By STEVE SINISKI
In fact, it bordered in the realm of nearly impossible. But after pounding each other for 48 minutes, the Dalers (9-0) made Tom Brosnan¹s 27-yard field goal in the first quarter stand up and knocked out the fourth-seeded and defending champion Jets (5-4).
³Both defenses completely outplayed both offenses,² East Meadow coach Vin Mascia said.
Though the scoring units had several chances to put more points on the board, including the Jets, who missed a 27-yard field goal of their own in the first quarter, who could have predicted the scoring would end in the opening stanza for a pair of offenses that averaged 35.9 points (Farmingdale) and 22.6 points (East Meadow) respectively? Nostradamus? The Amazing Kreskin?
Certainly not anyone associated with either program. Consider that the final yardage totals‹205 for the Dalers, 177 for the Jets, were usually considered good halves through the season¹s first eight weeks. ³The key was staying in the lanes, stopping the run and giving up no big plays,² Mascia said.
The Farmingdale defense limited East Meadow senior Alex Rivas to a season-low 13 yards on eight carries.³ It¹s the first game that we were stopped,² Mascia said of his running game, which was the focal point of the offense all year.
Junior Ricky Hagen¹s 16 tackles led the way, and three of his Jets teammates, Rivas and juniors Bobby Ward and Harlan Abeshouse all finished with 10 tackles each. Hagen also forced a fumble and recovered another. ³Our defense couldn¹t have played a better game,² Mascia said.
East Meadow¹s quarterfinal win over No. 5 Massapequa on Nov. 3, was the exact opposite of the semifinal defeat. Keyed by a 40-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Azfar Khan to sophomore Steven Katz, the Jets won a 34-29 shootout. The grab put the Jets ahead for good in a game featuring five ties or lead changes and put an exclamation point on a career day for Khan. He scored each of the offense¹s other three touchdowns, all on the ground, and all from inside the 15-yard line. Khan¹s red zone production complemented the bruising running of Rivas, who ran for 156 yards in the win. ³Without him we wouldn¹t be where we were [in the semifinals],² Mascia said of his first-year quarterback.
As Farmingdale advanced to the county finals for the seventh time in nine seasons, the Jets saw a run of their own continue. They have now reached the semifinals at Hofstra four times in the last five years. ³I think we¹ve proven we belong with the top teams,² Mascia said.
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