By STEVE SINISKI
And even that one score by Oceanside was little more than window dressing on an otherwise big win, as Baldwin was up 41-0 when the Sailors finally got on the board last Saturday afternoon in the fourth quarter.
In terms of the overall standings, the Bruins and Dalers are dead-locked at 4-1 in Conference I, just one game behind Freeport. However, Farmingdale has the slight edge when it comes to power points, edging out Baldwin 124.2-118.4. A win here for either team would be a big step forward in the race to the postseason.
Baldwin's offense, which had scored a total of 20 points in wins over Massapequa (6-3 on Oct. 11) and Hempstead (14-0 on Oct. 4), exploded for four touchdowns, the special teams netted one on Will Barrow's 55-yard punt return and the defense got in on the act when Jeffrey Howell ran an interception back 35 yards.
Of all the positives to come out of the win, perhaps the biggest is the fact Barrow finally got on the board. Though he's one of Baldwin's biggest weapons on offense (at wide receiver), defense (cornerback) and special teams (return man), Barrow's been faced with an inordinate amount of coverage whenever he steps on the field. He caught a 15-yard scoring toss from Jason Hoover to extend the Bruins lead 14-0 in the second quarter last week for his first touchdown of the season.
Along with getting a leg up in the overall standings, a win over Farmingdale may also help Baldwin exact some revenge. It was the Dalers who ended the Bruins' bid for a Nassau County Championship last year, knocking them out in the championship game, 26-0.
This time around, Baldwin's stiff defense is faced with finding a way to limit yet another strong Farmingdale ground attack. The Dalers come in fresh off a 21-6 win over Hicksville, during which tailback Joe Zucchero ran for 162 yards on 31 carries. On the season, he's scored nine times and proven to be workhorse back in his team's ground-oriented offense.
But the problem for Baldwin's defense may not come in the first or even second quarter. When a team pounds the ball into the line time and time again, it eventually takes its toll. Thus, depth across the defense is going to be key for the Bruins. Over the course of the third and fourth quarters, Farmingdale's offense has taken control of games, outscoring opponents 47-21 and even holding powerhouse Freeport to a single score after intermission.
