Garden City wins third straight Long Island Class II championship
Colin Hart went from contributor to leader in three years of Garden City football . . . and the senior quarterback never lost a game.
Hart was at the center of the Trojans' run to a third straight Long Island Class II football title on Friday at Stony Brook University. Garden City became the first team in Long Island history to go 12-0 in three successive years by defeating Lindenhurst, 19-0. And it was Hart, the young kid who morphed into the Trojans’ leader, who knelt with the final snap as time expired and a wild celebration began.
In extending its winning streak to 36 games, Garden City became the second Nassau team to win three straight titles, joining Lawrence in Class III (2012-14).
“I split time as a sophomore and learned from all those seniors on how to win a championship,” said Hart, who rushed for 70 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown to open the scoring. “And I’ve started the past two years and watched our team grow into something really special. It was every player out there that made this possible.”
Hart, who is one of only four Trojans to have earned three straight titles, orchestrated a statement drive on Garden City’s opening possession. The Trojans marched 63 yards in 11 plays and consumed 5:09, converting five first downs. Chase Gardi's extra-point kick made it 7-0 with 6:51 left in the first quarter.
“This was his team and he did a great job,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger, who is 45-1 in four years, said of Hart. “His decision-making was almost flawless. And he learned how to manage the game and made me look good a lot. He knew when to check down in his read, when to throw the ball away and when he should change a play into something that had a chance to be successful.”
Garden City's other touchdowns were Justin Coppola's 8-yard run with 5:37 left in the second quarter and Trevor Yeboah-Kodie's 25-yard run with 2:53 left in the game. Yeboah-Kodie finished with 135 yards on 22 carries.
The Garden City defense, which recorded its fourth shutout of the season and had five sacks, also was in top form. The Trojans allowed only 64 first-half yards in taking a 13-0 halftime lead.
The first Lindenhurst drive was stopped when defensive back Coppola blitzed off the right edge and buried quarterback Michael Varela for a 12-yard sack to force a punt.
“We prepped all week to lock down the receivers and keep the quarterback from rolling out,” Garden City defensive back Joe Scattareggia said. “The defensive line did a great line in pressuring the quarterback and in containment and we made our open-field tackles.”
The Trojans mixed runs by Yeboah-Kodie and Hart in a 10-play, 59-yard drive in the second quarter to set up Coppola's touchdown, which was a thing of beauty. He leaped over a defender at the 5 and broke a tackle at the 3.
“They have dynamic athletes and make big plays,” Lindenhurst coach Nick Lombardo said. “They’re a terrific, well-disciplined team and took the early lead. We had a shot to respond late in the half and couldn’t score.”
The Bulldogs drove to midfield before Garden City recorded the first turnover of the half. On third-and-8, Varela went back to pass and junior linebacker Billy Kephart read the play perfectly. Kephart dropped into coverage, leaped and intercepted the pass at the 46.
“I have to give the credit to our coach, Steve Finnell, and our defensive coaches,” Ettinger said. “We were well prepared for Lindenhurst. And we were concerned. That was a Suffolk Division I team coming into our division and they were a real threat. They were easily the most physical team we’d played.”
The second half was a back-and-forth, physical affair, and Yeboah-Kodie sealed the victory when he burst through the heart of the defense from the 25.
“Our offense struggled to move the ball and get back in the game,” Lombardo said. “But make no mistake, we made some halftime adjustments and played an outstanding second half. I’m proud of our resilience.”
Garden City’s defense was led by Steven Moscatiello (14 tackles, one sack) Christian Sullivan (11 tackles, one sack) and Kephart, who added seven solo tackles and an interception.
Said Ettinger, “We have not talked about the streak once and only focused on what was in front of us.”
And then got the job done.
Garden City 7-6-0-6-19
Lindenhurst 0-0-0-0-0
GC – Hart 3 run (Gardi kick)
GC – Coppola 8 run (kick failed)
GC – Yeboah-Kodie 25 run (kick failed)
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
