It’s about that time of the season where Week 5 games mean a lot more than just regular season fun. Sachem East and Longwood each enter Friday evenings game at 2-2 and there are strong playoff implications for both schools.
Sachem East heads into the game after a close 21-14 loss to Sachem North (4-0). Longwood also lost to an upper-tier team in William Floyd, 38-6.
Sachem East senior running back Steven Casali rushed 25 times for 83 yards against North and will need to be highly effective Friday against the Lions if they want a shot at winning.
Of course balancing the run with the pass, specifically the Danny Wolff-Brian Balsamo tandem, will give Sachem threats on the ground and the air.
Longwood has had an interesting start to the season, beating Bay Shore in the final minute of their Week 1 game, and then beating lowly Brentwood to go up 2-0 on the year. A 27-0 loss to Connetquot in Week 4, and last week’s defeat to neighboring rival Floyd has brought the Lions back down.
The game will be featured on MSG Varsity at 7 p.m. Friday evening, a one-hour tape delay from the 6 p.m. start time at Longwood High School.
As for an early playoff picture, it’s still too early to suggest the eight teams who make it or where they’ll be seeded. Better teams don’t just fight for a spot, they fight for a top-four seeding so they secure home field advantage.
Follow @SachemReport on Twitter for updates throughout the game, and check out this site afterwards for a complete recap.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro/ Photo by Bob Sorensen