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Overcast Clarke rallies to beat Malverne
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Clarke's John Chodkowski braces for a collision with Malverne's Corey Alexander during last Saturday's Conference IV game won by the Rams, 6-3.
Susan Grieco/Herald
After opening with four consecutive losses, including two in the waning seconds of games, Clarke football coach John Boyle decided his team would cut the season in halves. With a 6-3 come-from-behind win at Malverne last Saturday, the Rams are 2-0 in the second half and still mathematically alive for a playoff spot.
Sophomore quarterback Mike Martiello and senior John Radice hooked up on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 2:28 left in the game to give Clarke the victory.
Boyle was pleased. “Both teams really battled. It was a hard-fought win,” he said.
It was fitting that a game with some questionable calls from the officials turned on a call that negated a Malverne first down that likely would have put it away. The call in question was a holding penalty against the Mules as quarterback Brandon Michaels was sneaking for a first down on third-and-one from Malverne’s 29-yard line late in the fourth quarter.
The Rams stopped the Mules on the next play and forced a punt. Clarke took over on its own 44 with 3:03 remaining. Senior John Chodkowski quickly put the Rams in striking distance with a 21-yard scamper down the left sideline. On the next play, Martiello hit Radice, who was open between the linebackers and the secondary, and the senior went the final 20 yards untouched. Martiello was 6-for-11 passing for 131 yards.
The game was a classic defensive battle and scoreless through three quarters. Clarke got terrific performances on the defensive side of the ball from Radice, Gio Ocampo, Clint Morano, Mike Aloisio and Nick Johnson. Radice had two sacks, including one on Malverne’s final drive.
The Mules got their lone points early in the final quarter. Malverne took over at its own 12 and went 69 yards in 13 plays. Corey Alexander highlighted the drive with a 26-yard run on third down-and-16. When the drive stalled, the Mules called a timeout to set up for a field goal. Alexander’s high kick narrowly cleared the goal post to give Malverne a 3-0 lead.
The victory puts Clarke in the playoff hunt. The Rams are one of seven teams in the conference with two wins. “This was a big win for us,” Boyle said. “We put the first half of the season behind us and made the second half into a new season. If we can pick up another win, we’re putting ourselves in good position.”
The Rams host East Rockaway on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
East Meadow tops Freeport
While the New York Jets have dropped three games in a row, the East Meadow Jets are flying in a different direction. Coach Vin Mascia’s team upped its winning streak to five with a 19-15 upset of defending Conference I champion Freeport last Saturday.
Robert Bright scored twice, including the game-winning touchdown on an 81-yard kickoff return. East Meadow (5-1) travels to Baldwin on Saturday for a 2 p.m. start.
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