Sachem North dropped to 1-3 with a 35-27 loss to local rival Patchogue-Medford on Thursday night.
Sachem senior Kevin Bragaglia led all rushers with a game-high 34 carries, 310 yards and 3 touchdowns. He scored on touchdown runs of 61, 67 and 35 yards.
Sachem led Patchogue-Medford 24-21 at 8:51 of the third quarter after Bragaglia’s third score, but Patchogue-Medford added a 70-yard kick return and 41-yard rushing touchdown from Dom Cassella to hold the Flaming Arrows off.
Freshman kicker Joe Gagliardi completed the first two field goals – both 17 yards – of his varsity career.
James Avanzato caught 4 receptions for 65 yards, while Sean O’Brien caught 2 receptions for 46 yards.
The Flaming Arrows have not lost three straight games in a season since 2008 and have no lost to Pat-Med since 2005.
Sachem travels to Brentwood next Saturday at 2 p.m.
Bragaglia makes history
He is just the third player in Sachem’s 54-year history to rush for more than 300 yards in a single-game and was 10 yards shy of James O’Neal’s mark of 320 set in 1995. Michael Murphy rushed for 315 yards in a game in 1989.
Bragaglia also crossed the 1,500 yard rushing mark for his career in the loss. He ranks No. 16 all-time in Sachem history with 1,518 yards.
He has 71 carries for 500 yards and 6 touchdowns on the ground this season, and 11 receptions, 278 yards and 4 touchdowns in the air.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro