Monday, November 10, 2025
The Copiague Eagles pulled off a stunning second-half comeback against the Centereach Cougars, rallying from a 14-point halftime deficit to secure a 27-17 victory in a thrilling matchup last Saturday afternoon.
Led by senior quarterback Roger Rowe and sophomore linebacker Keon Williams, the Eagles shook off a sluggish first half and exploded for 27 second-half points to earn their second win of the season.
Rowe, who was named Offensive MVP, finished with over 150 rushing yards and two scores. “We stayed with it and went out there and put points on the board,” he said. “We just gotta come out for every game the way we did in the second half today.”
After starting with back-to-back heartbreaking losses (21-20 to Deer Park on Sept. 11 and 20-18 to Newfield on Sept. 22) the Eagles bounced back and got their first win against West Babylon, in a dominant 31-13 thumping on Sept. 26. The goal was to follow up that strong performance in front of a large crowd on Homecoming Day but Centereach had other plans.
The Cougars took early control of the game, capitalizing on a pair of fumbles to strike first. Then, they extended the lead in the second quarter, stringing together an eight-minute drive capped by a 4th down, 25-yard touchdown run to make it 12-0. A safety after an intentional grounding penalty in the end zone pushed the margin to 14-0 at halftime.
Copiague’s offense sputtered through the first two quarters, failing to pick up a single first down. But everything changed in the third.
Senior wideout Aiden Boswell got the Eagles on the board with a 46-yard touchdown reception from Rowe just two minutes into the second half, cutting the deficit to 14-7. After a Centereach field goal pushed it to 17-7, the Copiague defense came up big with a goal-line interception by Williams, his first of the day, halting a potential knockout blow.
On the very next play, Rowe electrified the crowd with a 96-yard touchdown run, slicing the lead to 17-14 with 2:05 left in the third. After a defensive stop, Rowe struck again, this time with a 56-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles their first lead of the day at 21-17 early in the fourth.
Williams wasn’t done. The sophomore linebacker picked off another Centereach pass near midfield, setting the stage for yet another one-play scoring drive, this time a 57-yard touchdown run by senior running back Jayden Herrera. Although the extra point was blocked, Copiague held a 27-17 advantage with just under seven minutes left.
The Cougars threatened late, driving to the Copiague 22, but the Eagles’ defense held strong on fourth down. Junior linebacker Charles Williams Jr. sealed the game with an interception at the 1:44 mark, sending the home sideline into celebration.
Copiague first-year head coach Phil Fortuno praised his team’s resilience. “We have a tough group of kids and they’re used to adversity,” he said. “It’s really great to see them respond the way they did. If we can play a whole game the way we played the second half, the outcomes will be much different for us.”
Defensive MVP Keon Williams led the charge with two critical interceptions and several key tackles, while senior linemen Jonathan Marine Suarez and Gregory Brooks contributed tackles for loss in a gritty defensive effort.
Copiague (2-2) visits Commack this Saturday at 2p.m.
