No. 7 Sports Story of the Year: Title run comes to an end
It was a season of dramatic finishes for the Riverhead football team.
From Week 1, when the Blue Waves scored a last-second touchdown to defeat West Islip on a rain-soaked field in Riverhead, there was no shortage of tense moments. The highlight of the season came in Week 8, when the Blue Waves handed unbeaten Bellport a 9-7 loss with a blocked field goal in the final seconds. Played in a complete downpour, the game was a muddy mess, but the Blue Waves survived to clinch a top-four seed in the playoffs and give themselves a home playoff game.
Riverhead opened the postseason against Deer Park and won 23-6. Halfback Ryun Moore scored a pair of touchdowns in the win.
But the next week, on the road at Half Hollow Hills West, the Blue Waves were without Moore, who suffered a concussion. And the offense never could get on track as the Colts ended Riverhead’s season in the semifinals and put an end to the Blue Waves’ run for a third straight county title.
Top 10 Sports Stories
No. 10: A rejuvenated girls basketball program at Mercy
No. 9: Stars on the track
No. 8: A cross country state champion
