Bayport-Blue Point runs for 459 yards in big win over Miller Place
Bayport Blue Point's Collin Reyer runs the ball while Miller Place's Cameron Meadows prepares to make a tackle in the first quarter during a Suffolk Division IV football game on Friday at Miller Place High School. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Bayport-Blue Point has its swagger back.
The three-time defending Suffolk IV champions had two regular-season losses — unfamiliar territory.
But on Friday night, the Phantoms did what they do best: run the ball and own the line of scrimmage.
Bayport-Blue Point rushed for 459 yards in a 56-28 win over host Miller Place in a Suffolk IV regular-season finale.
Colin Clark finished with 167 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. Collin Reyer had 138 yards and three TDs on 13 carries.
At the start of the year, Bayport-Blue Point had plenty of new faces on the offensive line. Now it’s coming together — and those linemen were X-factors in this game.
“We had a lot of newbies up front, the most in quite some time,” coach Mike Zafonte said. “Besides [Charles] Crisera and [Patrick] Ahearn, everyone else is brand-new — we have four new linemen. There was a learning curve, but they’ve been improving each week, and we hope to see them continue to improve because that was a huge factor.”
Ahearn and Crisera led the way up front, along with Andrew Mohring, Blake Romano, Mattias Machin and Nehemiah Meade.
Bayport-Blue Point (7-2) scored touchdowns on each of its first three possessions.
On the first possession, Reyer dashed to the right side and ripped off a 45-yard run to set up Bayport-Blue Point in the red zone. Clark finished the drive with an 8-yard touchdown run with 8:28 left in the first quarter to help make it 7-0.
Reyer scored on a 1-yard run with 4:26 left in the first quarter as Bayport-Blue Point took a 14-0 lead.
Bayport-Blue Point’s defense made key stops in the second quarter, including a sack from Ahearn on third down to force a punt and preserve a 21-6 halftime lead.
The first drive of the second half showed more of the Phantoms’ physicality. Clark dragged defenders on a 14-yard touchdown run that helped extend the lead to 28-6 with 6:58 left in the third quarter.
With the Phantoms leading 35-14 in the fourth quarter, Miller Place was threatening, but sophomore Brayden Waldbauer — who is 6-7 and 200 pounds — came away with an interception. Two plays later, Reyer broke free for a 41-yard TD.
Bayport-Blue Point secured the No. 3 seed and will face second-seeded Mount Sinai in the Suffolk IV semifinals.
Shane Kiernan threw for 300 yards and four TDs for Miller Place (6-3), which is the No. 4 seed and will meet top-seeded Babylon. Camryn Hardy had two TD catches.
