Football: Corwin, Porters ‘D’ stand out in homecoming win

The defense did not rest.

No, it certainly wasn’t time for the Greenport/Southold/Mattituck football team to rest. If there is a chance of the Porters somehow securing one of the eight playoff berths from Suffolk County Division IV, it’s a sliver at best.

But that wasn’t even the point Friday night. It was a homecoming game, Senior Night, Spirit Day at Greenport High School and the final home game for a dozen Porters seniors at Coach Dorrie Jackson Memorial Field all wrapped in one.

One of the those seniors, Ev Corwin, seemed to have trouble digesting the thought of playing his final home game. At least when it all eventually sinks in, Corwin and his teammate can take comfort in that what transpired makes for a nice memory. Real nice.

Corwin ran for three touchdowns and Greenport’s defense shined in a 22-0 shutout of East Hampton/Pierson.

“Ev put it all out there this year, this week, and he put it all out there tonight, and the defense came up and attacked and was aggressive like I’ve been asking them all year,” said defensive coordinator John Tramontana.

And Greenport did this without the active involvement of two Porters: head coach Tim McArdle, who served a one-game suspension apparently for something he said to officials at last week’s loss to Center Moriches, and senior defensive end/tight end Hunter Anderson, who was injured in that game and taken to a hospital by ambulance. Both were present for the pregame Senior Night ceremony.

Anderson did not play, but was wearing his No. 42 jersey for the occasion. Tramontana, who ran the team in McArdle’s absence from the sideline, said Anderson is in “concussion protocol. Things are progressing nicely, and if all goes well, we’ll have him for the last game this season” Saturday at Mount Sinai.

Meanwhile, things went smoothly for Greenport (3-4), thanks in good part to the video-game-like moves of Corwin, a human highlight film. Corwin’s first two touchdown runs of the night were identical — 4-yard sweeps around the left end that spotted Greenport a 13-0 lead by the time there were 5 minutes, 8 seconds left in the first half.

On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Corwin flew up the middle before speeding outside to the right and going 48 yards for a score. It was vintage Corwin.

“When I get that ball in my hands and I see open field, man, I just smile,” he said.

Of course, Corwin’s 142 yards from 17 carries came with some had help from his friends. People like Dom Giovanniello, Diego Giron, Julio Coc Thomas, Franklin Mastrangelo, Scott Ferguson and Jay Tramontana threw blocks for him.

As great of an offensive force as Corwin is, he may be just as good on defense. He delivered the hit of the night, if not the season — a bone-crunching but legal hit on Mike Hill (23 carries, 111 yards) early in the fourth quarter. Corwin made five tackles and had one of Greenport’s two interceptions (the other was by Will Fray).

“It’s unbelievable watching him,” Greenport linebacker Brendan Syron said of Corwin. “He’s so fast and he hits like a truck.”

Syron had one of Greenport’s three sacks. Jay Tramontana (seven tackles) had one and Danny Breen (six tackles) and Luke Newman (six tackles) shared the other.

“That’s what we really pride ourselves on, honestly,” Corwin said. “We love to get out there and hit. That’s what we do.”

Stephano Marfoglia had three sacks for East Hampton (2-5), which this past spring returned to varsity football after sitting out the previous three seasons because of low numbers.

Greenport held East Hampton to 170 yards of offense, all on the ground. In fact, of the 10 combined passes thrown by the teams, Greenport’s Rudy Bruer made the game’s only reception.

“Everybody just showed up and I don’t even know what to say,” Syron said. “Everybody just did amazing.”

“No regrets at all,” said Breen who agreed with a couple of teammates that this was Greenport’s best showing of the season. “We went all out, honestly.”

Before the game, Corwin took time to appreciate the moment before him.

“I sat in that locker room [before the game] and I really thought for the last time like this is it, man,” he said. “There’s not many more times you get putting these pads and helmet on, so I just wanted to make the best of my last time” on the home field.

Mission accomplished.