On this day two years ago, Don Liotine ran roughshod over Greenport, leading the football team to a 38-21 win over the Porters. Liotine rushed for four touchdowns and 262 yards on 15 carries, for a impressive 17.5 yards per carry. The Bears jumped on Greenport early when quarterback Marco Masakayan connected with Tyler Hoegsberg on a 51-yard touchdown near the start of the first quarter. From there, the Bear offense racked up over 400 yards of offense en route to a convincing victory under the lights before a rowdy crowd at Buyers’ Park. Masakayan took some time to remember the game.
For one thing I was definitely nervous, but more so anxious considering it was my first football game back with the team since suffering the season-ending clavicle injury just the second game into my junior year. Expectations were already high for us, and I made sure my team was ready.
I remember the first TD pass was a fake flare route to Don, and I launched it to Tyler. As he crossed the end zone my hands went in the air and I ran up to him screaming, "THAT'S ONE!" Then right before the end of the half, I told Coach Ryan to run the same play, and it ended with the same result. This time seeing him on the sideline, holding up two, for our second TD score.
But honestly that wasn't even my favorite part. As Greenport started to climb back in it, it was jaw-dropping just being able to just give the ball to the best player in the league and watch him run for 262 yards and literally carry us to victory and so satisfying to yell, "THAT'S MY RUNNING BACK!" The best part was, that was only the first game of a historic season.
Don Liotine ran for 262 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries to lead Stony Brook (1-0) in Suffolk IV. Liotine's best run iced the game midway through the fourth quarter, when he took the snap out of the wildcat and turned up the sideline for a 91-yard score. That expanded Stony Brook's lead from 11 to 17, after Stony Brook's defense had forced a turnover on downs at the nine-yard line on Greenport/Southold's previous possession.
Liotine also had two touchdowns of 35-plus yards in the first half, giving Stony Brook a comfortable lead early on. Quarterback Marco Masakayan added seven carries for 47 yards, and hooked up with Tyler Hoegsberg for two long touchdown passes of 51 and 66 yards.~ Newsday
stonybrookbears.org 