Football: Blue Waves’ rally falls short on homecoming against East Islip

Despite two scores in a 58-second span in the fourth quarter, Riverhead could not overcome a 21-point deficit and dropped a 21-14 Division II decision to East Islip Saturday afternoon to spoil its homecoming. 

East Islip (4-2) avenged a last-second playoff loss to the Blue Waves (4-2) in last year’s Suffolk County championship game.

Junior Ryun Moore’s 95-yard kickoff return and the first of Nico Bossey’s two extra points sliced the visitors’ lead to 14 points with 9:19 remaining in the fourth quarter at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field.

On the Redmen’s next possession, defensive tackle Ethan Greenidge intercepted a screen pass and rambled 41 yards to cut the deficit to 21-14 with 8:21 left in the game.

The Blue Waves got the ball back with a chance to tie the game after Moore tackled quarterback Jack Hannigan on a fourth-and-one at the East Islip 41-yard line. But the Blue Waves could not cash in. East Islip cornerback John Sihpol produced his second interception of the afternoon on the Blue Waves’ next possession. Riverhead quarterback Kenny Simco was picked off three times.

East Islip had grabbed that 21-0 advantage on Hannigan’s 25-yard touchdown pas to Jack Piacenti on its first possession of the opening quarter, Justin Taveras’ five-yard run late in the third period and Hannigan’s two-yard run on its first drive of the final period. Piacenti converted all three of his extra points.

The Blue Waves host North Babylon at 2 p.m. next Saturday in their final regular-season home game of the season.