Surrendering five second-half touchdowns usually isn’t a recipe for success on the gridiron, but Bellport did just that under the Friday night lights on Oct. 9 and still managed to escape Smithtown East with a Suffolk Division II victory.
The Clippers squandered a 13-point halftime lead but pulled out a wild 50-42 win, thanks to some last-minute heroics. Quarterback Horace Smith capped a monster performance by connecting with Matthew Chojnacki on a 41-yard touchdown pass with 55 seconds remaining to snap the deadlock.
“We didn’t do ourselves many favors throughout the game, but we found a way,” said Bellport head coach Jamie Fabian, whose team stands at 2-4 following a setback to Northport last Saturday. “The second half was crazy,” he added. “It was score for score.”
The winning play was just the fourth completion of the game for Smith, who ran roughshod through the Bulls for 243 yards and three touchdowns on only 19 carries.
“He showed a lot of poise on the winning touchdown pass,” Fabian said of Smith, who ripped off an 83-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. “He’s come a long way.”
Chojnacki added 100 yards rushing, one touchdown and a pair of two-point conversion runs, and AJ St. Fort Colin had 50 yards on the ground, two touchdowns and two two-point conversions. The offensive line of Akaih Allen-Boutwell, Aaron Balkaran, Ali Mohammad, Bryce Williams and Devonta Brister paved the way.
Smithtown East quarterback Niko Kostas threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 100 yards and two scores. “That kid made a ton of plays,” Fabian said of Kostas. The Bulls, 0-6, also had Jack Reddick return a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown and kicker Nic Strovelia convert all six of his extra-point tries.
The win was the second in row for the Clippers, who stumbled out of the gate with three consecutive losses. They rallied from a two-touchdown deficit to beat visiting Deer Park, 22-14, on homecoming on Oct. 3.
“That was our season right there,” Fabian said. “We showed growth and resiliency.”
Both Deer Park touchdowns came in the first quarter. Bellport still trailed 14-7 at halftime after Chojnacki’s 15-yard scoring run. Smith’s 24-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth tied it after Kevin Diaz-Sanchez’s second extra point, and a defensive takeaway in the final minute led to the winning score.
Williams, who had two sacks, forced a late fumble that was recovered by Mohammed at the Falcons’ 10-yard line. On the next play, Chojnacki busted into the end zone for a touchdown.
“Matt’s doing big things,” Fabian said of Chojnacki. “He’s athletic and shifty. He keeps so many plays alive.”
The Clippers play their final home game of the season this Saturday versus Centereach at 2 p.m. It has major playoff implications.
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