Oceanside 6-0 after beating Baldwin

A week after Oceanside knocked off defending Nassau Conference I football champion Syosset in convincing fashion, head coach Rob Blount’s team traveled to Baldwin last Saturday and avoided a letdown.

Oceanside’s defense forced four turnovers, senior Brandy Diaz returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, and senior quarterback Vinny Guarino ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Sailors put a damper on the Bruins’ Homecoming while improving to 6-0. Baldwin (2-4) got 117 yards and a pair of touchdown runs from junior Jonathan DeBique, who also forced a fumble and blocked two extra points.

“I told the kids coming into this game you can toss the records out the window when it’s Oceanside-Baldwin,” Blount said. “I didn’t think we’d have a letdown because the kids were looking forward to playing a cross-town rival. It was a weird week of practice, but we came to play.

“Our defense has been lights-out all year,” he added. “Those guys played great again.”

The Sailors had to come from behind for the first time all season. That’s because after Baldwin coughed up the ball on its first possession, it got it right back inside the Oceanside 10 when sophomore Osarogie Aivangbee pounced on a fumble. Two plays later, DeBique opened the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown run and the hosts led 7-0.

“Jonathan has been a beast, and he’s only a junior,” Bruins head coach Steve Carroll said. “He’s carrying our offense. We haven’t had any success in the passing game.”

Baldwin has long enjoyed an advantage on special teams under Carroll, however, its cover unit was burned by Diaz on the ensuing kickoff. Diaz caught the ball at the 10 and busted up the middle 90 yards for a touchdown. DeBique blocked the extra point to maintain the lead for the Bruins with only 3:28 off the clock, although Blount felt the momentum change.

“The return was really big and took the pressure off,” Blount said.

The Sailors went ahead midway through the second quarter one play after taking the last of three straight Baldwin punts. Guarino’s 53-yard touchdown run and Francesco Ancona’s extra-point put the visitors ahead for good at 13-7.

The Bruins faced a third-and-22 on the ensuing possession when a harmful trait for 2015 continued. An interception by senior Aronis Espinal put Oceanside’s offense back in business, and once again it needed just one play to get into the end zone. Guarino hooked up with sophomore Dylan Judd for a 24-yard touchdown to make it 19-7 with 3:54 remaining in the half.

Judd, who recovered a fumble in the first quarter, got his hands on the ball again late in the third when he picked off Baldwin’s 11th interception of the season. The Sailors then drove 45 yards on six plays and led 26-7 after Gaurino’s 6-yard touchdown run.

An interception in the end zone by Aivangbee thwarted an Oceanside threat late in the fourth, and in turn the Bruins marched 80 yards for the final touchdown of the day. “The way we drove the field at the end is vintage Baldwin football,” Carroll said. “We showed what we’re capable of.”