By STEVE SINISKI
The defense line anchored by senior Cole Hayes and juniors Terry Banks, Jr., Matthew Bates. and Uwagabe Eweka limited the big-play ability of Vikings running back Nick Barbuto, and the offense ran smoothly behind junior quarterback Brandon Michaels. In fact, the Mules led the defending Nassau County champions by a point at halftime.
“We expected a war and that’s what we got,” Seaford coach Rob Perpall said.
The Vikings, however, hit an extra gear after intermission, forcing Malverne into a three-and-out on its first drive and taking control of what became a 24-8 win. Barbuto’s stretch over the goal line for a 2-yard touchdown run capped a seven-play, 80-yard third-quarter drive and started a run of 17 consecutive points to end the game.
“We just ran out of gas,” Malverne coach Colbert Britt said, noting his lineup features nine players logging time on offense and defense. “That’s part of the problem this year.”
After weathering Barbuto’s bruising runs in the first half, Malverne (3-2) had trouble slowing him down as the game wore on. He finished with 175 yards and two scores on 39 carries and opened the scoring on a perfectly executed 24-yard hook-and-lateral with wide receiver Pat Lesher in the first quarter.
The two halves were a lesson in contrast for Malverne’s offense. Michaels directed the offense to 130 yards rushing, executing several perfectly timed option tosses to keep the chains moving. Senior running back Garlinksy Jean had 60 of his team-high 63 rushing yards in the half, while senior Frank Shanahan (seven carries, 51 yards) punched home a touchdown on an 11-yard run in the second quarter.
On their first three drives of the second quarter, however, Malverne ran just nine plays for seven yards and had an interception as the Vikings defense clamped down. Even after Bates recovered a fumble at the Malverne 3-yard line following a Barbuto fumble in the third quarter, Seaford found a way to turn it into points. Junior Jonathan Rogers was tackled in the end zone on third down for a safety.
“We made a couple of slight adjustments to their option,” Perpall said. “The kids were a little tentative in the first half.”
In the midst of directing three strong drives to start the game, Michaels and the offense were hurt by a pair of holding penalties that turned back advances inside the Seaford 20. The first call wiped out Jean’s 24-yard run in the first quarter to the 10, and the second wiped out a 5-yard keeper by Michaels that ended at the Vikings 8. The Mules ultimately turned the ball over on downs after the second penalty, failing to convert a fourth-and-1.
Malverne looks to snap its two-game losing skid this Saturday at Cold Spring Harbor. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.
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