TJ Wakely scores two of his three touchdowns on special teams in Carey's victory
Carey's TJ Wakely (16) scores after scooping up a New Hyde Park blocked punt during a Nassau Conference II football game in New Hyde Park on Thursday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
When TJ Wakely and his teammates capitalize on special teams, the results are just that.
Wakely, Carey’s 6-1 plug-and-play senior, scored three touchdowns in the Seahawks' 35-12 Nassau II win over host New Hyde Park on Thursday.
He scored on a blocked punt return, a 85-yard kickoff return and a 30-yard rush for Carey (3-0).
“It’s just as important as playing offense and defense,” Wakely said of special teams. “The blocked punt we had early in the game really set the tone for the rest of the game and put us up another touchdown.”
Wakely returned the blocked punt 35 yards for a touchdown to put Carey ahead 14-6 with 6:46 to play in the second quarter. Carey coach Mike Stanley said the Seahawks have blocked a punt in each of their three games so far this fall.
Will Tolliver, who rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, scored from 4 yards with 39.2 seconds left in the first half and put Carey ahead 21-6 before Wakely struck again.
Wakely found an open seam on the second half’s opening kickoff and expanded Carey’s lead to 28-6 before New Hyde Park (1-2) could settle into the third quarter.
“Those are game changers,” Stanley said. “Back-breakers for them and game-changers for us.”
New Hyde Park’s Aidan Garvey rushed for 130 yards and completed 8 of 13 passes for 123 yards with two total touchdowns. Garvey tossed a 30-yard scoring pass to Matt Muntzenberger in the second quarter and rushed for a 20-yard score with 5:47 left in the third quarter.
Christian Boswell hit Billy Koutsoumbaris in stride down the left sideline for a 15-yard touchdown to put Carey ahead 7-0 in the first quarter. Ben Rose added 27 rushing yards, Justin DiPietro and Matthew Smith each had a sack and Ali Jouida recovered a fumble.
But Tolliver, who’s rushed for a touchdown in each of Carey’s three wins this season, put the game away once the Seahawks had a lead.
Tolliver extended six of his 12 total carries for 10 or more yards and averaged 14 yards per carry on five rushes in the second half.
“I’m glad they trust me to be able to put the game away,” Tolliver said. “Our offensive line did their job. It’s all on those guys, we just followed behind them.”
“What we’re doing now is we’re kind of spreading it out," Stanley added. "But (Tolliver's) a pretty good guy to go to when you want to try and ice it.”
