By Steve Siniski
Seeded third in the conference, the Bruins made a statement in knocking off top-seeded Farmingdale, 35-6. The Bruins are undefeated (4-0) and have beat every opponent by at least 29 points.
"They're the defending Long Island champs and we told the guys that the only way to beat them is to knock them out," Baldwin coach Steve Carroll said.
While the Dalers, ranked ninth in the Tri-State area and number one on Long Island, chose to attempt to intimidate the Bruins verbally during pre-game warm-ups, Baldwin let its game do the talking by turning an interception on the third play of the game into a touchdown. The Bruins took a 7-0 lead before the score was settled and suddenly Farmingdale was hushed.
Will Barrow picked a tipped pass out of the air and raced 52 yards for the game's first score, but it was far from the last time Baldwin hit the mud on the other side of the goal line.
Again making touchdowns out of turnovers, the Bruins used the slippery field to their advantage, forcing four Dalers miscues and building an insurmountable 28-0 lead just four seconds into the second quarter.
"Anytime you get a turnover there's a little bit of luck involved," Carroll said. "But our guys are very aggressive to the ball. The good part is that although we're getting interceptions and fumbles, we're getting into the end zone just three or four plays later [on offense]."
But don't go thinking that the Bruins are a one-dimensional team, because right now, they're getting big contributions from the offense and special teams as well.
"Right now our offensive line and blocking backs are going above and beyond the call of duty," Carroll said. "Going into the season our Power-I offense was supposed to be Plan B. But that's all we've run so far and it's become our number one offense."
Thanks to the linemen opening up holes for small trucks to drive through, the running attack flourished in the win over Farmingdale, with Ronnie Thomas leading the way with 83 yards and two scores on eight carries. And despite the slippery conditions, the Bruins dipped into their passing game as well, utilizing a few play-action passes to keep the Dalers off-balance.
Quarterback Casey Carroll, who capped Baldwin's scoring with a defensive touchdown --a 40-yard interception return -- also hit Thomas with a 25-yard strike near the goal line. With the field getting more and more treacherous by the play, kicker Andrew Kroell still managed to convert all five extra-point attempts.
"Right now the guys believe they can do anything," Steve Carroll said. "On one side, the kids can't believe it, but on the other side they expected it. They didn't think they'd lose."
With their confidence at an all-time high, the Bruins will stick around for the home fans and a date with a struggling, but dangerous, Hempstead (1-3) team this Saturday at 2 p.m.
"Like many coaches will tell you, our toughest game is next Saturday," Carroll said as he gears his team up for the next opponent on the schedule and looks to avoid the potential pitfall known as a letdown. "You have to focus on one team [at a time]. We saw some tape on Farmingdale from the game they played with Hempstead, but we were so focused on breaking down Farmingdale that I couldn't tell you much about Hempstead.
"I'm not a pleasant person at practice, and this week I'm going to have to be ultra-unpleasant," said Carroll. "Two of their [Tigers] losses were close, and they're going to be a hurdle for us."
