Baldwin football knocks off Calhoun, eyes Nassau II playoff bid
Baldwin quarterback Vaughdrea Johnson scores a touchdown during a game against Calhoun on October 26, 2024. Credit: /James Messerschmidt
There was no hesitation or trepidation from Baldwin quarterback Vaughdrea Johnson.
The Bruins faced 4th-and-4 with the ball on Calhoun’s 47-yard line in a scoreless game with 26 seconds to play in the first half.
Johnson tucked it and ran, disappeared into the pile, and emerged like a magic trick, sprinting steadily to the end zone for a 47-yard touchdown in Baldwin’s 13-6 win over Calhoun in the Nassau II matchup in Merrick Saturday afternoon.
“We have a Bruin play that always works when we do QB sneaks, so once I saw the hole close up, I just bounced right out to the left, saw the wide-open gap and I just had to take full advantage of that,” said Johnson, whose nickname is "Angel."
Calhoun (3-4) answered the Bruins’ score with 52 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Backup quarterback Tim Lynch threw a 42-yard laser to wide receiver Jake Baci and two penalties on Baldwin set the Colts on the Bruins’ 9-yard line. Running back Domenic Di Rico tiptoed into the end zone with the handoff to cut the lead to 7-6.
As Calhoun attempted to take the lead, the Colts were met with the threat that is Baldwin’s defensive line.
Following a turnover on downs, Calhoun was preparing to make the march from its own 4-yard line when Baldwin (4-3) defensive end Micah Ellerbe Jr. tipped the ball into sophomore Kassimi Taylor-Ba's hands for an interception. Johnson then kept the ball for a 4-yard quarterback sneak from the line of scrimmage to put the Bruins ahead, 13-6.
“The defensive line really made that happen," said Taylor-Bo, who transferred from Sewanhaka this year. "Micah just tipped it right into my hands. It's been a great experience being on this team. Everyone works really well together.”
First-year coach Mike Robinson echoed that sentiment.
“Our defensive line has been great at getting up field, rushing the quarterback, and making big plays like that," Robinson said. "Then Derek Coolbaugh, Jayden Young, Ryan Healey, Matthew Feeney, and Andrew Parchment make up a great, cohesive offensive line.”
Johnson completed 4 of 10 passes for 31 yards and added 18 carries for 115 yards on the ground while Taylor-Ba rushed 17 times for 87 yards.
Calhoun’s defense held Baldwin to 164 total yards, led by senior Tom Sansano, who had nine tackles and a sack.
Baldwin will face MacArthur next week in its final home game of the regular season. Saturday’s win means the Bruins are likely to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022, when they lost to Massapequa in the semifinals, 21-20.
“This was really exciting,” Johnson said, “It felt like we’ve accomplished what we’ve been working on and was a complete team effort. We’re ready to head back to the playoffs.”
