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Mostly Cloudy Lynbrook rebounds with big win
Ground attack leads victory over Hewlett
Call it about eight-and-a-half yards and a cloud of dust.
Lynbrook rushed for 457 yards, including 300 in the first half, on 54 carries on the way to bulldozing its way to a 40-21 Conference III football victory over Hewlett last Thursday night before a standing-room-only crowd at Marion Street Elementary School.
Senior quarterback Luke Spitzer’s second of three touchdown runs, from 15 yards out early in the third quarter, followed a Bulldogs turnover and gave the Owls a 34-14 lead. Spitzer had 183 yards on 15 carries and senior running back Rocco Scibelli added 138 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts.
“These kids have rallied around each other,” Lynbrook head coach Steve LoCicero said. “We had a great few days of practice leading up to this game. We love to run the ball and our line was phenomenal.”
The Owls (4-1) were coming off only their second loss in two years — a 7-0 upset at Floral Park on Oct. 1. The previous day, the coach’s son, Nick LoCicero, suffered a major leg injury that required emergency surgery. The junior receiver broke his left tibia and had a 12-inch rod and numerous pins inserted during the procedure.
“Everyone was shaken up, but Nick’s prognosis is good and he’s hoping to be able to step on the lacrosse field in the spring,” coach LoCicero said. “Nobody’s head was in the Floral Park game, including mine, and we didn’t finish off drives like we’re capable of.”
Scoring wasn’t a problem against the Bulldogs (3-2), however. Scibelli had a 25-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to set the tone, senior Kenny Jorge intercepted Zach Richman for a 19-yard touchdown early in the second, and senior Matt Trotta bowled into the end zone from five yards out for a 21-0 lead midway through the second.
But Richman, a junior filling in for injured starter Mark Rizzo (hamstring) for a second straight game, led Hewlett on consecutive scoring drives before halftime. He had a 30-yard gain to set up senior Sam Martorella’s 1-yard touchdown plunge and a 37-yard run on the next possession capped by a perfect 27-yard touchdown pass to leaping junior Weldon Irvine.
