Up 14-0 at halftime, Lindenhurst senior cornerback Warren Dixon wanted to make a statement with his huge stop on the opening kickoff of the second half that put the ball on West Islip’s 14-yard line: The Division II Suffolk County title game was his team’s to lose.
“I was fired up,” Dixon said. “That set the tone.”
While West Islip quarterback Joe Costantino did cap off a 16-play, 87-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to cut the Bulldogs’s lead to 14-7 with 4:38 left in the third, it was the only score Lindenhurst (11-0) would let up all afternoon. The Bulldogs beat the Lions, 27-7, in the championship game November 23 at Lindenhurst Middle School for the second straight season and for the program’s third consecutive Suffolk County crown. It’s the Bulldog’s second straight in Division II, winning it all in Division I in 2017. West Islip (8-3) lost in the title game for the fourth straight year.
“We had each other’s backs the entire way through,” Dixon said. “Our linemen blocked, the running backs made it through, and when we did throw, our receivers were there to make the catch. We have coaches who make great plays and put us in a perfect position to succeed.”
So did senior running back Jaden Barber, who bookended two scores by junior quarterback Jack Randazzo. Barber, who finished with 16 carries for 144 yards and two scores, opened the game at 4:59 with a 1-yard run to cap a drive that spanned 36 yards over five plays and 2:08. His touchdown rush also followed a 30-yard gain he made just two plays prior.
“My lead blockers made the blocks,” he said. “And our defense is amazing every game. I’m mad we let up that one touchdown, though,” he added, laughing.
Jack Randazzo found Matt Josefson narrowly ahead of the defender on him for a 71-yard catch-and-run straight into the end zone with 1:09 left in the first half for a 14-0 lead.
“We wanted to play our game, not theirs,” said senior guard Will Ruckert. “We wanted to take care of the ball on both sides, pound it, and play some defense. I think we did that pretty well.”
Ruckert, who made eight tackles, leads a unit that shut out opponents five times this season, letting up an average of just 6.5 points per game. Junior middle linebacker Jack Winey finished the win with 10 tackles, and senior tackle Jeff Perez also finished with eight.
“Coach Damon Sinicropi tells us to do our job, and if all 11 of us do our job only good things will happen,” Ruckert said. “And that’s what happened this week.”
After West Islip’s score, Randazzo capped a six-play, 77-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run at 1:32. It was set up by a Winey 56-yard gain. The extra-point kick attempt was blocked by West Islip senior kicker and offensive lineman Bobby DiCapua.
With 6:21 left to play, Jaden Barber darted downfield along his home sideline with a blocker protecting him, who shoved a defender to the right so Barber could cut left into the end zone and ice the game.
“Ever since we lost to Garden City I never wanted to lose another high school game again,” the senior said. “We want revenge.”
Lindenhurst will get a chance to avenge last season’s 14-0 shutout to Garden City when the two teams face off in the Division II Long Island championship at Stony Brook University. The Trojans are the three-time defending LIC champions.
“It’s different this year because we’re undefeated — it’s better,” Dixon said. “I’ll never forget this year.”
“It’s such an honor being a part of this team. Four years of playing on this field — I couldn’t have ended it a better way,” Ruckert said. “This is what you play football for — to win it with your brothers. I’ve been playing with these guys since I was 8 or 9, and this is how we end our Suffolk season. Wow. But we’ve got to finish this off.”
Dixon also knows Lindenhurst’s work isn’t done yet.
“We’ve still got one more,” he said, smiling. “We’re not satisfied yet.”
