Lindenhurst Bulldogs Roll at Ward Melville, 30-8

The Lindenhurst Bulldogs took one on the chin on the first quarter at Ward Melville Thursday, giving up a TD on a nine-minute, fifteen-play, 65-yard drive - but bounced back in the second and third quarters to post a 30-8 win. This marks the team's fourth conference victory in five games.

The victory insured that even with three particularly tough opponents left in the regular season, the Bulldogs will at worst end 4-4. And if they're able to knock off one or more of them, they’ll post a winning regular season and enhance their position for a playoff berth.

In fact, Lindenhurst was in the driver's seat after the first quarter, as the defense stiffened and the offense benefited from forced turnovers and another strong punting game to put put 23 points on the board in the second quarter against a pesky Ward Melville (1-4).

“The D came up big in the second and third,” said Head Coach Nick Lombardo. “And, aside from the missed PAT, Vin Valela showed that we might have the best kicking game in the conference.”

Lindy’s first TD came with eight minutes in the second, capitalizing on a seven-yard Ward Melville punt to start out on their opponents' 35. The drive was punctuated by an 18-yard pass reception for Carlos Arguello, and the combined running of Joe Lukralle and David Fowler, who punched it into the end zone.

Barely a minute later the Bulldogs had the ball again on a fumble deep in Patriot territory. Once again the drive was capped with a Fowler one-yard run into the end zone - and Lindy was up for good, 13-8, at 6:25 in the quarter.

A third drive that ended in a short field goal for Valela set the stage for Lindenhurst’s final TD of the half, which came on a two-minute drill that had Quarterback Brad Witkowski hitting four different receivers - Kenny Skon, Alext Wrieth, Arguello and Valela - to march 63 yards and set up a one-yard plunge by Lukralle with :27.8 on the clock.

“That two-minute drill is probably our best offensive look,” said Lombardo.

The third quarter was scorless, but not without tense moments - in particular, the Bulldogs averted getting burnt in one of them, as a razzle-dazzle halfback pass fell just beyond the reach of a wide open Patriot receiver breaking for the end zone.

And in the fourth quarter Ward Melville faked a punt deep in their own territory on fourth and fourteen, and got a shocking 34-yard gainer on the play.

To its credit Lindy‘s defense bent, but did not break. Plus, a fourth-quarter drive designed to eat up the clock turned into the final Bulldogs TD in a hurry, when Keith Meisner, filling in at quarterback, pitched out to Lukralle at midfield. Lukralle dodged, darted and drove left into open territory for a 50-yard touchdown scamper.

The final? 30-8. Not a blow-out, but a key win. “That score on the scoreboard is a kind of a phantom,” said Lombardo. “It says 30-8, but that was no blowout. Ward Melville was tough today. But the win gives us good momentum going into the toughest part of our season.”

Next up, Lindenhurst will be away at Longwood on October 14 at 6 p.m.. That's followed up by on where the Bulldogs will take on at at the field. That's followed by a home turf match-up with Sachem North on at 6 p.m.