Colts Thunder To 5-0 Record
/By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com
The new scoreboard that towers over the turf field at Half Hollow Hills High School West has been alight with some impressive scores this season as the Colts football team has played their way to an undefeated record.
The Colts are currently tied atop the standing in Suffolk Division 3 with a 5-0 record. The Colts’ unbeaten record has earned them the number two ranking in Newsday among small schools Island-wide.
Hills West’s latest victory came last Saturday when they traveled to East Islip and shut out the Redmen on their home turf.
All of the scoring action took place in the first half of the game, with both defenses finding a strong foothold in the second.
Senior running back Sadiq Hinds was the feature back for the Colts in the game, and he asserted his strong running style early. Hinds broke a 70-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give Hills West a 7-0 lead. Hinds had a total of six rushing attempts in the game for 93 yards.
In the second quarter, senior quarterback Gerald Filardi led Hills West on two scoring drives that were each capped off with a big play. Filardi complete four passes for 84 yards.
First, Filardi completed one of his eight passing attempts to junior running back Justin Brown. The catch was Brown’s only of the day, but he made it count. Brown took the pass 55 yards into the end zone to give the Colts a 14-0 lead.
Brown also had eight rushing attempts in the game for 20 yards.
Next, senior running back Deyvon Wright once again showed how elusive he could be in the open field when he turned his only rushing attempt into a 40-yard touchdown run. The touchdown put the Colts firmly in charge of the game with a 21-0 lead at halftime.
The Colts defense came out in the second half determined to protect the lead on the road.
Senior linebackers Michael Carrubia and Jake Cetta each had eight tackles in the game, and Carrubia also managed two pass deflections.
Junior Joey Venezia and Senior Cedric Gordon were each able to beat the East Islip offensive line for two sacks.
Filardi also stepped up on defense late in the fourth quarter with an interception to stop the Redmen from scoring and preserve the shut out and 21-0 victory for the Colts.
Half Hollow Hills West will look to keep their unbeaten steak alive on Saturday when they host Westhampton at 1 p.m.