After coming off of a tough loss against Garden City on Oct. 19, the Lynbrook Owls varsity football team bounced back and put on a show for the homecoming crowd, beating the Valley Stream North (VSN) Spartans 43-7.
When asked how it felt to regain the momentum heading into the final game of the season, head coach David Yaker said, “We have spoken all season about how we want to keep improving every week so that by the end of the season we are playing our best football. Nothing changes from week to week. All of our focus is on the next opponent and making ourselves the best team we can be. It always feels good to get a win, especially in a tough conference, so we will try to use this momentum to propel us forward.”
Lynbrook’s defense forced a 3 and out on VSN’s first drive, and then junior running back Michael Potash scored a 2-yard touchdown to put the Owls on the board early. On their next drive, senior AJ Berkowitz deflected a 3rd-down pass attempt and forced the Spartans to punt once again. McHale was sacked by the Spartans defense and the Owls faced a 3rd and 17 on their second drive. After a 15-yard catch by senior Bennett Votano and a 9-yard rush by Berkowitz, the Owls were able to pick up the first down. On the very next play, senior Brian Butler scored a 26-yard rushing touchdown to put the Owls up 14-0.
With 2:33 left in the first quarter, the Owls defense forced a fumble and senior defensive end Frank Sirufo recovered it. Five plays later, Votano scored an 8-yard rushing touchdown to give Lynbrook a comfortable 22-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, after a couple of punts and turnovers by both teams, VSN wide receiver Paul Imran scored a 9-yard receiving touchdown to cut the lead to 22-7 just before the half. With just 35 seconds remaining, McHale connected with Votano for a 29-yard catch. Votano then scored his second rushing touchdown of the game to put the Owls up 29-7 at halftime.
On the first drive of the second half, junior Potash scored a 7-yard rushing touchdown to give the Owls a 36-7 lead. Late in the third quarter, senior defensive tackle Nick Abatantuno came up with a big stop for the Owls defense on 4th and 3 to give the ball back to the offense. To open up the fourth quarter, Owls senior running back Cooper Schorr scored a 4-yard rushing touchdown.
The Owls went on to defeat the Spartans by a score of 43-7. Votano finished with 217 all-purpose yards and rushed for two touchdowns. Potash finished with 15 carries and 53 yards while also scoring two rushing touchdowns. McHale went 6/6 through the air with 126 yards. The Owls defense recorded one sack and held the Spartans offense to just 138 total yards.
With the win, the Lynbrook Owls have clinched a playoff spot. The Owls are heading into their last game of the season and will face the Bethpage Eagles on Nov. 1 at 7:00pm. When asked what the game plan is for Bethpage, Yaker explained, “The game plan is to continue playing hard for four quarters. That has been the mantra of this team. We never quit; we never stop playing. We want to improve this week in practice from what we did last week and give Bethpage the very best we have.”
Each player contributes in his own way, like Berkowitz, who has a large role on both sides of the ball. “I want to help my team any way I can, so this allows me to be very impactful. I play the game very physically, so bringing the hitting aspect of linebacker and running back has been a fun transition,” he shared.
Most of the Owls offensive plays are geared toward Votano, another salient asset to the team. “It feels great to be a valuable player and show up for my team when they need it. The team and I worked hard all summer to get to where we are in the season. We all push each other to be better every week, and it led us to an amazing homecoming win,” he relayed.
Much of the Lynbrook community was in attendance at Saturday’s game, and the boys felt the support; this was especially appreciated by the seniors, who just played their last Homecoming game. “I can speak for the team by saying this was a win for the town. The Lynbrook community will be our motivation going into Bethpage and playoffs. They have our backs, we have theirs,” Berkowitz added. Senior defensive tackle Omarian McClean agreed: “It feels so good having everyone cheer for us. A lot is put into one game in order for us to win, and to have the whole town happy is a dream come true.”
McClean was also nominated for the USA Heart of a Giant award and a chance to win $10,000 for the football program. When asked what this nomination means to him, he said, “It means I can give back to the school that saved me from going down the wrong path. Lynbrook turned me [around and now] into a future cop, so I want to give my thanks to the community for taking me [in]….I love everyone here, and if I win, it will be my final thank you to the school that made me into a good kid.”
