By:Steve Siniski
After forcing a fumble at midfield, it took exactly four plays for Baldwin to get on the board. The scoring drive concluded with quarterback Joe Vanella connecting with tight end Matt Billia on a 10-yard touchdown strike.
The offense wasn't done, however, as the unit erupted or a season-high 33 points, or 12 fewer than it had scored in the previous five games combined.
Billa added a 17-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Vanella, while Ricky Manigat rushed for 137 yards and a pair of scores.
"Everything came together on the offense," Bruins coach Steve Carroll said. "Joe [Vanella] has done a lot of really good things that we're able to build off of. Matt [Billia] always had the capability, but this year he's just taken off. He may be our most exciting player, and loves everything about the game. He's making things happen."
The victory sets up another battle with rival Farmingdale (7-1) at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on November 11, and marks the second game on the turf in three years between the teams. In 2002, the Dalers knocked off the Bruins in the Nassau County Conference I Championship Game, but Baldwin did exact a little revenge by coming out on top in the Dalers homecoming contest a year ago.
"Our first goal was to get there [Hofstra] and the second is to win it, because you've got to be there to be able to win it," Carroll said.
Farmingdale took the regular season meeting meeting, 14-0, behind 111 yards rushing from quarterback Anthony Barksdale. The Bruins offense, though, has made a 180-degree turn since that game on October 2. The tandem of Vanella and Manigat packs the type of offensive punch the team lacked over much of the first half of 2004, something Oceanside can attest to.
In a season-opening win over the Sailors, Baldwin didn't crack 100 yards on the ground. In the quarterfinals, it was a different story, as the Bruins ran over, around, and through the Oceanside defense for 250 yards.
"We have a lot of guys that play well, and guys that rise to the occasion every week," Carroll said. "Our offensive linemen blocked well [against Oceanside], and Manigat's been good. He had 137 yards rushing, and that's a lot against any team."
Of course, the defense will need to continue bringing its "A" game, having held all but one opponent to two scores or less through the first eight games, and keeping three opponents scoreless. Barksdale, the Dalers hulking signal-caller, has led the team to at least 35 points in three of the last four games, including a 35-0 win over Hempstead last Saturday.
"You can shut him down 20 times, but the one time you don't he'll devastate you," Carroll said.
