61.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Sailing back to the semis
Oceanside powers past MacArthur
A year ago, Oceanside’s football team rode the prolific pass-catch combination of quarterback Tyler Heuer and receiver Gene Garay to eight victories and its first-ever semifinal playoff appearance at Hofstra.
This year, the Sailors are bringing more smash than flash to the semis.
Shane Saucier, Justin Buckley and Luke Schwasnick combined for 382 rushing yards and four touchdowns to lead sixth-seeded Oceanside to a 43-21 Nassau Conference I first-round playoff win at No. 3 MacArthur last Friday night. The Sailors, who lost junior quarterback Tom Capone to a serious knee injury late in the first half, scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to avenge a Week 7 loss to the Generals and advanced to face defending champion Freeport this Saturday at 5 p.m.
“Getting to the semis two years in a row is a big thing for our program,” Oceanside head coach Rob Blount said. “We played a tough schedule, which benefits us in the end. Some people counted us out a while ago, but these kids fight the fight.”
Senior signal-caller John Grassi, who started the first five games this season, replaced Capone and capped an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Phil Ragona to put the visitors ahead for good with 10:22 remaining. Saucier (160 yards, three touchdowns on 14 carries) iced the victory with a pair of scoring runs.
“It was a very calm halftime because everyone knew Grassi’s capable,” Blount said. “When we made the switch a few weeks ago, I told him to stay ready because you never know what can happen.”
With Grassi taking snaps from center Rich O’Flanagan, the Sailors scored on all four of their second-half possessions. Oceanside (5-4) took the second-half kickoff and drove 65 yards to take a 21-14 lead on Saucier’s 2-yard touchdown run, but MacArthur (7-2) answered with Tom Kelleher’s second touchdown reception.
The Sailors ensuing drive was a microcosm of the night. With the offensive line paving lanes, Saucier, Buckley (139 yards) and Schwasnick (83 yards, one touchdown) each carried three times and Grassi once before Ragona’s eventual winning touchdown grab.
