The Glen Cove JV football team improved its record to three wins, one loss this weekend with an impressive 34 - 8 win over Sewanhaka. This year's team is led by captains Joe Heffernan, Corey Land and Fred Purnell. All three boys have been excellent leaders on and off the field for the Big Red. Glen Cove opened the season with a strong win over Great Neck North 32 - 6. Next came a tough 19 - 0 loss to a strong Plainedge squad. The third game was a convincing 20 - 0 win over Roslyn in which the game officials remarked that the sportsmanship and discipline showed by the Glen Cove squad was as good as they had ever seen. And just this past Saturday, Glen Cove won at Sewanhaka against a solid opponent.

This year's offense is led by a sophomore backfield of Heffernan at wing, Land at QB and Anthony Bellock at tailback. Rounding out the backfield sharing the fullback position are Vin Graziosi and Purnell. Bellock and Heffernan have been dominant offensive weapons with Graziosi and Purnell adding plenty of punch at the fullback position. Land at the QB spot has been the general of the offense coordinating the on-field attack. The offensive line is anchored this year by Rod Catano at center with Matt Troffa and Jacori Bonner at guards and Mike Norman and Dave Ayo at the tackle spots. This veteran "O" line has done a great job pushing opponents off the ball all year.

The defense this year is anchored up the middle by Heffernan at safety, Purnell, Garrett Landry, and Graziosi at middle linebackers and "D' tackles Chris Petkanis and Jon Theodorou. Sophomores Kurt Cornelis and Bellock have been solid at outside linebacker with veterans Bob Waring and Willie Lebron playing great at the cornerback position. Freshman Taliek Vasquez, Mike McCrindle, Alex Discala and Gerald Aparicio round out a defense that has allowed an average of only eight points per game.

A surprise strength of this year's team has been special teams. Players like Brian Monahan, Garrett Landry, Rob Nedbor-Gross, Tremain Chandler, Frank Mickens, Matt Rogers, Alex Discala, Mario Bucceri, Shawn Anderson, Kevin Basile, Travis Stern and Graziosi have come through with very solid performances.

Glen Cove will play Valley Stream South this Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the high school field. It should be a great game!

The Glen Cove varsity football season started the 2003 football season with back to back victories. On Saturday, Sept. 20 the Big Red traveled to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for a night game versus Great Neck North. A hard-fought first half ended in a 14-14 tie. GC's first TD of the 2003 season was recorded by fullback John Sebastiano. On the night Sebastiano scored 3 TD's and gained 90 yards using the wedge blocking of linemen Drew Beisler, Anthony Zavaro, Max Schneider, Mike Allevato and Brian Mahoney. Wingback Jiraj Hampton (82 yards) recorded GC's second touchdown going 12 yards behind the blocks of Beisler, Zavaro and Mahoney.

When the second half started the Big Red were without the services of captain Drew Beisler, enter senior guard Mike Morrison and senior defensive end Roberto Perez. The two seniors stepped in and the team didn't miss a beat. In fact the Big Red reeled off 30 consecutive points. The Big Red QBs and receivers got into the act. QB Cedric Steed threw a 7-yard scoring strike to split end Kevin Morales followed by QB Jesse Abrams pass to Sebastiano for a 2-point conversion. The offensive show was capped with a 72-yard run by tailback Mateo Ramos (108 yards).

Defensively the Big Red looked like a bunch of Red Fire Ants working together to devour ball carriers. The Blazers were forced into three turnovers as fumble recoveries were recorded by Eli Gooden, Hampton and Perez. Linebacker Brian Bianconi playing his first varsity game and scurried everywhere being part of at least 12 tackles.

Special teams at GCHS are always special and this game proved that true. Mateo Ramos set up a TD with a 40-yard punt return. Eli Gooden recovered a squib kick and along with Emanuel Pagan, Luigi Dattolo, Deshaun Cofield and the rest of the kick-off team kept the Great Neck Kick return team on their heels all night.

Game 2 of the 2003 season was at home, Thursday afternoon against the #3 seed Plainedge Red Devils. The #11 seed Big Red were predicted to go down easily against last year's county finalist. Upsets do happen here in the Cove and a loud home crowd saw the Big Red win in true underdog style. With 30 seconds on the clock and the ball on the Glen Cove 30 yard line QB Cedric Steed uncorked a long pass up the right sideline. The crowd held their breath as Eric Moser outjumped the Plainedge defensive back; when he came down with the ball, pandemonium broke loose as Moser raced the full 70 yards for the touchdown and eventual 16-12 victory.

Offensively the team went against a tough Red Devil defense. Running backs Ramos and Hampton bounced and weaved behind the blocks of the line and ends Kavanaugh, Garcia and Morales. The first play of the afternoon Ramos went 59 yards and ended up the day with 108 yards and a 9-yard TD run. Hampton had runs of 33 and 37 finishing with 87 yards rushing.

Defensively the team bent often but didn't break. Linebackers Justin Aviles, Pagan and Bianconi recorded many tackles behind the hard work of the defensive line of Zavaro, Perez, Garcia and Rossell. In addition to his big catch on offense Eric Moser came up big on defense forcing and then recovering a fumble inside the GC 5.

Special, special teams again starred for the Big Red. Kevin Morales had four booming punts forcing the Red Devils to start offensively from their own territory. Once again the kick off team shined, Cofield and Gooden recovered a second half squib kick.

The Glen Cove varsity football traveled to Roslyn on Saturday Oct.4 and spoiled the Bulldogs homecoming 46-19. Roslyn went ahead 12-8 at the beginning of the second quarter until Eric Moser ran the ensuing kick back 55 yards to the Bulldog 36. On the first play from scrimmage Mateo Ramos swept the right end and scored a 36-yard TD to put GC ahead 16-12. The Big Red then came out of the locker room on fire scoring four more touchdowns highlighted by Deshaun Cofield's 99-yard interception return. Seven different Covers put points on the boards. Mateo Ramos had three rushing TDs and one two-point conversion, Jiraj Hampton scored on a 33- yard run and also added a conversion, Eli Gooden broke a few tackles on his 20-yard run, Luigi Dattolo pounded in two two-point conversions And Justin Aviles had a conversion of his own.

Team offense spurred the Big Red to a 3-1 start. A solid offensive line, backs and receivers have all taken turns making key blocks that have enabled the Big Red to churn out rushing yards. In four games the team has not been held under 300 yards total offense, breaking the 400 mark vs Roslyn and Great Neck North.

This past Saturday the Big Red lost a heartbreaker to Sewanhaka HS 18-20. The offense still churned out the yards rushing for 263 yards and passing for an additional 73. Glen Cove ran 67 plays to the Indian's 33, controlling the ball in an effort to keep the explosive Sewanhaka offense off the field. Unfortunately the Big Red got inside the 5 twice and failed to come away with any points as the Big Red came up on the wrong end of the score for the first time this year.

Special team kudos need to go out to Rolando Tillman and Eli Gooden (big kick off tackles), Kevin Morales (flawless punting) and John Sebastiano (punt long snapper). The animal conversion team has now recorded 13 two-point conversions in 16 attempts, an unheard of ratio. Great job, guys.

Next week the varsity travels to Valley Stream South for its first ever meeting with the Falcons (the past 86 years GCHS has played every Nassau County high school football team except Friends Academy, East Rockaway and Massapequa). Special thanks to the parents and cheerleaders of the Big Red who waited for the varsity after the defeat to give them a rousing ovation.