On This Day in History | 2012

Masakayan carries the ball vs. Greenport, the week before (Photo credit: Bruce Jeffrey)
Masakayan carries the ball vs. Greenport, the week before (Photo credit: Bruce Jeffrey)

On this day two years ago, the football team had one of the most miraculous wins in school history in a wild comeback under the Buyers’ Park lights.

Trailing 6-14 against East Hampton with less than one minute remaining, the Bears needed a big play and, as always, they turned to Don Liotine to make it. Quarterback Marco Masakayan handed the ball off to Liotine who faked the run and instead threw a halfback pass to Tyler Hoegsberg who took it into the end zone untouched, cutting the deficit to 12-14. The Bears went for the tie on the two-point conversion and Liotine answered the call once again, running it in to level the game.

With the prospect of overtime looming, the visiting Bonackers took over with just over 30 seconds remaining. Just a few plays into the drive, Austin Hulse intercepted a pass and took it all the way back for a touchdown, vaulting the Brook into an improbable lead, and sending the fans in Buyers’ Park into a state of delirium. East Hampton got the ball back with less than 30 seconds remaining, but the Stony Brook defense held, giving the boys in blue a thrilling 20-14 victory.

Liotine finished with 254 all-purpose yards including 118 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Masakayan finished with 117 passing yards and 107 rushing yards on 10 carries. Liotine remembered the final moments of the epic game:

I remember getting the call for the halfback pass and being so pumped to see if it would work--obviously it did. The corners were so worried about stopping the run they had no clue that Hoegsberg was running free. On defense on that final drive, I knew we were gonna need a big stop. When Hulse caught that interception I don't think I ever ran so fast to lead block for him. I made one block on the 10 and watched him cross the goal line. The rush of adrenaline was crazy.

Bear Paw Thumbnail

Leave a comment! GO BEARS!