The Farmingdale Dalers took on the Sachem North Flaming Arrows last Saturday afternoon at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium for the Long Island Conference I Championship in front of 7,200 fans. This was the Dalers second trip to the finals since losing to Floyd last year. The Dalers went into the game looking to finish a perfect season.
The Dalers defense would come out strong, as it did all season-long, and the offense went right to work. The Dalers would put together a 78-yard drive in 8 plays to score on a broken play. Dalers Quarterback Vinny Quinn scrambled to outrun the Sachem defense to the goal line for the first score of the game. The Dalers defense would stop Sachem once more, while the offense would start up again. But the Dalers would get picked off on a passing play, giving the
Flaming Arrows an opportunity to run the ball to the 2-yard line and then in to tie the game.
The Dalers would set up to receive the ball on the kick off and Tom Kennedy would run it back 94 yards for a Daler touchdown setting a Long Island Conference I Championship record. The Quarter would end 14-7.
In the second quarter, the Dalers would stop Sachem, and the offence moving the ball, again. In their next drive the Dalers would be fourth-and-one twice, and go for the goal both times with Curtis Jenkins. He made it both times, but not by much. The Flaming Arrows were keying in on Jenkins and it showed.
The Dalers would finally score on this drive on an 8-yard run by Jenkins making it 21-7. Things were looking good for the Dalers. But, nobody expected that this was the end of their scoring. On a short kick-off from the Dalers, Sachem would go 55-yards on four plays to make it 21-14. The Dalers would get the ball back with 3:46 left in the half, but were unable to get anything going. After missing an attempt at fourth-and-15 from the Sachem 32-yard line, the Flaming
Arrows would get the ball back with 44 seconds left. Sachem would drive the ball to the Dalers 30-yard line and kick a 37-yard field goal to end the half. It was now a 21-17 game.
In the third quarter, the Dalers offense was having trouble moving the ball, they would throw another interception, but the Dalers defense would still come up big, holding off the Sachem offense.
The game was tight, but the Flaming Arrows would put together a drive to the Dalers 5-yard line. It was fourth-and-2, the Dalers defense would come up big stopping Sachem, and the Dalers offense would come out with 7:27 left in the game. A good drive would take time off the clock, it was looking good. The Dalers offense again was stopped by Sachem, it was fourth and 9 from the 6-yard line. The Dalers would punt, but it was blocked by Sachem going back through the end zone for a safety. Now it was 21-19. The Dalers would do the free kick, giving Sachem the ball on the 46-yard line with 5:25 left in the game. Sachem would drive the ball and score with a 15-yard run and the 2-point conversion to make it 27-21 with 2:50 left in the game. The Dalers would get the ball off the kickoff, and try to work some magic. But the Dalers were again stopped cold by Sachem. The Flaming Arrows would get the ball back with 1:07 left in the game.
Vinny Quinn passed 11 of 21 plays for a total 109-yards, with 2 interceptions, and ran the ball for the Dalers first touchdown. Curtis Jenkins ran 22 times for 62-yards, had 4 receptions for 66-yards. Tom Kennedy had 4 receptions for 27-yards and a 94-yard kickoff return.
