Lynbrook Wins County Championship

On a frigid Friday night at Hofstra's Stuart Stadium, Nassau Conference III's top-seeded Lynbrook Owls knocked off the No. 2 Lawrence Golden Tornadoes, 39-14, to win their first county title since 1992.

Lynbrook running back Travis Lock had a monster game, rushing 28 times for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Paul Magloire had three touchdowns of his own, and rushed for 88 yards. Lynbrook's defense held Lawrence scoreless in the second half.

"It feels great," Lynbrook coach Steve Locicero said of the win, which avenged a loss to Lawrence in the county title game last year. "The Lynbrook community did a great job rooting for these kids. To bring a championship back to this community is very special."

After a scoreless 1st quarter, Lock ran for a 24-yard touchdown just five seconds into the 2nd quarter. The 2-point conversion attempt failed, so the Owls went up 6-0. Lawrence answered three minutes later with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back Ryan Fredericks to put the Golden Tornadoes up 7-6.

Lawrence caught Lynbrook sleeping on the ensuing kickoff, recovering the onside kick at Lynbrook's 47-yard yard line. Luckily for the Owls, they got the ball back just two plays later after recovering a Lawrence fumble, and Lock eventually made his way into the end zone on a 9-yard run to put Lynbrook back on top, 14-7.

But again, Lawrence came right back. Quarterback Samson Bialostok found an open Seiddrik Ervin for a 26-yard touchdown pass to even the score at 14, and it looked as if the two teams would head be tied at halftime.

But with just eight seconds left in the half, Lynbrook quarterback Paul Magloire ran for 1-yard touchdown. After a failed extra point attempt, the Owls were up 20-14.

At the start of the second half, Bialostok led Lawrence to Lynbrook's 8-yard line, a drive highlighted by a 30-yard pass to Fredericks on a critical 3rd and 27. But Lynbrook's defense stopped them short of the end zone, taking over on downs at its own 4-yard line.

Three minutes later, Lock capped an eight-play, 93-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run, giving Lynbrook a 26-14 lead.

Still very much alive with a little over three minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Lawrence tried to battle back. But on its next two possessions, Bialostok was intercepted twice by Lynbrook's Luke Spitzer, with the second pick leading to a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Paul Magloire, his second of the game.

Magloire added another touchdown, a 4-yard run, with 5:41 left in the game, to give the Owls a commanding 39-14 lead.

The Lynbrook crowd went bezerk in the game's final seconds, and Locicero was treated to a Gatorade shower at the hands of his players.

Standing on the sidelines, Superintendent Dr. Santo Barbarino pointed to the young team and said, "The last time this happened, they weren't born."

Lynbrook will take on Suffolk County champion Sayville for the Long Island championship on Nov. 26 at Hofstra.