Bruins’ title hopes thwarted, but season is still a winner

“Keep your heads up.”

“We’re proud of you.”

“Great season.”

Those were the words that Baldwin High School football players and coaches heard as they left the field for the final time this season. It was the first time all year that the Bruins had left a field after a loss. They fell to Syosset, 26-20, in the Nassau Conference I championship game last week to finish 10-1 overall.

There were some teary eyes and looks of disappointment as the final seconds ticked off the clock and Baldwin’s dreams of an undefeated season and the school’s first county championship in nine years washed away.

But with the walk out of Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium to the nearby school buses came more applause and words of encouragement. Spectators made it clear that the athletes had made their community proud, giving their fans something to cheer for week after week. The BHS football season was an experience.

The Bruins were seeded eighth out of 16 teams in the conference before the season began, and were coming off a disappointing year in which the team went 3-5. Head coach Steve Carroll thought this squad would be 4-4 this year — a middle-of-the-pack team. At a practice shortly before the playoffs began earlier this month, Carroll said his team’s undefeated season was totally unexpected, and added that he would be “awe-struck” if his players ran the table and captured the county championship.

To just about everyone’s surprise, the Bruins beat every team in their path during the regular season, and rolled past Plainview JFK and Massapequa in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Against Syosset, they were without one of their key contributors, senior wide receiver and defensive back Jared Warner, who was out with an injury. But as had happened all year, players stepped up when they needed to.

The Bruins’ three-pronged rushing attack of Matt Eberhart, Chris Debique and Nick DeLuca came up big all season, and did the same in the championship game. In the second half, the backfield added a new wrinkle, Kadeem Langhorne, who is better known for tackling everything in sight on the defensive side of the ball.

Langhorne did just about everything a football team could ask of a star player — make tackles, block a key extra point, and run for a touchdown on his first carry of the game. (According to sources, he even issued a statement on immigration reform at halftime.)

That type of effort was the embodiment of Baldwin football this season. Although the Bruins didn’t bring home a county title, their season was an unforgettable one.