Ward Melville football beats Floyd on Matt Hubbard's two-point stop in final minute in battle of unbeatens
Ward Melville celebrates a touchdown by Joey Benedetto, far right, during a Suffolk Division I football game against Floyd on Friday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
There were 22 seconds left.
It was decision time. Go for the two-point conversion and the win? Kick the extra point and force overtime?
William Floyd coach Paul Longo chose to go for the win.
His Colonials were on the road and trailed Ward Melville by a point. And a Paul Longo-coached team had never lost to the Patriots in East Setauket in his 30 years at the helm. In fact, Longo’s career record against Ward Melville was 20-2.
Just two minutes earlier, Floyd junior halfback Ja’Quan Thomas had scored easily on a two-point conversion run to tie it at 15.
“We knew they would go for two,” Ward Melville coach Chris Boltrek said. “It’s what they do.”
Ward Melville stacked the box on defense and positioned itself to try to stop the run. Floyd went to play action, to the surprise of everyone but Patriots cornerback Matt Hubbard.
The 5-10 Hubbard blanketed 6-3 Floyd receiver PJ Gilhauley across the back of the end zone and swatted AJ Cannet’s two-point conversion pass away from the 6-3 Gilhauley to seal Ward Melville’s 22-21 win on Friday in a battle of unbeatens in a Suffolk Division I football game.
Ward Melville improved to 5-0 and Floyd fell to 4-1.
“That was a great play,” said Ward Melville linebacker Liam Cronin, who had 11 tackles and a fumble recovery. “We were ready for the run and they tried to switch it up. Our coaches put us in a position to win and we made plays all game.”
Hubbard was mobbed in the end zone after the defensive gem.
“We’re told we’re small and have no chance, but we got after it on defense,” Joey Karpowicz said. “Our defensive coordinator Jon Sorbera is all about 11 hats to the ball. And against Floyd and that big back, you need everyone involved.”
A 52-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Hudson Philbrick to Karpowicz and Ethan Jargo’s kick gave Ward Melville a 22-15 lead with 1:06 left.
Floyd added to the frenetic ending with a three-play, 64-yard TD drive capped by a 9-yard pass from Cannet to wide receiver Jack Molini to make it a one-point game with 22 seconds left, setting the stage for Longo’s decision.
Thomas, who had 115 yards on 17 carries, opened the scoring with a 58-yard touchdown run with 4:43 left in the half. The scoring run came two plays after the Floyd defense stopped the Patriots on fourth-and-3 at the Colonials’ 38.
Ward Melville set up its first score with a big defensive play. On Floyd’s opening possession of the third quarter, Cronin recovered a fumble at the Colonials’ 37. On the very next play, Philbrick found Joe Benedetto for a 37-yard TD pass. Jargo’s kick tied the score at 7.
“It was the first time we played Floyd at home and it was a great atmosphere with all of our fans, the band and the community,” Cronin said. “We prepped for the big back and Floyd’s line and I thought we had a great game plan.”
The Ward Melville defense forced another turnover when Nate Wain intercepted a deflected pass at the Patriots’ 36. Two plays later, Philbrick fired deep down the field to Benedetto on a post-corner route for a 56-yard TD and a 13-7 lead.
“I just put it out there and trust our receivers,” said Philbrick, who was 12-for-18 for 277 yards. “He made the over-the-shoulder catch.”
Ward Melville threatened to take a two-score lead early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots drove 87 yards in 13 plays to the Colonials’ 3 before fumbling at the 1. Floyd recovered, but when the ball was brought into the end zone, the result was a safety and a 15-7 Ward Melville lead, setting up the final frantic moments.
“We talk a lot about toughness,” Boltrek said. “People question our toughness. Every game becomes a statement game.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.