14-year-old QB McKee throws for 8 TDs in Oceanside victory

Charlie McKee accomplished what most seniors can’t even fathom . . . and McKee is a freshman.

The 14-year-old set a Long Island record with eight touchdown passes and a Nassau playoff record with 30 completions (in 40 attempts) in Oceanside’s 62-33 win over Farmingdale in a Nassau Conference I semifinal on Saturday at Hofstra.

The eight touchdown passes broke the previous Long Island record of seven held by Seaford’s EJ Clark (1977), Lawrence’s Joe Capobianco (2011), North Shore’s Mike Flocarri (2014) and Sayville’s Jack Coan (2014).

McKee passed for 539 yards, but that, amazingly enough, is not a record. The record for passing yards is 541 by Capobianco in 2011.

“I just played my game,” said McKee, who led the Sailors into the Nassau Conference I championship game against Freeport. “I threw the ball to the guys, and the guys did great today. The line, I couldn’t even say how good they were.”

Jake Lazzaro, who caught a short pass and ran 80 yards for a touchdown on Oceanside’s third offensive play, also made Nassau playoff history with nine receptions for 309 yards and five touchdowns. The latter two are county records.

“We were so locked in and focused on trying to beat those guys. Nothing was to get records or anything,” Oceanside coach Rob Blount said. “Because honestly, we throw the ball. That’s what we do. It’s not like we changed anything.”

Oceanside (8-2) took a 34-6 lead on Lazzaro’s 7-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, but Farmingdale (7-3) was far from finished.

The Dalers’ Kevin Wilson rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and caught an 80-yard touchdown pass. Phil Krpata caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Nick Lundin late in the third quarter, cutting his team’s deficit to 41-26.

Both teams passed effectively despite windy conditions. The gusts were a concern entering the game, but Lazzaro said McKee was unaffected.  “The way he was throwing the ball today, it didn’t really matter,” he said.

McKee wasn’t a mystery when Blount handed him the starting job this fall. He was called up to varsity after Week 6 last year to learn from Tommy Heuer, who set records of his own as a senior, and the freshman hasn’t had many growing pains.

He showed the poise of a multi-year starter while passing with surgical precision. Whether the passes were underneath or over the top, McKee delivered accurately to an array of receivers.

Leo Alvarez caught two touchdown passes and John Natoli caught eight passes for 94 yards. Running back Thomas Flavin also had a touchdown reception.

“This system is for him,” Blount said. “He’s a drop-back passer and he does a great job distributing the ball . . . He’s 14 years old, but he played like a four-year veteran today.”

Lazzaro called McKee “one of a kind.” Blount called him “something special.”

You also could call him a record-holder.