Trent Crossan went down again. There was a collective gasp from Sachem’s sidelines and stands, but there was still football to be played. Enter Anthony Service.
The three-year varsity player didn’t miss a beat filling in for Crossan, leading Sachem on offensive drives for three quarters and shooting the Flaming Arrows to a 49-32 victory on the road at Longwood Saturday afternoon.
Crossan, who went down with an ankle injury running the ball in the first quarter, came back to the field after receiving x-rays. He suffered a sprain and is listed as day-to-day entering Week 4.
Service meanwhile put together a gem of a game and one of the more memorable performances from Sachem signal callers in recent years. He was 3-for-3 and threw for 108 yards and 1 touchdown, and also had 12 carries for 40 yards and 1 touchdown.
“It’s hard to fill someone’s shoes like that,” Service said. “I’m always waiting for my time. Coach always says it’s always one play away. That play happened, so I had to get ready, play my hardest and we came out with a victory.”
He connected on his first varsity touchdown pass on a 75-yard throw to junior Kevin Bragaglia with 4:10 remaining in the game that ignited the Sachem sideline.
Crossan led Sachem (3-0) on a 78-yard drive to open the game and finished it with a 10-yard touchdown run of his own at 6:04 of the first quarter.
Longwood (1-2) answered back immediately on its first play when Matthew McKeon hit Darrel Jones with a 78-yard touchdown pass.
At the beginning of a 90-yard drive in the first quarter, Crossan cut upfield on an option play and couldn’t walk after the tackle. He dropped to the grass after the short gain and didn’t see the field again. He tore his ACL last season during Week 3.
Service came in on that series, ran the offense, had 1 carry for 5 yards and completed one 18-yard pass before Malik Pierre finished the drive with a 10-yard run at 5:59 of the second quarter.
“We talk all the time about if a guy goes down, who’s going to be ready to play,” Sachem coach Dave Falco said. “He went in, settled everybody down and did everything we asked him to do and we didn’t change our offense at all. That’s very impressive. He proved to everybody that he could get it done.”
Pierre answered again with a 46-yard interception return for a touchdown on Longwood’s next possession giving Sachem a 21-6 lead.
Longwood converted on three rushing touchdowns in the second half, and both schools traded scores on three straight possessions.
Service’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Bragaglia was the key offensive play of the game and was a clear sign of Sachem’s offensive versatility.
“It’s exciting. At Sachem, how many times do you see a 75-yard pass?” Service said. “I read the coverage, saw exactly what they were doing, running man, Brags was open and I hit him early.”
Bragaglia continues to pad his pedigree and do-it-all palette of abilities. He had 6 carries for 71 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground, plus 2 receptions, 99 yards and 1 touchdown in the air.
Pierre solidified the victory with a 74-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-inches with 2:07 left in the ball game.
After the game, Crossan returned to the field from the doctor’s office on crutches and smiling, which was a relief to coaches and players since they were unaware of the status of his injury until then.
“He’s one of our main players,” Service said. “For our team to dominate and be successful this year we need Trent in.”
“It was very good to see him come back and smiling,” Falco said. “We’re very happy for him. It’s football; guys are going to get hurt. He’s a tough kid who has worked so hard, so you want to see him come back.”
While Crossan is day-to-day and could return at any time when he’s ready, Service will be the go-to quarterback. After today, that’s perfectly fine with everyone.
“He’s a great kid, but when you step over the line you have to turn into somebody else,” Falco said, “and when he stepped onto the field he was that guy.”
PHOTOS: Check out images from Sachem’s victory over Longwood
News & Notes
- Sachem hasn’t had a 100-yard passing game since Week 8 of the 2008 season when alum Craig Geoghan was quarterback.
- Stats: Anthony Ross had 22 carries for 122 yards, Pierre had 7 carries for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, and Steve Anacreone had 8 carries for 48 yards.
- Sachem has scored an unprecedented 140 points in three games this season.
- Sachem out-gained Longwood in total yardage, 535-372.
- Service threw and ran for his first varsity touchdowns in the same game.
- The Flaming Arrows have recorded two or more interceptions in three straight games this season.
- Bryan Morris was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra points and now has made all 18 this season.
- Sachem hosts Northport on Friday, Oct. 4 for its Week 4 game. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. At halftime the program will pay tribute to its 1983 Suffolk County championship squad for its 30th Anniversary Celebration.
Scoring breakdown
- S: Crossan, 10 run, Morris kick
- L: McKeon to Jones, 77 run, kick missed
- S: Pierre, 10 run, Morris kick
- S: Pierre, 46 INT return, Morris kick
- L: Taylor, 30 run, 2-pt missed
- S: Bragaglia, 8 run, Morris kick
- L: Taylor, 30 run, 2-pt missed
- S: Service, 1 run, Morris kick
- L: Taylor, 2 run, kick good
- S: Service to Bragaglia, 75 pass, Morris kick
- L: Jones, 88 kick return, kick good
- S: Pierre, 74 yards, kick good
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro