Sports
Port Loses to Uniondale at Homecoming, 35-15
The Knights bested the Vikings in Port Washington.
After going 0-8 last season, new coach Jamel Ramsay has given confidence and instruction to his team to make this season more successful than last. Unfortunately, at Port Washington's homecoming game on Saturday, the 14th ranked Vikings came across a very powerful and aggressive 7 seed Uniondale.
From the beginning, Uniondale successfully ran the ball. The team excelled at not just finding holes and running, but also breaking tackles and gaining extra yards on their runs. When the Knights threw the ball, the offensive line made sure the quarterback has plenty of time to throw.
In the first quarter, there was a silver lining for the Vikings. They scored first as senior quarterback Tom Maruscak connected with senior wide receiver DeAndre Hall. Uniondale answered with a touchdown of its own, but Port Washington managed to block the extra point kick. After than it was all Uniondale.
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Hero: Everyone seemed to struggle for Port Washington, but Ramsay isn’t looking for the perfect player. To Ramsay, he wants to see his players hustle, like senior Blaise Stoddard. “He may not [be who's high] up on the stat sheet for touchdowns and tackles, but he gave the best effort," Ramsay said.
Turning Point: In the second quarter, the Vikings were up 7-6, and Shawn McKoy returned a kick for 50 yards and brought Port Washington to Uniondale’s 40. This could have been a major momentum boosted for the Vikings if they would have scored on this possession, but McKoy’s run was called back after the Vikings were charged with two penalties, one of them being a block in the back. That forced Port to start at its own 10 yard line.
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Quotable: When asked what his team needs to work on in the upcoming week, Ramsay simply responded, “effort.”
Bottomline: Uniondale may have been too much for Port Washington, but if the Vikings want to win games, they are going to have to play extremely well against the lower seeds. When they play against the 10 or 11 seed, they are going to have to cut down on the mistakes and seize the opportunity when it presents itself. This team can’t afford to make too many unforced errors because every team in this league will capitalize on them.
Who’s next: Hicksville @ Port Washington, Saturday 1:30 p.m.
