By Tom Jordan
It all comes down to who plays better that day, he said of South Side's rematch with Lawrence.
Not even Denton could have known then how very differently this one would turn out, or how well the Cyclones would play. They routed the previously undefeated Tornadoes, 54-34, before 5,000-plus at Hofstra Stadium on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The win gave South Side its first county title since 1979, the last season the Cyclones made it to the playoffs. Before finishing last season 5-3, South Side hadn't had a winning season in 14 years. They'll play Bellport (10-0) in the Long Island championship game at 7 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 29, at Hofstra Stadium. Bellport defeated East Islip 28-0 in the Suffolk County championship game last Friday.
It was a huge win, said quarterback Mike Ambort, who ran the Cyclones' offense to perfection all season. We were kind of mad when we lost to them the first time, but we went on a roll after that.
Top-seeded Lawrence, which entered the game 9-0, scored first, but senior fullback Mike Poulson answered with a 22-yard run later in the first quarter. Ambort, also a kicker, booted the extra-point that gave the Cyclones their first lead. Senior running back Bryant Daniels, on his way to the most memorable performance in a season of them, added a 34-yard score later in the quarter.
After Lawrence tied the game at 13, Daniels scored from seven yards out to give the Cyclones a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Poulson scored on a 56-yard run before Lawrence narrowed the margin to 27-20.
Two more touchdowns by Daniels, on runs of 70 and nine yards, paired with two by his twin brother Robert, buried the Tornadoes in the second half.
We were excited, but not surprised, Ambort said. We knew we could win.
Daniels was unstoppable all day. His day rested in the fourth quarter with South Side leading 47-27. He finished with four touchdowns and a ridiculous 397 yards rushing, shattering the 31-year-old playoff record of 290 set by Wantagh's Joe Brancato.
Daniels had a chance to break the record in South Side's previous game, a 35-16 semifinal win over MacArthur on Nov. 15, but he fumbled on his final carry and ended the day seven yards short. A workhorse all season
