Alex Bauer's three rushing touchdowns help Cold Spring Harbor rally past Seaford
Alex Bauer of Cold Spring Harbor crosses the goal line despite the efforts of Seaford's Ayden Das during a Nassau Conference IV football game in Seaford on Saturday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
In high school football, there are few situations more intimidating than being the visitors on a homecoming Saturday. However, when the Seaford High School faithful roared the loudest, Cold Spring Harbor football was left unfazed.
On the back of three rushing touchdowns from senior running back Alex Bauer (11, 4, and 4 yards), Cold Spring Harbor defeated Seaford, 19-14, in come-from-behind fashion. After playing the role of home-run hitter for Cold Spring Harbor (2-0) last week, Bauer shifted gears and turned into a workhorse, running 26 times for 128 yards.
While trailing 14-12 with just 2:27 remaining, senior defensive end Greyson Meak came screaming off the edge and blocked a pooch punt by Seaford quarterback Michael Spinella to set the Seahawks up at their own 35-yard line. With the momentum now in their favor, Bauer spotted them 10 yards and a first down, but a holding penalty moved them back to the original line of scrimmage.
On second and 16, pressure came barreling through the interior towards senior quarterback Sam Bruno, who fired one deep down the left sideline for senior wide receiver Joe Kiely. With a step on his man, Kiely hauled it in for 49 yards, taking it to Seaford’s 16-yard line. Four plays later, after chewing the game clock down to just 38.4 seconds, Bauer took a toss off right tackle and into the front corner of the end zone for the game-winning score.
Bauer was proud to score the winner and help spoil top-seeded Seaford’s (1-1) homecoming.
“I think we took it personally that they scheduled us as their homecoming, especially since we made it all the way to the county championship last year with them,” Bauer said. “I think we took that and used it against them, a little bit.”
On Seaford’s last possession, Spinella completed passes of nine, 17 and 16 yards to drive them all the way to Cold Spring Harbor’s 25-yard line. However, Kiely picked off a last-second desperation heave in the end zone to secure the win.
“Our defense is unbelievable; it’s the story of our team,” Kiely said. “We just stepped up and made the right play.”
Though it was Bauer who struck the blow, the Seahawks may not have gotten to that point without Meak’s block or Bruno’s throw under duress.
To a degree, they were fortunate, as the defense was not expecting Seaford to punt when Meak blocked it.
“I didn’t even know they were punting,” Meak said. “I figured they were trying to run another play because it was fourth down and four, but I was just trying to get in there and cause havoc.”
Bruno completed just two passes, but he saved them for the right time. Other than the 49-yard throw that set up the winning touchdown, his first completion was a third-down conversion that set up Bauer’s second score with 23 seconds left in the second quarter.
Bruno spoke highly of Kiely for helping him out on the big play.
“I saw the corner bite a little, but then the rush came, so I just threw it up there and prayed he caught it,” he said. “Of course he did, though. He’s a great player.”
For Seaford, junior running back Brian Falk ran 28 times for 126 yards while catching two passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Senior tight end Justin Betz added a 35-yard touchdown reception.
