By Gary Haber Northport traveled to Half Hollow Hills East on Saturday, Oct. 3, and came within a field goal of knocking off the first-place RedHawks in a battle of undefeated Division II teams. Hills East’s Noah Reinstein kicked the game-winning 27-yard field goal in overtime to give the RedHawks a 17-14 win in the Town of Huntington’s fourth annual High School Army/Navy Game. Reinstein’s kick came on Hills East’s first possession in overtime after Northport’s 39-yard field goal attempt hit the upright and bounced out. Northport gave Hills East its toughest challenge of the season, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. It was the first points scored on the RedHawks all season. The Tigers’ first touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Gavin O’Brien to running back Tristan Magro. Northport’s second score came on an interception and 77-yard pick six by defensive back Ryder Maag. “We’ve got a good team,” Northport coach Pat Campbell said. “They play hard and they battle hard. We just came up about six inches short.” Hills East coach Alex Marcelin said he was pleased with his team’s all-around effort. “It was a total team effort,” he said. “We all made mistakes and we just found a way to win. That’s the name of the game. We did a great job working together and never getting down on each other and continuing to stay together.” “It’s not about shutouts,” Marcelin said. “It’s about winning football games.” “We needed this challenge,” he said. “We’ll get better from this.” Reinstein, who was 2-for-2 on PATs Saturday, said that when it came time for the winning field goal, he was prepared. “This whole game I was completely locked in,” Reinstein said. “I knew it was a big game and that I’d have to be ready to kick at any moment. I saw the ball and I just knew that I had it.” Both teams’ defenses prevailed in the first half, with neither team scoring before halftime. The game’s first points near the end of the third quarter after Hills East’s Kaylib Merchant intercepted a pass and ran the ball to the Northport 18-yard line. Tony Keahey Jr. then ran down to the 1-yard line and quarterback Vincent Banculli scored on a quarterback keeper to make the score 7-0. Hills East’s other touchdown came in the fourth quarter when Banculli connected with R.J. Peters Jr. on a 51-yard touchdown pass.
Half Hollow Hills East football edges Northport 17-14 in Army/Navy Game thriller
