Balanced Clarke tops Malverne

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For the second time in as many weeks, Clarke had four different players reach the end zone in an impressive Nassau Conference IV football victory.

Last Saturday, in an emotional home opener, the Rams produced a pair of long rushing touchdowns and senior quarterback Anthony Caputo threw for two scores to lead a 29-6 victory over Malverne.

Caputo completed 11 of 18 attempts for 118 yards and hooked up with Brian Sullivan and Arton Dalipi on perfectly thrown touchdown strikes as Clarke improved to 2-0. The Rams shutout Great Neck in a 35-point rout to open a campaign driven by heavy hearts after the passing of former longtime head coach John Boyle during the offseason.

“There were three or four critical situations that we were able to execute and make a big play,” Clarke head coach Tim O’Malley said. “It was stuff we’ve practiced all week and all summer. Being balanced on offense is one of the things we’ve addressed. We’re looking to be multidimensional and keep defenses from stacking the box.

“We knew Malverne would be athletic and tough and well-coached,” he added. “Our staff did a terrific job getting the kids prepared.”

The Mules, who drove 90 yards on 13 plays to open the second half, to get within a possession after trailing 14-0 at halftime, fell to 1-1.

“We made some adjustments and did some good things in the second half, but I didn’t think we matched their intensity,” said Malverne head coach Kito Lockwood, whose squad opened with a solid win over Mineola. “Clarke is playing with a lot of emotion with the memory of the late, great John Boyle, who I was a big fan of. They took care of business today.”

Junior running back Rashad Teachey was held to 10 yards in the first half but was the catalyst of the Mules’ scoring drive that ate up nearly the entire third quarter. He accounted for 59 yards on four carries, including a 34-yard burst. Senior quarterback Messiah Gordon, who capped the march with a 3-yard touchdown run up the middle, completed three passes to senior Donovan Ishmael totaling 23 yards.

“That drive was beautiful,” Lockwood said. “We knew we had to score to get back in the game.”

Clarke, which scored on a dynamic 54-yard cutback run by senior Austin Carman late in the first quarter and a nifty 30-yard touchdown grab by Sullivan with 20 seconds remaining in the half, picked up where it left off offensively and answered quickly to take a 22-6 lead. Dilapi made an acrobatic 39-yard catch in double coverage on the final play of the third quarter and then a 19-yard touchdown reception on a fourth-and-3 early in the fourth.

A penalty on Malverne’s ensuing possession eventually led to a fourth-and-18 on its own 38, forcing a punt with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Rams chewed some clock with senior power back Antonio Ianniello and iced it when junior Lucas Abbatiello busted a 64-yard touchdown run with 3:45 left.

“I’m happy with the first two games, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” O’Malley said.