Sports
Long Beach Bows Out in Playoff Opener
"We needed to have the perfect game," said Long Beach coach Scott Martin after his football squad fell 35-3 in Wantagh on Saturday.
The Long Beach Mariners knew they had to play to perfection Saturday to keep pace with a potent Wantagh offense.
Long Beach gave it their all but, facing the Wantagh's one-two rushing duo of John Reicherter and Michael Scully, who galloped for a collective 292 yards, the Marines never found a solution, and bowed out of the playoffs in first-round, 35-3 thumping at Wantagh High School.
The Marines' lone score, a field goal in the first quarter, came after Wantagh had already set an early tone on a first-possession, nine-play drive capped by Reicherter's eight-yard scamper into the end zone at 5:25.
On its next possession, Wantagh again marched to pay dirt on four plays, including big runs from Reicherter and Scully and quarterback Nick Mullen's 35-yard pass to tight end Ryan Walsh, followed by Reicherter's second of four rushing touchdowns.
"We knew we'd have to be perfect today to have a chance," said Long Beach coach Scott Martin after the game. "They have those great runners, and we needed big plays of our own."
Quarterback Tom Rowley led the way for the Marines, rushing for 86 yards and wracking up the most tackles on defense. Also running effectively for Long Beach was Damon Whitfield (41 yards on 6 carries), O'Neill (14 yards on 3 carries) and Farrell Gordon (17 yards on 2 carries).
"We did throw downfield a couple of times," Martin said. "We had our shot, but Wantagh is a real good team."
After a 21-3 halftime lead, the third quarter was all about the Warriors' offense, starting with a 66 yard-drive that ended on a Mullen pass to Ryan Sliwak for the Warriors' fourth touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, the compact Mariner fullback Hunter O'Neill fought his way down to the Wantagh 32, and five plays later Long Beach faced a fourth-and-1 at the 12. But the Wantagh's Nick Frendo stood O'Neill up at the line of scrimmage to take over on downs.
"I'm proud of our seniors," Martin said after the Marines season ended Saturday. "They've been with me these past two years and they're the foundation for our future as a program. They led the way."
