Baldwin runs past East Meadow

Senior Jonathan DeBique lived up to his nickname last Saturday and etched himself into the Baldwin football history book in the process.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound “Beast” rushed for a program single-game record 348 yards and four touchdowns as well as a two-point conversion to lead the third-seeded Bruins to a resounding 35-8 victory over No. 6 East Meadow in a Nassau Conference I first-round playoff game. He had 154 yards in the first quarter and capped Baldwin’s game-opening possession with a 55-yard score.

“For him to do what he did against a good physical team like East Meadow is incredible,” Baldwin head coach Steve Carroll said of Debique, who carried 21 times and surpassed Ricky Manigat’s 312-yard performance in 2005 with a 57-yard touchdown run with 6:54 remaining. “He’s got an awesome combination of power and speed,” Carroll added. “Once he breaks through the line, he can take it all the way.”

While the Bruins (6-3) advanced to meet neighboring rival Freeport in the semifinals at Hofstra on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., the outcome signaled a disappointing end for the Jets (4-5.) The visitors’ lone touchdown came on an 85-yard kickoff return by senior Justin Reyes. 

“Both of their lines did a number on our lines,” East Meadow head coach Vin Mascia said. “DeBique is a locomotive. We couldn’t stop him, and their defense did a tremendous job. We didn’t score a point on offense.”

DeBique, who was held to 78 yards and one touchdown in Baldwin’s 19-15 regular-season win over the Jets on Oct. 22, was a little surprised when he learned his afternoon of work was a record-setting one. “Wow,” he said. “After the first carry I realized they didn’t want to tackle me and I could just take over this game.”

DeBique picked up 16 yards on the first offensive snap of the game and accounted for all but two of Baldwin’s 80 yards on the opening drive. He was also a major factor on the defensive side, helping the hosts contain East Meadow’s bread-and-butter ground attack.

“Offensively, we showed a lot of different formations,” Carroll said. “A team like East Meadow, you have to try to keep off balance. We probably went with about 12 different looks and I think it really helped.”

East Meadow’s best offensive drive came late in the second quarter, but after driving from its own 16 to Baldwin’s 30, senior quarterback Anthony LaRosa was sacked by Nicholas Edma on fourth-and-7 to end the threat.

Things quickly unraveled for the Jets thereafter. DeBique busted a 66-yard touchdown run and added the two-point run for a 14-0 lead with 51 seconds to go in the half. The Jets fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Baldwin’s Marcus Brown recovered, setting up senior quarterback Norman Wilson’s 23-yard touchdown pass to senior T’hki Wood-Smith to make it 20-0 with 17 ticks left on the clock.

“We’re excited to get to Hofstra,” said Baldwin senior Joe Gallagher, one of seven linemen to open lanes for DeBique. “We’re not the same team that lost at Freeport in Week 3.”