Freeport explodes past Farmingdale for title

For much of the 21st century, Freeport has been a staple in the Nassau County Class I championship game. The Red Devils have made seven appearances in the final since 2001, winning four of them under head coach Russ Cellan.

However, the program hasn’t had the success it is accustomed to of late. Prior to this year, Freeport’s last title game appearance came in 2010 when it beat East Meadow for its third consecutive crown.

The No. 2 Red Devils returned to the big stage with authority on Nov. 17, trouncing previously undefeated Farmingdale, 53-28, to take home the program’s eighth county championship at Shuart Stadium on the campus of Hofstra University.

Jaelin Hood had three touchdowns, two coming on kickoff returns, to lead the way. Senior quarterback Rashad Tucker ran for 177 yards on 13 carries for Freeport, which will meet Floyd in the Long Island championship game at noon this Friday at Hofstra. Both teams enter the game with 10-1 records.

After Jordan McLune’s five-yard touchdown run got the Dalers close at 33-21 with 4:56 to play in the third quarter, Tucker put the game away when he electrified the Freeport faithful with a 58-yard run to give the Red Devils a commanding 41-21 lead. Defensive tackle Joel Cruz picked up a fumble and went 73 yards for the game’s final points.

It seemed fitting for the defense to cap off the scoring. With few expecting a dominant performance from either defensive unit, Freeport’s came up big. McLune was held to just 41 yards rushing, and the Red Devils sacked quarterback Tommy Donovan seven times, including three that came on consecutive plays late in the game.

Freeport assistant coach Jimmy Jones said his team learned from its mistakes. “We had alignment problems and missed a lot of tackles when we played them during the regular season,” Jones said. “We saw all their formations and made adjustments. The idea was to get multiple players on the ball carrier. McLune is a great back, so we expected him to break a few. We just needed to keep his long runs to a limit. The defense came up big.”

Hood, who has made huge plays all season long, made a tremendous statement seconds into the game. He corralled the opening kickoff just outside the end zone, got past the first line of would-be tacklers, and sprinted to pay dirt with a 98-yard kickoff return.

He made it happen again when he answered Farmingdale’s first touchdown with another kickoff return, this time a 79-yard scamper to give the Red Devils a 27-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

There was no surprise that special teams played a part in the victory, but the return team being responsible for two scores was unexpected.

“Our kickoff returns haven’t been good, so it’s a little ironic,” Jones said. “We talk a lot about how special teams will decide playoff games. We’ve been rock solid on extra points, but we had a few breakdowns in that area. We will have to sure that up. An extra point can be the difference in winning or losing a championship game.”