East Meadow tops Long Beach for playoff spot

With a standing-room-only Homecoming crowd adding to the electricity of last Saturday’s win-and-in Conference I football matchup, East Meadow used its traditional ground attack and a strong defensive effort to extend its season while dashing Long Beach’s playoff hopes.

Making his first start, senior fullback Mike Grech rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Jets to a 21-13 playoff-clinching victory. His 4-yard scoring run with 5:17 remaining came two plays after East Meadow converted its lone pass attempt — a 23-yard gain on third-and-20 — and extended its lead to 14.

“It was a great atmosphere and the big crowd really helped boost the kids’ morale,” Jets head coach Doug Bange said. “We didn’t want to break the program’s tradition of making the playoffs. Our guys stuck to the game plan on both sides of the ball.

“Long Beach came in here averaging 25-something points per game and I’m proud of how our defense played,” he added.

East Meadow (4-4) jumped to sixth in the standings and will travel to face No. 3 Freeport, the defending county and Long Island champions, in a first-round playoff game this Saturday. The Marines (3-5), in Conference I for the first time in nine years, fell just short of the postseason after suffering a fourth straight defeat.

“We struggled to move the ball in the first half and had some penalties that led to touchdowns,” Long Beach head coach Scott Martin said. “One thing I could say every week is our guys played hard. We had a tough time today. Maybe the field conditions had something to do with it.

“You don’t get a lot of possession time against East Meadow,” he added. “They do a nice job running the ball and keeping the clock moving.”

The Jets’ play selection featured 37 consecutive runs before senior quarterback Shawn Regan (130 yards rushing, one touchdown) made good on his first and only throw of the day with the hosts holding a 14-7 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Regan took a shotgun snap on third and long and found senior tight end T’shyne Johnson cutting across the middle for a completion inside the Long Beach 10. 

“We don’t pass often, but we executed when we needed it,” Bange said.

Regan carried for five yards on the next play to set up Grech’s second touchdown. Both of them scored on short runs to help East Meadow build a 14-0 lead at halftime.

Trailing by 14 for a second time, the Marines put together their best drive to get within striking distance. Aided by a pair of 15-yard penalties, they marched 80 yards, capped by senior quarterback Ryan Sheehy’s second rushing touchdown, and were within a score with 3:25 to go.

Long Beach got the ball back again with 2:45 remaining after a quick defensive stand that included two timeouts, but on third-and-10 from its own 20 Sheehy was stopped one yard short of keeping the chains moving and the season alive.