By ANDREW McCLURE
In early October, Clarke knocked off Lynbrook by one point to start a string that saw the Rams win three of their last four regular-season games. Conversely, the Owls' season went in the other direction and they needed a victory in the final week just to secure a playoff berth.
This time it was Lynbrook leaving the field victorious.
Senior Michael DeNapoli carried the ball 11 times for 142 yards including a 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to lead the sixth-seeded Owls to a 38-16 win in a Nassau Conference III first-round playoff game at Clarke. The Rams finished 5-3.
Lynbrook took an early lead on a safety. With Clarke lined up to attempt a punt from deep in its own territory, the snap from center sailed by the punter and out of the end zone. On the ensuing drive, the Owls added to the lead as quarterback Jake Stern, who did a tremendous job running the Lynbrook offense all afternoon, ran it in from 30 yards out. DeNapoli pounded in the two-point conversion to make it 10-0.
The Rams fought back and seemed to have the momentum in their favor. After a sustained drive left them seven yards from paydirt, the Rams pulled a beauty out of the playbook. Junior quarterback John Schilt handed the ball to Matt Johns, who started toward the right side of the field. Johns stopped and threw back to his left where he found Schilt for the touchdown. Mike Curatolo's kick made it 10-7.
With just 45 seconds left in the half, Curatolo tied the score with a field goal from 26 yards out. But, the pendulum swung back in Lynbrook's favor in a hurry. On the kickoff, Lynbrook's Esteban Vega was hit, appeared to be contained, but he wasn't wrapped up. The junior tailback broke free and went 87 yards for the touchdown. The half ended with the Owls up 16-10.
Clarke coach John Boyle knew the kickoff return changed the momentum. "We had them reeling," he explained. "After tying the score, we were feeling pretty good about things. That was a big play."
The third quarter was all Lynbrook. Stern ran it in from 20 yards out to extend the lead to 23-10. Later in the quarter, senior fullback James Kozlakowski, who ran for 103 yards on 19 carries, scored from two yards out to put the game out of reach. Johns, a senior wide receiver, pulled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Schilt in the final quarter to keep the score respectable.
Boyle was proud of the team's accomplishments. "We had a lot of injuries, and had guys step up all season," he said. "Some guys that weren't quite ready at the beginning of the season filled in at key positions and did an excellent job. This was a great group to coach. It was a great season."
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
