Baymen finish at 7-1

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The Hampton Bays football team fell behind Shoreham/Wading River 18-14 early in the fourth quarter in the final game of the Division IV season at home on Saturday, but Shoreham failed a two-point conversion and then botched an onside kick, leaving Hampton Bays poised to score with the ball at its own 45-yard line.

Senior tailback Oskar Ramirez picked up two first downs, including a crucial push at fourth down and 1 yard to go, and led his team to first and goal at the 8-yard line. Junior Dylan Flynn ran the ball into the end zone, junior Igor Leite kicked the extra point and the Baymen took the advantage for good on their way to a 28-18 win.

Hampton Bays scored again after Ramirez had a 20-yard run and another clutch first down at the Wildcat 10-yard line and senior Kyle Palazzolo finished the job with a 3-yard scamper with just 48 seconds remaining in the game. Leite kicked his fourth successful extra point of the game and the Baymen walked away with a decisive victory.

The Baymen finished the season in fourth place behind Amityville (6-2, 130.00) and ahead of Mt. Sinai (5-3, 117.700) in Division IV with a 7-1 record and 123.950 power points. The win earned the Baymen their first home playoff game since 1984 and their first entry into the playoffs since Hampton Bays lost 20-0 in the first round at Amityville in 2004.

They will host Mt. Sinai at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Mustangs sit just behind Hampton Bays in fifth place in Division IV with a 5-3 record and 117.700 power points.

The guys jumped to a 7-0 lead when senior Johnny “On the Spot” Havens picked off a Wildcats pass and ran in a 49-yard touchdown late in the first quarter, but Shoreham came back stronger in the second quarter.

Wildcats sophomore Dalton Crossan intercepted a pass in the first moments of the second quarter and scored on a 23-yard carry, but Baymen senior Perri Gitto blocked the kick to preserve the lead for his team. Shoreham scored again one minute before the half, but the team failed another conversion and entered the second half leading 12-7.

The Wildcats recovered the Hampton Bays kickoff at their 40-yard line, but the determined Baymen defense pushed them back and forced a punt at fourth down and 16 yards to go. Leite stalked the punter and tackled him for a turnover on the Shoreham 33.

Flynn advanced the ball eight more yards and Ramirez earned the team another huge first down at the 12-yard line. The Baymen gained 1 yard and it looked like the junior quarterback reclaimed the lead with an 11-yard run, but the guys were penalized for holding and had to replay the down back 10 yards. Undeterred, King ran the ball up to the 15-yard line and Hampton Bays entered the third down with 12 yards to go.

The quarterback continued fighting and ran the ball 3 yards out of the end zone and inches from a first down. Ramirez demonstrated his “Old Reliable” nickname and completed the drive, running the ball 3 yards and scoring in a terrific fourth down effort with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter. Leite kicked yet another successful extra point and the Baymen entered the final stretch ahead 14-12.

“We win today because of Oskar Ramirez,” head coach Mike Oestreicher said after the game on Saturday. “We’re not in the playoffs without Oskar Ramirez,” he said, adding, “He’s a tremendously valuable cog” in the Baymen machine.

Ramirez had 141 rushing yards for 20 carries, a touchdown and a fumble recovery, but more importantly, the senior kept Hampton Bays alive, never bending to pressure or failing the task at hand in numerous key plays throughout all four quarters of action on Saturday. His shining moments were gains of less than 10 yards, but Ramirez had a few long runs, including a 51-yard advance early in the fourth quarter.

King went 4 for 9 for 42 passing yards and he earned 46 rushing yards in eight attempts. Havens had six carries for 64 yards, one interception and one touchdown and Flynn earned 51 yards in 11 carries and scored one touchdown. Gitto and junior Tim Wheeler were each credited with a sack. Oestreicher said sophomore nose tackle Bobby Scanlon did a standout job on Saturday and earned his spot as a starter next season. “It was good to see him come out of his shell,” he said, explaining that Scanlon had seen more play in recent weeks.

Oestreicher was clearly pleased with his team, but he said the guys still made mistakes that need to be addressed before the playoffs. “This is a win we should have had earlier,” he said in a post-game huddle, noting that Saturday was the second game in a row where the Baymen made some dangerous errors. They picked up their only loss of the season after taking the lead in Center Moriches the week before.

“We pick each other up,” King said reflecting on the game. He said his team makes up for his mistakes and he makes up for theirs. He and Havens said the guys worked very hard to get to this place and they went into the season believing that they would succeed.