Hauppauge flag football team's Taylor Mileti, Meghan Goutink propel Eagles into Suffolk Class B final
Meghan Goutink of Hauppauge runs past the Center Moriches defense and scores a 77-yard touchdown on during a Suffolk Class B flag football semifinal at Hauppauge on Monday. Credit: David Meisenholder
The Hauppauge flag football team had just the start it wanted, capped by a spectacular play.
Quarterback Taylor Mileti lofted a pass to Meghan Goutink, who made a fingertip catch before sprinting down the sideline for a 77-yard touchdown in the second-seeded Eagles’ 48-13 home win over No. 3 Center Moriches in the Suffolk Class B semifinals on Monday. Hauppauge scored on all four of its first-half drives.
“I’ve never executed a play like that,” said Goutink, whose TD and a successful conversion pass made it 28-0 as the Eagles scored the first 41 points. “It’s one thing to practice that, but the feeling in a game was indescribable. Nothing was stopping me. I was getting that touchdown.”
Mileti capped the Eagles’ first possession with a 17-yard TD pass to Melissa O’Connor. Hauppauge then forced a punt before Mileti ran 15 yards for a TD.
It was only after earning a fourth straight three-and-out that Hauppauge faced a series of setbacks. Yet despite a sack, penalty and dropped pass, its resiliency was epitomized by the long score by Goutink.
“That was one of the better plays of the entire season,” Hauppauge coach Steve Mileti said. “It was a beautiful execution. I thought we played spot on.”
Taylor Mileti completed 14 of 16 passes for 183 yards and four touchdowns, ran for 57 yards and a score and converted four point-after attempts for Hauppauge (11-2). She also connected with Goutink on an 8-yard touchdown pass in the first half and threw a 9-yard TD pass to Kristen Tarasenko on the first possession of the second half.
“She sees the field really well and listens to us,” O’Connor said of Mileti. “She doesn’t just look with her eyes, she listens with her ears, too, and that’s what makes her a really great quarterback.”
Center Moriches quarterback Maddy Trace capped an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive in the second half with an 8-yard run for her team’s first score. She also connected with Grace Marrin for a 5-yard touchdown pass late in the second half for the Red Devils (9-5).
Freshman backup quarterback Brooke Telfer threw touchdown passes of 4 and 30 yards to freshman Charlotte Derby for Hauppauge, which will face No. 1 Sayville in the Suffolk Class B championship game at Sachem North at 4 p.m. on Friday.
“We never stop working hard no matter what team we play,” Taylor Mileti said. “I’m proud of everybody today and I’m very excited to have a strong start against Sayville next.”
