It seemed that every time Greenport/Southold/Mattituck moved forward, the team took two steps back.
Way too many penalties, two devastating fumble turnovers and a nightmare fourth quarter added up to a 30-6 home defeat to Center Moriches in a Suffolk League IV football game last Friday night.
Very little went right for the Porters (3-3), who lost their third consecutive game after starting the season at a promising 3-0.
That turnabout wasn’t lost on the players in the frustrating and disappointing setback. What made it more confounding was that they were within striking distance, with only a 10-6 deficit entering the fourth quarter.
“Poor, really bad,” said senior co-captain and offensive and defensive lineman James Felakos. “Fairly good starting off on defense. We stayed within four points. You have a dead-even game. In the locker room, I thought we could play. But there’s numbers, there’s execution. We blow up in the second half because we don’t have people behind us, and that happens all the time.”
Felakos was understandably frustrated. “I think we haven’t made the playoffs in 11 years,” he said. “I’ve played here for six years in my football career. I’ve never had any kind of large success on any scale. We might break even this season and that would be a massive improvement. So of course, it’s frustrating to see. A team that I thought could be really, really constantly good, and it falls apart.”
Senior quarterback Brayden Hromada grabbed the spotlight for the Red Devils (4-2) by scoring all four touchdowns while rushing for 201 yards on 23 carries.
The Porters at times were their own worst enemies, as they were penalized 10 times for 69 yards. They were hit with six, five-yard illegal procedure penalties that hampered drives.
Felakos said the team could not overcome formation issues. “A lot of people that came out of the huddle weren’t sure what they were doing,” he said.
Added co-captain and senior lineman/tight end Brady Woods: “I can try to get the guys to focus up. That’s what we’re going be working on next week when we’re working on counts, just not making stupid mistakes. We’re going to make sure everyone knows what to do.”
It didn’t help that two vital seniors were sidelined — running back Kenny McGunnigle had an ankle injury and tight end Taiquan Brumsey suffered a concussion.
“We’re missing a strong running back that can hit holes,” Felakos said. “We need a backup option that’s fast and small, like Mikey, but we have one Mikey.”
Felakos was referring to senior quarterback Michael DeNicola, who rushed for 56 yards. DeNicola, however, fumbled the ball away twice, including a costly one at the Center Moriches four-yard line after he returned the second-half kickoff 52 yards.
The Porters struck first with 3:57 remaining in the opening period. Junior running back Matt McGunnigle ran in untouched from two yards, culminating a seven-play drive for a 6-0 lead.
The Red Devils took the lead for good, 7-6, on Hromada’s five-yard run and the first of Daniel Jurgens’ three extra points with 5:02 left in the second quarter. Jurgens gave Center Moriches a 10-6 halftime cushion with a ’ 33-yard field goal with 2:42 remaining.
The visitors broke it open with three fourth-quarter TDs. Hromada had a seven-yard score with 9:15 left, a six-yard tally with 7:07 remaining and a 33-yard dash down the right side with 5:06 to go.
Junior wide receiver/linebacker Ethan Linker, who made his debut at quarterback midway through the fourth quarter, was a bright spot for the Porters. The left-hander completed two of four passes for 31 yards and had a TD pass called back due to an illegal man down field, the second such penalty on the drive. He also ran for 26 yards on two carries.
“I saw my guys hurting, and I thought everyone was just tired and beat up,” Linker said. “I just got in there with a chip on my shoulder. I played my heart out.”
The Porters still can reach the playoffs. They face a must-win situation against Wyandanch in their final home game on Senior Night, Friday, Oct. 25, before visiting Mount Sinai on Nov. 1.
“We’ll beat them,” Linker said. “We’re making the playoffs. We have the heart. We have determination. We need to put the right thoughts in each other’s heads. We have to get our aggression up, stop being lazy and just execute better.”
Greenport head coach Tim McArdle declined to comment after the game.