Eagles fall to Long Beach

Four turnovers and the second-half performance of Long Beach running back Damon Whitfield were too much for Valley Stream Central to overcome in a Conference II football game that took two days to complete.

Whitfield’s 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter provided the difference for the Marines in their 27-21 win at Firemen’s Field. The game was stopped last Thursday at halftime due to severe weather conditions and resumed three days later.

“We’re closing the gap with some of these other programs, but we still have a way to go,” said VSC coach Frank Chimienti, whose team rolled to a 33-0 victory over Great Neck South in the opener. “The biggest thing we need to fix is turnovers,” he added. “We have six in the first two games.”

The Eagles rallied from a 14-0 deficit against Long Beach to lead by seven. Senior Steven Puccio caught a 45-yard touchdown pass from senior Matt Stephenson, sophomore Laton Butler had a 25-yard touchdown run, and Stephenson scored from two yards out on a quarterback sneak. The Marines pulled even before halftime on Tom Rowley’s second touchdown.

“We made some crucial mistakes, but we still had a chance to win the game,” Chimienti said. “Whitfield was the difference in the second half. He helped them control the ball.”

Central is back in action on Friday night when it visits second-seeded Wantagh at 7 p.m.