Feelings erupted here in Ward Melville as the Patriots survived their annual homecoming game against the Connetquot Thunderbirds. In an absolute thriller of a homecoming game, the Patriots ran away with an impressive 8-0 win over the number one team in the division. This defeat continues Connetquot’s trend against Ward Melville, making this defeat three losses in a row for the Thunderbirds against the Patriots. An incredible win for WM not just for the performance of the players, but how they were able to last in the harsh conditions of both the lasting rain and incredibly cold weather that would not stop for the entire game.
There were high hopes coming into one of the biggest games of the season. Starting wide receiver Angelo Sorbero spoke with Kaleidoscope: when asked about his expectations before the game, Sorbera simply said, “Don’t take them lightly–this is a big game for us. We just gotta play with energy and we gotta go out there and win a football game.” Senior running-back, Tyler Blasco stated, “We feel really good about what we’re going to produce on Saturday and what we’re going to show to the whole school and the community, it’s gonna be a great day.”
From the opening whistle, the game started off as routine with possessions of the ball remaining back-and-forth between the two Long Island high-school football powerhouses. Both teams put on a defensive showcase, as they were prepared for a gritty and physical battle. Connetquot struggled the entirety of the game to score a single touchdown against Ward Melville’s air-tight defense. The Patriots offense showed to the wild Melville crowd that they also meant business.
Starting quarterback for the Pats, Sophomore Hudson Philbrick had a field day on Saturday as he threw for 171 yards and the only touchdown of the game. Philbrick made wide receiver Angelo Sorbero his top target, as Sorbero dropped 61 receiving yards all-over the T-Birds defense. On the ground Tyler Blasco put up impressive numbers in which he ran for 89 yards and caught a touchdown (MaxPreps); however, not much can be said about the Patriots run-game that day, as it kept getting shut down by the tricky Connetquot defense.
On the defensive side of the ball, the front seven were absolutely electric. They really put on a show whilst trying to put the team on their backs the way they pressured the QB and displayed their ability to consistently shut down the Connetquot run-game. The defense was led by stand-out performances by the Kurtz brothers (Quinn and Brennen), Victor Bergamaschi, Will Killigrew, etc. Sophomore Cornerback, Joey Karpowicz caught his fourth interception this season during the game, making a statement for himself as one of the top cornerbacks in their division.
In the heat of the game, towards the end of the second quarter, the game took a sharp turn and became extremely dicey between the two teams as a minor-fight broke out between the Connetquot quarterback and one of Ward Melville’s defensive players that escalated rapidly to both the disgust and amusement of those in the stands. This was just another tell-tale sign of what was to come for the rest of the game.
The Patriots had the opportunity to throw up extra points where it counted; however, Kicker, Ethan Jargo would remain fairly unused for the game as Ward Melville refused to kick field goals the entire game. In a play where Ward Melville had the opportunity to kick a field goal for the extra three points, they instead went for a fake on the fourth down and failed to convert.
The real anticipation grew higher as the scoreboard remained untouched for the majority of the game; however, once the fourth quarter came around, that changed…fast. When Ward Melville was parked toward the 15 yard line, Philbrick made an impressive throw to Sorbera while having the entire Connetquot defense on his tail. The Patriots now loomed in the seven. Ward Melville took a quick timeout and came back onto the field with a game plan. The area became extremely tense, as Philbrick got the ball off… and Blasco made the catch for the touchdown, putting Ward Melville on the board for the first time that day!
Rather than attempting the field goal for the extra point, the Patriots coaching staff made a bold decision and opted for the two-point conversion. The stunt paid off as Ward Melville took the lead by eight and was able to hold it until the final whistle.
Ward Melville currently holds the title as the number one team in their division. They currently remain over Connetquot and William Floyd as the Patriots record improves to 3-0.
Ward Melville played an impressive game, despite the score, and put on both an offensive and defensive spectacle in the most popular game of the season. Emerging triumphant in such a low-scoring game truly speaks to the entire team’s perseverance and ability to perform under pressure.
Both squads will now hit the road in their upcoming games, as Connetquot will go head-to-head against the Bay Shore Marauders on Saturday at 1:30pm. As for Ward Melville, the Patriots will square off against the Walt Whitman Wildcats on Saturday at 6:00pm (MaxPreps) in hopes of keeping their undefeated record alive.
