Meyer follows O-line's lead
BLUE WAVES 25, WILDCATS 7
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HUNTINGTON STATION -- The word of the week was focus, and the undoubted player of the game was Greg Meyer. The Riverhead Blue Waves had both on their side Saturday night.
Meyer ran for a career-high four touchdowns and 209 yards as Riverhead got back on the winning track with a 25-7 Suffolk County Division II football win over the Walt Whitman Wildcats. They were his first touchdowns of the season.
Meyer and the top-seeded Blue Waves (2-1) put a damper on Walt Whitman's homecoming festivities as the senior banged in a pair of one-yard touchdown runs for a 12-0 lead by halftime. He then followed that up with two more scoring runs in the second half, a 31-yard dash in the third quarter and a 14-yard burst in the fourth.
"I felt amazing running the ball today," said Meyer.
Meyer, who ran the ball 37 times, repeatedly credited Riverhead's offensive line for his big night. "I can't stop thanking them," he said. "They did an amazing job today."
That line had to make an adjustment, too, when center Jim Pipczynski rolled an ankle and left the game with 8 minutes 15 seconds to go in the third quarter. When that happened, Dan Shriver moved over from left guard to center. Big blocking was also provided by left tackle Mike Smith, right guards Connor Keupp and Demitrius Brown, and right tackle Mike Powers.
For the first time this season, Section XI released power-points-based standings this week. They show Riverhead in third place with 116.670 power ratings, behind the East Islip Redmen (123.540) and the North Babylon Bulldogs (123.330), who are both 3-0 and the only undefeated teams in the division.
Last year Meyer played in the shadow of Miguel Maysonet, the recipient of the Carl A. Hansen Award, which is given to the player recognized as the best in Suffolk. But despite lingering shoulder trouble, Meyer has shown he has talent, too. He has 348 rushing yards in three games, and is averaging 6.0 yards per carry.
"Greg, he's the man," Shriver said. "He stepped up. We knew he was going to be the starting guy this year, and we had all the faith in the world in him."
Riverhead's running game was also augmented Saturday by 88 yards from 13 runs by Malcolm Cater.
The defending Long Island Class II champion Blue Waves were determined not to repeat their lackluster performance of the week before when discipline seemed to be uncharacteristically lacking. They turned the ball over six times and were assessed 13 penalties in a loss to the East Islip Redmen that had snapped a 13-game win streak. But the Blue Waves looked much sharper on the field turf at Walt Whitman High School. They had only one turnover and two penalties.
"The main word this week was focus, and that's what we did," Meyer said. "The loss last week was a feeling that we never want to [experience] again. We came out this week focused in practice, ready to go, ready to see Walt Whitman, and came on the field today and showed them what Riverhead was really about."
While the Riverhead offense generated 373 yards, the Riverhead defense, overseen by defensive coordinator Scott Hackal, stymied the No. 9 seeded Wildcats (1-2) and did not allow any points. Walt Whitman got on the scoreboard when Darrell Felder intercepted a pass and brought it back 55 yards for a touchdown with 7:59 left in the game.
The Wildcats, who went 2 for 11 in third-down conversion attempts, totaled 158 yards in offense.
"Defensively, we played outstanding," Wildcats Coach Louis Voltaggio said. "Defensively, we had them prepared. Offensively, it's just nonexistent right now. It's two weeks of no offense, and we're going to have to correct something."
The Blue Waves made three interceptions -- two by Edwin Perry and one by Joe Maglione. It was Perry's second interception that essentially killed any real chance of a Wildcats comeback. He picked off a pass four yards deep in his own end zone and returned the ball 49 yards, allowing Riverhead to run out the final 3:25 of the game.
"We came out and we were pumped up," Shriver said. "This was the best game that we've had in a while. We had a good week of practice. We just came out there and played smash-mouth football."
bliepa@timesreview.com
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