Five runners, dominating blocking boost William Floyd

BY JIM FURLONG

Their names are Antinucci, Astore, Bedell, Lacey and Miller. They are not partners in a law firm. Instead they are partners boosting a potent William Floyd rushing attack. With their offensive linemen dominating, all five players scored a touchdown as the Colonials -- who did not throw a pass -- overpowered Lindenhurst 41-7 on Sept. 17.

The five running backs aim to grab plenty of ground yards again on Saturday afternoon when William Floyd (1-1) visits Brentwood (2-0). The success against Lindenhurst proved unique for Floyd head coach Paul Longo, who has coached 136 varsity games for the high school in Mastic Beach.

"That's the first time, in all the games I have coached -- junior high, JV and varsity -- that we did not throw a pass," said Longo. "I like to air it out, but you have to do what you have to do. I went into the game looking for a balanced attack. I didn't plan to run all the plays, but we were successful and kept doing that." William Floyd, which built a 28-7 halftime lead, produced 343 yards rushing.

Once again the Colonials looked powerful, and the preseason top-rated team in Suffolk Division 1 rebounded from a 17-14 home loss against Sachem North in their season opener. "We went from doubt to confidence," said Tom Antinucci. "We are feeling pretty confident. We think we can win, but we can't under-estimate Brentwood."

Antinucci contributed the first score, an eight-yard run against Lindenhurst (1-1). The 5-10, 185-pound senior felt elated after scoring his first varsity touchdown.  "It was very exciting," said Antinucci, who spent most of his junior season working with the scout team. "I worked hard for that (touchdown) in the preseason and offseason."

Operating from the wing-T formation, the Colonials blended inside muscle and outside speed. Stacey Bedell, the youngest and fastest of the five running backs, darted 31 yards for the second TD, and Joe Miranda kicked one of his five extra points.

Longo said Bedell, a 5-8, 150-pound sophomore, can become an impact player and that the team hopes he can show quick maturity. Bedell finished with a team-high 79 yards on six carries and he scored in the second half on a 30-yard burst.

Kevin Lacey, a standout linebacker for the 2008 Colonials, has proven a rugged, aggressive player who now contributes at fullback. The 6-1, 220-pound senior totaled 46 yards on seven carries, including a 11-yard scoring run.

Luke Miller, whose older brother Andrew was a standout Floyd runner about five years ago, showed varsity-level skills in football and lacrosse two years ago. The 6-0, 200-pound junior added 34 yards on five carries, including a 1-yard TD in the second half.

Nick Astore joins Bedell as a mighty mite. The 5-6, 150-pound senior, also the Floyd punter, is one of the team's most-versatile players. Astore always shows determination and quickness and is a definite threat returning punts and kickoffs. He finished with 71-yard on 10 carries. including a 17-yard scamper to the end zone in the second quarter."We have a lot of weapons in the backfield," said Antinucci.

Up front the offensive linemen -- 205-pound center Brandon Clark, Dan Bayer (215 pounds), Kevin Hauter (225), James Walsh (250) and Brendan Turrill (265) --- repeated pleased line coach Pete Lesiewicz. "The line came together," said Turrill. "We practiced as hard as we could all (last) week; to make sure there were no mistakes. We did our jobs. We were blowing (the Lindenhurst defensive linemen) off the ball. We knew all their formations."

The Colonials' collective morale climbed, mostly replacing the disappointment and frustration of the home loss in the opener. "We have our old confidence back," said Turrill, one of four seniors starting on the offensive line. "(Our rushing attack) is completely versatile and makes it hard for the defense to catch on,"

he said. "We can run both sides." Smothering defense has long proven a steady William Floyd strength. With long-time defensive coordinator Gil DeCicco, the program has won 62 of its last 66 games, including 49-1 for its last 50 Division I regular-season games 

The 2009 Floyd defenders limited Lindenhurst to one touchdown. Hauter, quick and aggressive on the defensive front, made two sacks and blocked a punt. Brentwood has lost the last four meetings against the Colonials, Floyd gained a 14-7 win in the 2006 Suffolk Division I title game, Brentwood also has lost 42-6, 42-7 and 34-0 last year.

Coach Steve Perretta, in his 15th season leading Brentwood, has watched his current team edge Longwood 29-28 in overtime and beat Ward Melville 21-17 last week. The Indians have a talented pass-catch combination featuring quarterback Alex Corporan and speedy wide receiver Christopher Jean Pierre, who caught two touchdown passes against Longwood