They’re calling it the four-headed monster. The backfield at Sachem North this season is something to be reckoned with. On paper it’s the best on Long Island, maybe even New York, maybe even the Northeast. When the season starts Wednesday you’ll see why: Trent Crossan, Anthony Ross, Malik Pierre and Kevin Bragaglia.
Sachem’s most productive offensive season came in 2010 when it rushed for 4,138 yards with the help of Dalton Crossan, Michael Andreassi and Jesse Scanna, then referred to as the three-headed monster. You can be certain offensive coordinator Mike Maratto will have the pedal to the metal all season with his horses.
Let’s take a look at the careers for Crossan, Ross, Pierre and Bragaglia to this point:
- Crossan: 126 carries, 1,163 yards, 15 touchdowns (three seasons)
- Pierre: 120 carries, 1,323 yards, 12 touchdowns (two seasons)
- Ross: 61 carries, 578 yards, 4 touchdowns (two seasons)
- Bragaglia: 58 carries, 517 yards, 3 touchdowns (one season)
Crossan and Pierre are two of only 20 players in Sachem’s 51-year history to rush for 1,000 or more yards in a career. Ross and Bragaglia will join them soon. Pierre and Crossan, however, will shoot for higher plateaus at 2,000 career yards, which only six Sachem players have reached.
On the defensive side of the ball, Crossan is 18 total tackles away from reaching 100 for his career, something only 11 players have done at Sachem.
Bragaglia, who tied the single-season interception record at Sachem last year as a sophomore with nine, is just two away from setting the career mark of 10 held by Justin Dowling (1999-2000).
Also on the radar, and likely the first to make history this season, is Sachem North kicker Bryan Morris, arguably the most consistent and storied kicker on Long Island this season. He’s just two extra points away from breaking the Long Island career record, and 50 points away from setting the Long Island scoring mark for kickers. Morris currently has 120 extra points and 132 points scored.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro