Miller Place sharp in 35-0 rout at Deer Park
Miller Place High School running back #1 Adin Greenfield returns a punt in the second quarter of a Suffolk County Division III varsity football game vs. host Deer Park High School. (Sept. 7, 2012) Credit: James Escher
A simple sweep off tackle . . .
Brett Osman came around the right corner, shook an attempted shoestring tackle on the edge, cut outside and sprinted untouched up the right sideline for a 77-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
This became a running theme throughout for Miller Place. Long scampers following turnovers, to be exact.
The Panthers' defense had four takeaways and their offense exploded with four plays of at least 47 yards. Those big numbers added up to a 35-0 victory over host Deer Park on Friday night in the teams' Suffolk III season opener.
"We don't mind 3 yards and a cloud of dust, but we'll take the big plays," Miller Place coach Ron Petrie said. His team had lost its last two meetings with Deer Park. "Defensively, we made the adjustments."
Osman rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns -- on just eight carries -- to lead Miller Place. His 77-yarder came with 2:22 left in the first half and pushed the lead to 28-0. That run immediately followed James Nielsen's recovery of a Falcons fumble at the 23.
Tailback Adin Greenfield added 80 yards and a TD on the ground, and a 58-yard TD reception. Quarterback Ryan Gray threw for two touchdowns. "Our best offense is our defense," Greenfield said. "They locked it down and we tried to capitalize."
The Panthers cashed in and looked every bit the team seeded second in the preseason poll. They went up 21-0 on Gray's 7-yard TD pass to Alex Greenidge with 11:12 left in the second. On third-and-goal, Gray hit the tight end on a quick out toward the right corner of the end zone. That followed Ryan McNally's fumble recovery at the 33.
Before that . . . Osman plunged up the middle for a 3-yard score with 2:48 left in the first, capping a drive that began at the 14-yard line, courtesy of McNally's blocked punt.
Greenfield's 47-yard touchdown run put Miller Place on the board with 5:53 left in the first quarter. That play was preceded by Osman's 49-yard burst. "Credit goes to the offensive line," Osman said. "I love those guys. That's our team."
In keeping with the theme of turnovers-to-touchdowns: Gray found Greenfield on a wheel route that went 58 yards up the left sideline to make it 35-0 with eight seconds left in the second quarter. That, after Austin Yezarski's interception snuffed a promising Falcons drive.
"We did exactly what we expected," Greenfield said. "We wanted to dominate and set a tone for the rest of the season."
Deer Park's Tyler Pierre, a sophomore lineman, suffered a right leg injury late in the fourth and was carried off on a gurney.
