Malverne denied playoff spot

Needing a win in its regular-season finale to qualify for the Nassau Conference IV football playoffs a year after going winless, Malverne came up a little short last Friday night at Island Trees.

The Bulldogs beat the Mules, 13-8, in a game that was ended by the officiating crew with 4:40 remaining due to a skirmish. Tucker Hahn’s 2-yard touchdown run with 10 seconds to go in the third quarter held up as the winning score. Malverne (4-4) had three possessions thereafter but couldn’t cash in.

“It was a tough loss, knowing what was on the line,” Mules head coach Kito Lockwood said. “I thought we played well enough to win. We had some possessions after their last touchdown, but unfortunately we didn’t answer that last score.

“The game got a little chippy in the fourth quarter with a lot of flags and personal fouls,” he added. “Our team won the sportsmanship award last year, and I’m a firm believer in discipline and teaching our kids life values.”

Lockwood said the manner in which the finale ended didn’t put a cloud on a successful season that came after a forgettable 2012 campaign. “To go from 0-8 to 4-4 is a great improvement,” he said. “The kids put on a great display of character from the start of summer workouts and never lost confidence or their passion for the game. They carried a positive attitude and work ethic into every week.”

The game at Island Trees turned late in the third quarter when Brian Eletti, the Bulldogs’ quarterback and a starting corner, intercepted a pass by senior Jamal Hill (109 yards rushing, one touchdown) and returned it 60 yards into the red zone. Three plays later, Hahn reached paydirt for what held up to be the winning score. “Their kid deserves credit for making a great defensive play,” Lockwood said.

“I felt like we had momentum coming out of halftime with the lead and getting the ball to start the third quarter,” he added. “We moved the ball as far as their 20-yard line but we turned it over on downs.”

Island Trees (3-5) led 7-0 after the opening quarter on John Pascalli’s 10-yard touchdown run. Malverne answered in the second when Hill scored on a 3-yard run. Junior Bryce Todd ran in the two-point conversion to give the visitors an 8-7 lead.

“The first half was back and forth,” Lockwood said. “It’s the way a lot of our games went this season.

“We had a legitimate shot to finish 6-2,” he added. “It’s another tool we’ll use for motivation for the kids coming back.”

Replacing the production and leadership of the team’s four captains — Hill and linemen Tyler Zimmerman, Michael Salamone and James Hannafin — will be tough, Lockwood said.