Super Saturday for Lawrence, Lynbrook

Lawrence 56, Plainedge 28
When Plainedge kicked off to Lawrence to open last Saturday’s Nassau Conference III semifinal game, the sky over Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium was a dark shade of gray.

But it didn’t take long for the stars to come out.

Senior Kenny Barnett returned the kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and the Golden Tornadoes scored on three of their first four offensive possessions on the way to a convincing 56-28 victory. Barnett added 187 yards rushing and two touchdowns and senior quarterback John Kinder had 155 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, one passing touchdown and an interception return for a score.

Third-seeded Lawrence (8-2), which avenged three straight losses to the Red Devils including a playoff semifinal in 2008, faces No. 1 Lynbrook (9-1) in the championship game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Hofstra. The Golden Tornadoes are seeking their third county title in four years, while the Owls are going for their first since 1992.

“We had a strong week of practice and it carried over into today,” Lawrence coach Lou Andre said. “We played with a sense of urgency and played great.”

Lynbrook 28, Hewlett 27
Time was running out on Lynbrook’s season, but it never crossed the minds of senior quarterbacks T.J. Virgona and Tom DeNapoli.

The dynamic duo orchestrated a pair of touchdown drives late in the fourth quarter to lift the top-seeded Owls to a thrilling 28-27 win over Hewlett in a Nassau Conference III semifinal game at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium on Saturday. Virgona’s 6-yard touchdown pass to senior Ray Acevedo with 13 seconds left tied it, and Brendan Cohn’s extra point won it.

“I just trusted my teammates,” said Virgona, who hooked up with Chris McGrane for a 13-yard touchdown with 4:20 remaining to cut Lynbrook’s deficit to 27-21. “We’ve been in pressure spots many times before and we kept our composure,” he added.

DeNapoli rushed for 175 yards and one touchdown and junior Travis Lock added 45 yards and a score.

It’s a tough loss to swallow for the Bulldogs (6-4), who were a play away from victory but Virgona hit McGrane for a five-yard gain on fourth-and-3 from the Hewlett 33 to keep the final drive alive. Hewlett got two touchdown runs from senior Dylan Pastor and a touchdown run and pass from junior quarterback Alex Kahn.