Homecoming success for Long Beach

Long Beach thrilled a large homecoming crowd at the Middle School last Friday night with an important 32-21 victory over New Hyde Park in a Nassau Conference II football game. 

The Marines, who evened their record at 3-3 with two games remaining, were in control after senior Josh Linster returned the second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to give them a 19-point cushion. Senior Nick Nigro iced the win with a 6-yard touchdown run.

“Our kids knew this was a must-win game,” Long Beach head coach Scott Martin said. “They came out with a lot of energy. 

“We were expecting a battle,” he added. “I watched film of New Hyde Park’s last game against Sewanhaka and thought they played very tough. Jumping out to a lead got the crowd into it and gave us some confidence.”

The Marines had just one first-quarter touchdown in their previous five games before finding the end zone twice last Friday night to take a 14-0 lead. Senior quarterback Matt Varian capped their second possession with an 8-yard touchdown run, and sophomore Tyreek Bromley (170 yards rushing) busted a 64-yard score the next time they had the ball. Varian made good on both extra points.

“We moved the ball OK on our first possession but a penalty set us back,” Martin said. “Scoring on each of the next two drives kind of set the tone.”

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Bromley has developed into the team’s feature back after getting his feet wet as a freshman when he averaged about five carries per game. “He’s a really tough runner,” Martin said. “He can find the smallest of holes and run over defenders. He’s been our top offensive player the past two weeks.”

Bromley added an 8-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give Long Beach a 20-7 halftime lead. Linster, a track star, then produced the biggest play of the game when he scooped up the second-half kickoff just a few yards from his own goal line and took it the distance.

“That’s what Josh can do,” Martin said. “He’s one of the fastest kids in the county. He doesn’t need a big hole to run through. When he reached their end zone, the closest player was at the 20.”