Flaming Arrows end season on high-note after overtime victory at Ward Melville
With two wins, playing in a road game during the coldest fall night of the season at a higher ranked opponent, this could have been a recipe for a dour ending to a challenging season for Sachem North football. Think again.
Storming onto the field with a massive Sachem flag and attitude, the Flaming Arrows came to play and shocked Ward Melville, 12-6, in overtime.
The win marks an improvement from last year’s two win campaign, and although a 3-5 record won’t turn heads, it does the corner for a program continuing to build from the ground up during each practice, team meeting and game.
Players celebrated the win like it was a playoff game and could be heard saying, “the foundation is built” as they convened in the south end zone after the victory. Their presence of mind was not just about the present, but building something together for the future.
“You did it,” said Sachem coach Dave Caputo. “We came here and you did exactly what we set out to do. We won. Be proud. Hug your teammates. Hug your coaches. This is special.”
Moments later players and coaches ran to the sideline and sang the Sachem fight song and waived that Sachem flag proudly. That ritual is normally reserved for home victories, but the moment spoke for itself.
Sachem trailed 3-0 at halftime after a first-quarter 22-yard field goal by Ward Melville kicker Tommy Dellaporta. Cam Lee, who was electric all night on both sides of the ball, put the Flaming Arrows ahead 6-3 with a 50-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Sachem had a number of defensive stoppages, but were unable to stop Dellaporta again, who drilled a 42-yard field goal with 1.7 seconds left to tie the game.
It was Lee, who had 18 carries, 135 yards and 2 touchdowns, again who put Sachem ahead after a he rushed 19 yards to Ward Melville’s 1-yard line and eventually finished the series with a touchdown on the first overtime possession.
On the next play Ward Melville fumbled on its first carry forced by Sachem’s Dylan Reilly and recovered by Josh Walker to seal the victory.