Hewlett shuts down Sewanhaka

Three takeaways on defense, two on special teams and a gadget play coach Jay Iaquinta took out of the vault allowed Hewlett to avenge a regular-season loss to Sewanhaka for a second straight year and advance to the Nassau Conference III semifinals at Hofstra. 

Junior Mark Rizzo starred for the visiting Bulldogs in last Saturday’s 17-0 first-round playoff victory, recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff, rushing 38 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter and thwarting an Indians drive early in the fourth with an interception. 

“Last time they ran all over us,” said Rizzo, referring to Sewanhaka’s 438-yard rushing performance in a 20-14 win at Hewlett on Oct. 16. “We had extra guys in the box today and our defense was unbelievable.”

Senior quarterback Alex Kahn had a one-yard touchdown run and senior Ross Kleinrock booted a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter, and senior Jon Alfieri (nine tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery) led a stellar defensive effort for the Bulldogs, who meet cross-town rival and defending county champion Lawrence in the semis on Friday at 4 p.m.

“When you hit as hard as we did, you forced turnovers,” Iaquinta said. “I thought it was an incredible effort. We overcame some injuries to beat a good football team.”

Fifth-seeded Hewlett (7-2) kicked off minus two starters — junior linebacker Gabe Rodriguez and junior running back Adam Betesh — and lost a third late in the opening quarter when junior tailback Sam Martorella went down with a knee injury after gaining 41 yards on the first of two double-halfback option plays that crushed the Indians.

“We definitely underachieved, but they outplayed us,” Sewanhaka coach George Kasimatis said. “We pride ourselves in being physical and running the ball, and we didn’t do it as well as we could.”

Trailing 3-0 after Kleinrock split the uprights, the fourth-seeded Indians drove deep inside Hewlett territory on their first possession thanks to a big run by senior Brian Wint but stalled at the 9-yard line after a pass intended for senior Joshua Castro was batted down in the end zone by junior defensive back Matt Miller.