed monster again where you don’t really know where it’s coming from,” said Sachem head coach Dave Falco. “Once we get that fourth guy into the action it’s going to be pretty scary.”
PHOTOS: CLICK HERE TO SEE IMAGES FROM SACHEM’S WIN
They totaled 376 rushing yards in Sachem’s 41-21 victory over Lindenhurst on the road Friday evening in a Suffolk County Division I season opener.
All eyes were on Crossan who was starting his first regular season game at quarterback since tearing his ACL during Week 4 of the 2011 season. He looked strong and confident, his cuts and twists in the trenches equally as dazzling for someone coming off such a mentally and physically exhausting rehabilitation process. Crossan finished with 8 carries for 61 yards and 1 touchdown. He also completed one pass for 31 yards.
“I’m just thinking make a play,” said Crossan about his first couple of series. “I don’t try and think too much. I’m trying to make my read, get my steps right and try to make a play out there.”
“He was better than he was a week ago, so I’m expecting him to be better next week,” added Falco. “He did a great job running the offense and calling the plays. The huddle was run exactly the way it needed to be.”
Andreassi was a tank, adding 130 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. Ross, who counters Andreassi’s bulky rushing style with a quick and steady burst, had 115 yards on 11 carries and 1 touchdown. Pierre fired off 60 yards on 6 carries, one for a 43-yard touchdown, and Bragaglia had 10 yards on three carries.
What won’t show on the box score is Bragaglia’s 43-yard kick return or his 31-yard reception. He did, however, return an interception 17 yards for a touchdown. Not bad for a sophomore new to varsity.
Sachem (1-0) opened the game with a 28-0 lead and stumbled slightly in the second half as Lindenhurst (0-1) exploited some young traits for the Flaming Arrows. The super stars on this team are mostly juniors, save for Andreassi. Falco and defensive coordinator Dave Caputo expressed their pleasure with how their team battled adversity, stopping a key Lindenhurst drive and forcing its field goal unit to miss a kick attempt in the third.
“I was very happy,” Falco said. “We’re a young team, a work in progress. I was thrilled with the stop that we made.”
Sachem will host Bay Shore next Friday at 7:30 p.m. for its home opener at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium.
News & Notes
*No logo, no problem: Sachem played this game without its traditional arrowhead stickers on its flat black helmets. According to members of the team, there was a problem with receiving the stickers from the shipping company. Unless otherwise noted, this is the first time since 1970 that Sachem has not had a logo on the side of its helmet. Prior to Fred Fusaro taking over as head coach in 1971, Sachem wore plain gold helmets similar to Notre Dame’s shiny metallic look.
*Morris about to make history: Already Sachem’s single season and career PAT leader, Morris is on the verge of becoming Long Island’s top PAT man of all-time. The junior now has 93 PATs, 12 behind the Long Island record set by William Floyd’s Jonathan Korn. He currently ranks fifth all-time. His 95 career kicking points rank him sixth all-time in Suffolk history and 10th in Long Island history. The record is 139 set by East Islip’s Sean Mollar, a number Morris will break before he graduates.
*Floyd loses: It’s only Week 1, but it’s worth noting that Sachem’s rival from the east, William Floyd, lost its season opener, 28-21, to Connetquot.
*More to come: Check back this weekend for new insight and historical analysis on Sachem football.
FINAL SCORE: Sachem 41, Lindenhurst 21
Box
- SN, Crossan, 5 yard run (Morris kick)
- SN, Andreassi, 8 yard run (Morris kick)
- SN, Andreassi, 2 yard run (Morris kick)
- SN, Bragaglia, 17 yard INT (Morris kick)
- L, Harvey, 15 yard run (kick good)
- L, 25 yard run, (kick good)
- SN, Pierre, 43 yard run (Morris kick)
- SN, Ross, 5 yard run (kick no good)
- L, 12 yard pass, (kick good)
-Words and photos by Chris R. Vaccaro