Sports

Football: Simco, Moore power Riverhead past Smithtown East

Troy Trent and Raheem Brown celebrate during the Blue Waves' win over Smithtown East Saturday. (Credit: Robert O'Rourk)
Troy Trent and Raheem Brown celebrate during the Blue Waves’ win over Smithtown East Saturday. (Credit: Robert O’Rourk)

BLUE WAVES 39, BULLS 27

Riverhead quarterback Kenny Simco threw for three touchdowns and running back Ryun Moore rushed for two more as the Blue Waves defeated Smithtown West Saturday afternoon, 39-27, at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field. 

The Blue Waves tallied 357 yards of offense in what was a back-and-forth game for the first half before Riverhead took control in the second half.

Riverhead improved to 2-0 in Division II with the win over the preseason No. 3 seed.

The Blue Waves trailed three times in the first half, but came back each time to regain the lead. Simco threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Steven Reid with 7:23 left in the second quarter to give the Blue Waves a 22-21 lead, which they would never relinquish.

Smithtown East quarterback John Daniggelis scored on a 41-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter that brought the Bulls within five at 32-27. But the Blue Waves’ defense held firm the rest of the way, pressuring the quarterback and forcing several sacks in big spots. Troy Trent had a pair of sacks.

The Blue Waves put the finishing touches on the game when Moore scored from 3-yards out with 1:15 left. Moore carried the load for much of the second half on the ground. He finished with 144 yards on 29 carries.

Simco was 9 of 18 passing for 194 yards. Reid hauled in touchdown catches of 56 and 45 yards.

Riverhead opened the second half with an impressive drive that ate up more than seven minutes of the third quarter. Simco connected with Mark Andrejack for a 20-yard touchdown to cap the drive and put the Blue Waves ahead 32-21.

Kicker Nico Bossey, a junior, was 4-for-4 on extra points and kicked a 28-yard field goal with 31 seconds left in the second quarter.

The win was announced as the 100th for Riverhead under coach Leif Shay, although he said he was unsure if that’s accurate because there were three games toward the beginning of his career in which he couldn’t coach the team.

The Blue Waves travel to Smithtown West next Saturday for the first of three straight road games.

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