On this day 13 years ago…

Since Stony Brook entered Section XI in 1973, the football team had never made the playoffs, but 24 years of frustration finally came to an end as the Bears defeated Bayport-Blue Point, 27-7, before a packed crowd on the old Fitch Field bleachers. Both squads came into the game at 5-2 and needed a win to avoid elimination, an identical situation to one nearly two years ago to the day when the Bears fell to the Phantoms, 54-34, on November 11, 1995.

After a 0-0 opening frame, the Phantoms took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter. Chris Drew tied the game for the Bears with a 10-yard touchdown run. The watershed moment of the battle came in the third quarter with Bayport possessing the ball at midfield. Defensive standout, Jon Marvin, stripped the ball from a Phantom and returned it 15 yards. Five plays later, the Blue and White took a 13-7 lead on a 16-yard strike from Derek Kenney to Drew. After another 10-yard scoring run from Drew, the Bears finally put the game out of reach when Kenney hit Sean Metz for a 70-yard touchdown late in the second half. After one of the most important victories in Stony Brook football history, Coach Steve Diehl was on the receiving end of a Gatorade bath to the delight of the Stony Brook players and fans.

First for Stony Brook

Almost 30 years. That's how long the Stony Brook football team has been waiting to play past the regular season. Since the Bears began play in Section XI, they have never made it to the postseason.

That streak ended yesterday.

Quarterback Derek Kenney ran for 57 yards and threw for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 4-for-10 passing as Stony Brook (6-2) captured its first playoff berth with a 27-7 victory over Bayport-Blue Point in Conference IV. The loss eliminated Bayport-Blue Point from the playoff hunt.

"It's a great achievement and we're just happy to be in the playoffs," Stony Brook coach Steve Diehl said. "[Bayport-Blue Point] played a great game. They kept coming at us."

The Phantoms (5-3) took a 7-0 lead two minutes into the second quarter. The game's turning point came in the third quarter later as Bayport-Blue Point reached midfield but Jon Marvin stripped the ball and returned it 15 yards through gridlock traffic. The turnover resulted in the Bears taking a 13-7 lead five plays later on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Kenney to running back Chris Drew (65 yards on eight carries). Drew also scored on a pair of 10-yard touchdown runs and Kenney hit Sean Metz on a 70-yard touchdown pass.

~ Newsday

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