Huntington football stuns Half Hollow Hills East behind Yasir Jones' three touchdowns
Yasir Jones of Huntington scores a touchdown in a Suffolk Division II matchup against host Hills East on Saturday. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Nothing Easy!
That’s printed on the back of Huntington coach Ron Wilson’s sweatshirt. A reminder that the road to glory comes with struggle.
Wilson pointed that detail out after his football team traveled to top-seeded Half Hollow Hills East and outmuscled the home team, 28-14, in a Suffolk Division II opener in Dix Hills.
“We played them in the final game of the regular season and in the first round of the playoffs,” Wilson said. “And we played them tough in both games and came up short. When we saw the schedule, and we had to open against them, it made our kids work even harder all summer to get ready. There was plenty of motivation.”
According to Newsday records, football teams have never played three consecutive games against one another. Hills East beat Huntington 21-14 to end the season and then 33-21 in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs on the way to the school’s first-ever Suffolk championship.
“They ended our season last year,” Ethan Lawless said. “We didn’t forget. We played a physical, gritty and at times a very chippy game. I think people would agree we made a statement today against the defending champion.”
Lawless led a defensive unit that slowed down senior halfback Daniel White, one of Long Island’s leading ground gainers from a year ago. The ferocious Lawless was unstoppable, finding himself in the Hills East backfield more often than Hills coach Alex Marcelin liked.
“He was very good, and they did a great job,” Marcelin said. “They outplayed us and deserved to win.”
Lawless finished with 13 tackles, including five for a loss, and two sacks. He also pressured quarterback Nick Sevilla into a hurried throw off his back foot that was intercepted by cornerback Jack Kamenstein in the fourth quarter.
“We tried to overcrowd the line of scrimmage and take away the running lanes,” Wilson said. “We controlled the front. We knew when Lawless was in ninth grade that he was a special player.”
The Hills East offense opened its season with a nine-play, 58-yard scoring drive. Sevilla capped the march with an 8-yard touchdown pass to RJ Peters in the back of the end zone. Noah Reinstein added the kick for the 7-0 lead with 5:26 left in the first quarter.
Huntington answered with a nine-play, 80-yard scoring march. Quarterback Jacob Guzik highlighted the drive with a 29-yard run to the RedHawks' 3-yard line. Jones burst over tackle for the scoring run, and Rob Campbell added the kick to tie it at 7 with 2:29 left in the first quarter.
“It was important to respond there,” Wilson said. “They’re an explosive team and we wanted to keep it close.”
The Huntington defense halted a 10-play RedHawks' drive and forced a short punt to take over at the Hills’ 48. The Blue Devils went on a methodical 10-play drive that ended when Jones burst over the right side for an 8-yard touchdown and the lead. Campbell made it 14-7 with an extra-point kick with 4:11 left in the half.
Huntington’s defense forced a three and out to give the offense a chance to take a two-score lead before the half.
“It was the turning point in the game,” Wilson said.
On second down and five from the RedHawks' 44, Guzik fired a touchdown strike to Kamenstein on a crossing pattern for the 21-7 lead with 35 seconds left in the half. Kamenstein finished with five catches for 104 yards.
Hills East opened the third quarter with an impressive eight-play, 83-yard scoring drive. Sevilla found Donnie Jones with a 23-yard fade for the touchdown and the Reinstein kick made it 21-14 with 8:32 left.
“I liked how the guys battled,” Marcelin said. “Every time we got close, Huntington always made a play to take us right back out of the game. There were times it could’ve been a one or two-point game and they didn’t allow it to happen. We have a lot of things to correct as coaches and players. It’s week one and we’re going to get better.”
Jones scored his third touchdown of the game on an explosive 17-yard run around the right end for the 28-14 advantage with 1:59 left in the third quarter. He ran the ball on all six plays for 61 yards and the score. He finished with 124 yards on 26 carries.
“We just kept taking it to them,” said Jones. “Our line was creating space and giving me opportunities to find room to run.”
Nothing came easy. But the bus ride back to Huntington was glorious.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
