PLAYOFF QUALIFYING GAME: BLUE WAVES 49, EAGLES 0
This one was over early
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Rasheen Moore, who scored three of Riverhead's touchdowns, headed toward the end zone, with West Babylon's Ryan Pasieka in pursuit.
Having been ousted in the Suffolk County Division II football semifinals the past two years, the Blue Waves know full well that the regular season means next to nothing once the playoffs start. So, when the second season started on Saturday, the Blue Waves made certain they took the right steps, without any slip-ups.
Tim Velys threw for three touchdowns and Miguel Maysonet and Rasheen Moore scored three touchdowns apiece -- all in the first half -- as the Blue Waves easily cleared their first postseason hurdle. In firm control from the start, the Blue Waves registered 43 first-half points, played substitutes in the second half and blasted the West Babylon Eagles, 49-0, in a playoff qualifying game at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field.
Miguel Maysonet, who scored three touchdowns and ran for 94 yards in the first half, tried to escape the grasp of a West Babylon defender.
"The regular season is over," Moore said. "We're not 8 and 0 any more. We're 1 and 0 in the playoffs. We have to keep it going."
Averting an early postseason exit was on the minds of the Blue Waves throughout the week, they said. One of Riverhead's 13 seniors, Tyler Gilliam, said he and his classmates have tasted that sort of disappointment before. "It's a horrible feeling," he said. "We're too close of a family for our season to go down the drain so early."
Riverhead quarterback Tim Velys was pulled from behind by a West Babylon player while picking up yards.
In the first half the Eagles got a heavy dose of Maysonet. The senior running back/linebacker set the tone by carrying the ball on the first nine plays from scrimmage. It was part of a 15-play drive covering 66 yards that ended, appropriately enough, with Maysonet taking the ball in for a touchdown from two yards out.
"We knew if we jumped on them fast, they would give up, and that's what they did," said Maysonet, who had 94 yards on 18 carries by halftime, when his running was over for the day.
Rasheen Moore, who scored three of Riverhead's touchdowns, headed toward the end zone, with West Babylon's Ryan Pasieka in pursuit.
Then the Blue Waves benefitted from another big play. On the ensuing kickoff, Travis Walker executed an onside kick that Edwin Perry recovered for Riverhead. Eight plays later, Moore left his feet to make an athletic 24-yard touchdown reception.
On the next play from scrimmage, West Babylon's Kyle Smith fumbled and Maysonet fell on the ball. That set up a 14-yard touchdown run by Maysonet, who dove over a pylon. Velys' extra point on the last play of the first quarter made it 29-0.
"That was the game plan, to come out real early and sock them in the mouth," said Moore.
In the second quarter, Velys threw touchdown passes of 54 yards to Moore and 22 yards to Maysonet. The game was essentially over by the time rain arrived for the second half and fell progressively harder.
Rodney Rollins, a sophomore, supplied the game's final points 6 minutes 4 seconds into the third quarter when, on his first varsity carry, he delivered the ball to the end zone from 30 yards away.
Riverhead's defense limited the Eagles to 106 yards' worth of offense. Among West Babylon's four turnovers was a fumble recovery by Michael Hejmej and an interception by Joe Maglione.
"The team played phenomenal," said Gilliam.
For Riverhead, it was anything but disappointing.
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1 comments found
football : 11/9/2008
I was disappointed to not hear enough about Andrew Smith who is one of the top Blue chip player on all of long Island. He is a versatile player who stands out from his team at all times.
