Commack upset Sachem North during its homecoming in a 31-28 triple overtime defeat on Friday night at Fred Fusaro Alumni Stadium.
Commacks’s Billy Holscher kicked a 31-yard field goal on the second side of a third overtime to give the Flaming Arrows their first lost of the season. The Cougars remain undefeated at 5-0 in Suffolk County’s Division I.
This marks the first time in 13 years that Commack has beaten Sachem. The last time was in the 2000 Suffolk County Championship.
Sachem (4-1) and Commack each scored on their first two possessions in overtime. Malik Pierre and Anthony Ross scored on rushes of 1 and 3, respectively. Commack quarterback Rob Paccione and Jesse Kilmetis each scored on 1-yard rushes.
“That’s the best 10 seed I’ve ever seen,” said Sachem coach Dave Falco. “When a 10 seed plays like that in Division I you have to be ready to play. We made the mistake in overtime and they didn’t and we came up with the loss. We did not show up with the approach we needed to have. We were not ready to play, were distracted and we were soft up front. You’re not going to win any games that way.”
Commack nearly put the game away with 1:15 left on a 65-yard drive that ended with Paccione coughing the ball up in the end zone and giving Sachem the ball on the 20-yard line after a touchback.
Sachem played an uncharacteristic first half. Trent Crossan, Pierre, Ross and Kevin Bragaglia combined for just 11 rushing yards and their only touchdown was a 53-yard pass from Crossan to Matthew Ward. It marked the longest touchdown pass of Crossan’s career.
Sachem’s Trent Crossan, playing in his first game since Week 3 against Longwood after suffering an ankle sprain, threw for a career-high 109 yards on 3-of-4 passing.
News & Notes
- Paccione finished 10-for-22 and threw for 134 yards.
- Commack out gained Sachem in total yards, 280-147.
- This marks two straight seasons of overtime games for Sachem. Last year the Flaming Arrows beat Bay Shore, 63-62, in a double-overtime thriller during Week 2. Trent Crossan scored a record eight touchdowns that night.
- With his 83 yards on 17 carries Friday, Anthony Ross became the 21st player in Sachem history to break the 1,000-rushing yard mark for his career. He now has 1,060 yards, which ranks No. 20 all-time in the program.
- Next up: Sachem travels to William Floyd on Saturday, October 19 for a game at 2 p.m.
Scoring Breakdown
- C: Paccione 1 run, Holscher kick
- S: Crossan to Ward 53 pass, Morris kick
- C: Paccione 19 pass, Holscher kick
- S: Pierre 1 run, Morris kick
- S: Pierre 1 run, Morris kick
- C: Paccione 1 run, Holscher kick
- C: Jesse Kilmets 1 run, Holscher kick
- S: Ross 3 run, Morris kick
- C: Holscher 32 kick
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro