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LI Championship Game: EI/LAW
Topic Started: Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:36 pm (39 Views)
osubeaver69
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Hayden be mine. <3

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East Islip completes perfect season
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The East Islip football team after its 35-7 win against Lawrence in the Class II Long Island championship at Hofstra. (Newsday/Patrick McCarthy)



  The East Islip football team could have walked on glass Friday and the players probably wouldn't get cut. It didn't matter how dire the situation looked, very little went wrong for the Redmen.

East Islip played a picturesque first half and it was never close in the second half in a 35-7 win over defending champion Lawrence in the Long Island Class II championship at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium.

East Islip (11-0), which led 28-7 at the half, won its first Long Island title in its first appearance. Lawrence (10-1) had a 19-game winning streak snapped.




"It was almost unbelievable in the first half," East Islip coach Sal Ciampi Jr. said. "You don't expect that against a great team."

Two first-half plays captured the way things went for East Islip. On third-and-20 at its own 47 late in the first quarter, quarterback Rob Calabrese had three Lawrence defenders in his face.

The Central Florida-bound Calabrese avoided the sack, ran toward the sideline and gained 25 yards. That led to a 13-yard touchdown pass from Calabrese to Tim Moller with 10:29 left in the first half for a 20-7 lead. In just 13:31, East Islip matched the most points Lawrence allowed in a game this season.

The second play came on East Islip's next drive after Corey Gee recovered a fumble. On a third-and-12 from his own 44, Lawrence blitzed Calabrese. The play was a perfect call, a screen pass to Jimmy Brown that went for 16 yards.

Calabrese found Moller on a 15-yard touchdown pass six plays later to extend the lead to 28-7 with 48 seconds left in the first half, capping a 15-play, 77-yard drive.

Just like a buffet, East Islip's offense was overflowing with options. There was Calabrese, who rushed for 105 yards on 15 carries and went 6-for-10 for 82 yards, plowing over defenders. Brown fought for tough yards and Moller did a lot of blocking in the first half on running plays and caught two touchdown passes in the first half.

Moller scored on a 97-yard run, the longest run in a L.I. championship game, with 3:10 left in the third quarter for a 35-7 lead. It was Moller's 19th touchdown of the year, which is a single season school record.

"We have so many good playmakers," said Moller, who had 149 yards on seven carries and three receptions for 50 yards. "We know someone will make a play when we need it."

East Islip had the ball for over 18 minutes in the first half and converted 7 of 8 third downs.

"We never got going," Lawrence coach Lou Andre said. "We couldn't get the ball back. They're powerful and got three turnovers they turned into touchdowns."

Any hope of a Lawrence comeback was quelled late in the third quarter with the team down 28-7. Quarterback P.J. Preziosa left the game with a concussion with 4:48 left and didn't return. Then on fourth-and-goal from the East Islip 1, backup quarterback Mike Santisteban was stopped.

East Islip forced a turnover on the first play from scrimmage. Travis Kennedy fumbled a handoff and Dan Matos recovered it at the Lawrence 30-yard line.

"That was such a momentum changer," Moller said. "We knew they would make big plays, so we had to capitalize."

Brown scored on a 1-yard run with 7:49 left in the quarter to put East Islip ahead, 7-0. Lawrence tied the score at 7 on two plays. Preziosa hooked up with Conrad Stewart on a 64-yard touchdown pass.

But East Islip dominated after that. Calabrese scored on a 1-yard run with 4:12 left in the first to make it 13-7.

"This was the most stressful year for me," Ciampi Jr. said. "The expectations were very high, but the easiest part was coaching them on the field." The first half showed it.

Class II Long Island championship – at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium
East Islip.....13 15 7 0 -- 35
Lawrence..........7 0 0 0 - -7
EI – Brown 1 run (S. Moller kick)
L – Stewart 64 pass from Preziosa (Bolanos kick)
EI – Calabrese 1 run (kick failed)
EI – T. Moller 13 pass from Calabrese (S. Moller kick)
EI – T. Moller 15 pass from Calabrese (S. Moller run)
EI – T. Moller 97 run (S. Moller kick)

I have covered this team for years,(Parents alumni). An with a great running game, Jimmy Brown and Timmy Moller, and QB Rob Calabrese, a great it was fun this year watching every game. My mom's friend's daughter is dating Calabrese, as she is also going to Central Florida.
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