Lawrence set for Plainedge showdown

First place in Nassau Conference III will be on the line this Saturday when three-time defending county champion Lawrence hosts Plainedge at 2 p.m. in a battle of undefeated teams.

The Golden Tornadoes, who beat the Red Devils in three straight county finals, including on a field goal as time expired last November, got five touchdowns from senior Jordan Fredericks last Saturday in a 49-8 victory at Hewlett. Fredericks rushed for 193 yards on 15 carries and completed all three of his pass attempts for 47 yards.

Fredericks also ignited Lawrence (5-0) on the defensive side on just the second play from scrimmage when he tipped a Hewlett toss-sweep attempt that senior Tevine Johnson caught in stride and returned 25 yards to the end zone to open the scoring. Johnson capped a 21-point first quarter with a 57-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Sean Moran, who went 4-for-4 for 97 yards on the day.

Hewlett (3-2) scored its lone touchdown in the third quarter when junior quarterback Josh Pincus connected with senior Dante Sibbles on a 28-yard scoring strike. Pincus added a two-point conversion run for the Bulldogs, who managed just one first down in the opening half. Seniors Mike Spinelli and Simon Jones each had seven tackles to lead Lawrence’s defense.

“We’ve got a very solid defense,” Lawrence head coach Joe Martillotti said. “Our front seven is really strong.”

The Golden Tornadoes were playing their first full game without senior starting linebacker Julian Clark, who suffered a broken ankle against Lynbrook on Oct. 2. Seniors Oscar Puk, who had an interception at Hewlett, and James Notarnicola, who picked off a pass against Lynbrook, are doing a nice job filling in for Clark, said Martillotti.

Fredericks’ performance against Hewlett gives him 795 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns in 2014. He enters the showdown with Plainedge with 77 career touchdowns.

“It’s the biggest game of the season up to this point,” Martillotti said.

Lawrence’s defense, which has yielded no more than 15 points in any game so far this season, will be put to the test by Davien Kuinlan & Co. Kuinlan, the Red Devils’ quarterback, leads Nassau County in rushing with 1,215 yards and rushing touchdowns with 18. He also has five passing scores.

“He’s a big kid with a lot of skill and we’ve got to find a way to contain him,” Martillotti said of Kuinlan. “At the same token, they’ve got to find a way to stop our No. 1 [Fredericks].”

Plainedge’s offense averaged 47 points over its first four games before Floral Park played it tough in a 28-26 battle last Saturday.   

Lawrence and Plainedge are two of six remaining undefeated teams in Nassau. Baldwin, Carey, Garden City, and Locust Valley are the others. There are 11 teams with just one loss, including Bethpage, which hosts Hewlett this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.