Bulldogs Football Falls in Season Closer to Seaford, 35-7

It was a disappointing end to the regular season for Bulldogs football Sunday as the Seaford Vikings (5-3) topped Island Trees (2-6) 35-7 to secure a spot in the Nassau County playoffs.

Seaford running back Alex Rodriguez's brilliant offensive display led the Vikings to an impressive victory. Rodriguez racked up 125 yards on just 11 carries to score two crucial touchdowns in the middle of the matchup.

"He played with a lot of heart," said Seaford head coach Rob Perpall, a 1965 graduate of Island Trees High School.

"Coming back to play against Island Trees always feels a little bittersweet," Perpall added. "My great high school memories of winning the county championship are here. We want to win, but I always tell Mike [Bonsignore] that if we don't win, I hope Island Trees does, and thats the truth."

The Bulldogs picked up an early lead when Jimmy Carabott scored the first touchdown of his varsity career on a 30-yard pass from quarterback Kyle Nigro. Seaford senior Joe Richards answered back with a 10-yard rushing touchdown to put the Vikings on the board and knot the score at 7 with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter.

Rodriguez soon took over and it was smooth sailing from there on out for the Vikings. Early in the second quarter, Rodriguez carried the ball to the 16-yard line to give Seaford a first down. The senior running back pushed through the Bulldogs' defense to touch down in the endzone and put the Vikings up 14-7.

Assisted by fellow running back Nick Fischetti, Rodriguez followed through once more in the second half. A key reception and vital running from Fischetti left Rodriguez just 10 yards away from goal and left Island Trees trailing by 14. Seaford scored twice more in the half to finalize the score at 35-7. 

"The entire line was amazing today," Perpall said. "We had great plays and great defensive standing."

The Bulldogs will not be stepping into the post-season this year. According to head coach Mike Bonsignore, the boys of Island Trees lost focus early in the game.

"We haven't been able to finish games," said Bonsignore. "We lead early, we score first and they think the game is over. The whole year has been that way. I tell them, 'Focus, desire, finish the game'. We need to improve this mentality next year."