The play is called fire zero. Jake Slater is supposed to run a simple zero route down the sideline and Trent Crossan meets his speedy receiver with a pass on the run.
“I tell coach all the time if there is one ball I can throw it’s a fire zero when Jake beats his man and I just get it out there to him,” said Crossan.
Finally after nearly three years of playing quarterback at Sachem and four years of varsity football for the Flaming Arrows, Crossan threw his first career touchdown pass in a 56-40 victory over Connetquot at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium Friday night.
Crossan is no stranger to scoring touchdowns. He scored a program-record eight in a single-game last season against Bay Shore in a marathon overtime victory and has piled up dozens on the ground since his freshman year. But passing is not an integral part of Sachem’s offense.
“It felt awesome,” he said. “I love running the ball more than anything. I’d rather run than throw any day, but it was cool getting the first one. We called two plays in the huddle, lined up and executed perfectly.”
The touchdown came at an early crucial point in the game for Sachem, who took a 35-20 lead as time expired in the second quarter. Connetquot rallied with 14 unanswered points after the Flaming Arrows (2-0) opened the game with an onslaught of ground attack swagger.
Malik Pierre scored on a 79-yard touchdown run that saw him cut across field and use his speed and agility perfectly to mesh through any traffic that came his way.
Crossan, who finished with 16 carries for 178 yards and 3 rushing touchdowns, scored his first six points on a 69-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter.
Anthony Ross, playing in his first game of the season following last year’s foot injury and this year’s early-season ankle snag, added his own highlight reel run with a 56-yard touchdown, also in the first quarter. Sachem led 21-6 to open the game and was cruising.
“We knew it was going to be a good four-quarter battle,” said Crossan. “We came out really hot and that seems to be the problem with us right now. We get on top and start to let down a little bit.”
Thunderbirds running back Marcus Gutierrez, who rushed for 306 yards last week in a win over Patchogue-Medford, carried 20 times for 100 yards and 3 touchdowns. His first touchdown was a 9-yard run at 2:56 of the second quarter. Sachem’s Kevin Bragaglia coughed the ball up on a kick return putting Connetquot in good field position for a 5-yard Gutierrez run. He also opened the third quarter with a 41-yard touchdown on Connetquot’s (1-1) first offensive series.
Sachem maintained its scoring consistency in the second half. Malik Pierre, who finished with 14 carries for 110 yards, scored two of his three touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. He also set up his third touchdown drive by intercepting a Connetquot pass at midfield.
Still while the Thunderbirds were kept away at arms length, they made some noise when Carlton Woodie ran back a kick return 80 yards for a touchdown at 11:45 of the fourth quarter. Couple this special teams gaff with the fumble earlier and you see why the Thunderbirds were able to score as many points as they did.
“I expected some of it,” said Sachem coach Dave Falco, referring to a mediocre week of practice, the lull after last week’s high from playing Sachem East, new players returning from injury and others missing the game for various reasons.
The return of Ross meant significant gains for Sachem. He is extremely effective on both sides of the ball. To rush for 171 yards on 17 carries coming off ankle and foot problems is a good sign.
“Having Ross back is a huge deal for us, on both sides of the ball,” Falco said. “He brings energy, he brings excitement. He’s going to get better as we go.”
PHOTOS: Click here to see images from Sachem’s victory
Notes & Quotes
- This was the third highest scoring game in Sachem history. Last season’s 63-62 win over Bay Shore is the record, followed by the 57-6 victory over Sachem East in a first round playoff game two seasons ago.
- All four Sachem backs had more than 100 yards each: Crossan 178, Ross 171, Bragaglia 138 and Pierre 110.
- Bragaglia recorded another interception in the win. He now has three on the young season and 12 in his career. He’s 10 away from tying the Suffolk County career interception mark.
- Sachem kicker Bryan Morris was a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points.
- Check The Sachem Report later this weekend for the weekly “Inside the Arrows” column on all the latest historic news and notes from the program.
Scoring breakdown
- S: Pierre, 79 run, Morris kick
- S: Crossan, 69 run, Morris kick
- C: Grimaldi to Woodie, 14 pass, kick blocked
- S: Ross, 56 run, Morris kick
- S: Crossan, 1 run, Morris kick
- C: Gutierrez, 9 run, 2-pt good
- C: Gutierrez, 5 run, kick
- S: Crossan to Slater, 30 pass, Morris kick
- C: Gutierrez, 41 run, 2-pt no good
- S: Pierre, 2 run, Morris kick
- S: Pierre, 2 run, 2-pt no good
- C: Woodie, 80 kick return, 2-pt good
- S: Crossan, 2 run, 2-pt no good
- C: Hahn to Ramirez, 32 pass, 2-pt no good
-Words/photos by Chris R. Vaccaro