Luke LaRocca's two-point conversion run in second overtime lifts Sachem North over Longwood
Luke LaRocca of Sachem North crosses the goal line for a two-point conversion to win the game in overtime during a Suffolk Division I football semifinal against Longwood on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Lake Ronkonkoma. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
With the game on the line, a smart coach will always put the ball in his best player’s hands.
That’s exactly what Sachem North football coach Dave Caputo did Friday night in his team's 15-14 double-overtime victory over visiting Longwood in a Suffolk Division I semifinal.
After a scoreless first overtime, Longwood had the first possession of the second OT, and the Lions forged a 14-7 lead on Ryan Greene's 1-yard TD run and the extra-point kick.
Sachem North didn’t waver.
On second-and-11, quarterback Luke LaRocca rolled to his left and fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Jon Mullaly in the back of the end zone. That brought Sachem within a point.
Decision time!
Kick for the tie or go for two and the win?
Caputo turned to LaRocca and put Sachem North's destiny in the capable hands of his senior quarterback. They were going for the two-point conversion.
“There was no doubt in my mind what we were doing,” Caputo said. “I trust Luke’s decision-making and his ability to get the job done.”
With the crowd on its feet, LaRocca took the shotgun snap, looked left and then scanned the back of the end zone for an open receiver. With his receivers covered, LaRocca rolled right and darted toward the end zone. He tucked the ball under his right arm, broke a tackle, split two defenders and barreled his way into the end zone to give Sachem North a thrilling victory in the National Football Foundation’s Orlin and Cohen game of the week.
The Sachem North sideline emptied and joined in a wild celebration in the end zone.
“It was not an option to kick for a tie. We were going for the win,” LaRocca said. “I couldn’t find an open receiver, so I had to run. There was one defender out there to stop me and there was no way I was letting him do that.”
Sachem North (9-1) will meet Ward Melville (10-0) for the Suffolk Division I championship Friday at Stony Brook University at 7:30 p.m.
The last time Sachem North captured a Division I title was in 2013 with a 28-7 win over Floyd.
Sachem North handled Longwood, 42-21, earlier this year. That game featured 630 yards of offense. Friday night was different.
“It was Division I playoff football,” Caputo said. “Longwood is well-coached and they’re big and young. We relied on our seniors to dig in and get the win.”
Longwood opened the game with a 14-play, 92-yard scoring drive capped by Greene's 4-yard TD run. Cameron Clemons added the extra-point kick for a 7-0 lead. The march consumed 7:08.
Sachem North responded in the second quarter with an eight-play, 80-yard TD drive. LaRocca found Joe Vulin on a 9-yard slant for the touchdown and Dylan Barker's kick tied it at 7.
“We made sure we were going to leave everything on the field,” Longwood coach Sean Kluber said. “I’m proud of our seniors and especially our underclassmen for growing as the season went on. The future is very bright here. This one is going to sting for a while.”
Sachem North shut down the Lions through three quarters and the first overtime. Defensive back Jake Kuhlman had a fourth-quarter interception and added another in the end zone in the first overtime.
“We made some great defensive adjustments,” Kuhlman said. “I read the quarterback’s eyes on the second interception and knew he was going to the end zone.”
Longwood had six first downs on its first drive. The Lions managed only seven more the rest of the game.
“All night, it was just back and forth,” Kluber said. “On the last play, we flushed him out of the pocket, almost have him, and then by inches, he gets in the end zone. It was a game of inches tonight. The margin for error in the playoffs is so small.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
