By Douglas Ruff
Dozens of Calhoun students took part in the annual event, including the marching band, cheerleaders, kickline and a variety of sports teams.
In front of a standing-room-only crowd and with blue skies above, however, the Carey Seahawks spoiled an otherwise perfect Homecoming for Calhoun with a thrilling, one-point upset victory over the Colts, 15-14.
After a scoreless first quarter, Calhoun fell behind when Carey running back James Feaster scored from five yards out. With the extra-point conversion, Carey took a 7-0 lead, which the squad maintained to half-time.
Calhoun Coach Joe Corea and his staff appeared to have solved the Carey defense in the second half behind the strong running of Brendan Finnerty and Phil Taglia. Finnerty was first to put the Colts on the scoreboard with a 10-yard run. Bryan Knight split the uprights with the extra point, and the score was tied after three quarters. Calhoun took the lead in the fourth quarter. Taglia broke off a 25-yard run around the left end and, two plays later, scored when he also scooted around the same left side and into the end zone. Knight converted the extra point, and with less than seven minutes left, the Colts could taste victory.
After a fumble and a punt, though, the Seahawks took over on their own 28-yard line with less than four minutes to play. The Carey quarterback, T.J. Lopez, put together an impressive drive, culminating in a 19-yard touchdown toss to Feaster, his second of the day. Down by a point with less than two minutes to play, Carey threw caution to the wind and decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion. Lopez rolled right and found Tom Daddino in the back of the end zone and hit him with a floater that hung in the air for what seemed like forever. When it came down in Daddino's hands, Carey had the one-point lead and silenced the home-town crowd.
The Colts got the ball back, but their hopes were dashed as Feaster intercepted a pass at midfield on a fourth and 12 to seal the
victory.
Next up, the Colts travel to MacArthur to face the Generals on
Sept. 28. Their next home game is Saturday, Oct. 12 at 2
p.m. against cross-town rival Bellmore JFK.
