By ANDREW McCLURE
A week removed from one of the most exhilarating games in Nassau County playoff history, Malverne was manhandled by Seaford 33-0 in the Conference IV championship game at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium last Thursday night.
The game, which was billed as a match-up between the two best backs in the conference, Seaford's Nick Barbuto and Malverne's Steven Alexander, was never close. Barbuto, who gained 261 yards in a semifinal win against Manhasset, ran for 146 yards on 30 carries to lead the Vikings. Alexander was held to a season-low 34 yards.
Coach Colbert Britt watched a highly motivated Seaford team dominate the Mules. "They came to play," Britt said. "Seaford was more aggressive than we were, and seemed to want it more. They were exceptional on defense and moved the ball at will on offense."
Malverne could not have gotten off to a worse start. Early in the opening quarter, with the Mules facing third-and-long from their own 7-yard line, quarterback Glenn Odem dropped back to pass and was swarmed by the Seaford defense. He was sacked in the end zone, but before falling to the ground, Odem had the ball stripped. Seaford's John Driscoll recovered the fumble for a touchdown, and the rout was on.
While the Seaford offense was strong all night long, its defense was virtually impenetrable. The Vikings, who posted eight shutouts on the season, held the Mules to just 80 yards of total offense.
The Vikings extended their lead to 14-0 when senior Jake Asquino ran it in from a yard out. Asquino would rush for 57 yards and two touchdowns. The first-half scoring was capped of when Barbuto took it in from two yards out to give Seaford a commanding 21-point lead at the half. The Mules, who were looking for their first title since 1991, never challenged Seaford in the second half.
Britt wouldn't let the loss take away from a great season. "We were the ninth seed and went all the way to the title game," Britt said. "After knocking off East Rockaway and Roosevelt, we started to realize that we had a pretty good football team here. Those games against two of our biggest rivals gave the boys a lot of confidence and showed them they had a shot to compete for the title."
While the season ended on a sour note, Malverne exceeded expectations and had many players recognized by opposing coaches in the awards voting. Alexander, who starred in the semifinal playoff win over Locust Valley, and junior Matthew Bates took home All-County honors, with Joseph Cucinella being recognized as an honorable mention All-County recipient. Odem, Brent Wiseman and Cole Hayes and were each All-Conference honorees.
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