Long Beach Marines

LONG BEACH

Marines looking to land in playoff spot

By TONY BELLISSIMO

Long Beach fell a little short of reaching the Nassau Conference II playoffs last season, splitting its six games thanks in large part to a stingy defense. The Marines allowed a total of six points in their three wins, including a pair of shutouts, and lost onepossession games to Valley Stream Central and South Side. “In terms of record, the season didn’t go too great, but I thought we defi nitely played well and achieved a lot,” Long Beach head coach Scott Martin said. “We have a decent amount of kids coming back and when you’re seeded eighth like we are, you get four games against higher seeds and four against lower seeds. We have to take care of business against the teams below us and try to steal one of the others.” The Marines face a stiff challenge out of the gate at secondseeded MacArthur and close the opening half of the schedule at home against fi ve-time defending county champion Garden City. “We’re looking forward to getting back to a normal preseason and a full regular season,” Martin said. Senior captains Matt Grossman, Chris Buonocore and Owen Stark will be counted on to lead the playoff push. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Grossman is a returning starter at center and defensive tackle who Martin described as a “big, strong vocal leader who does a lot of the dirty work.” The coach added Grossman will play as many snaps on both sides of the ball as possible. Buonocore is a wide receiver/ safety with a combination of size and speed. He’ll lead the secondary along with senior Christian Tarsia. “Buonocore is a strong tackler who has a nose for the ball,” Martin said. “He wants to be involved in every contact play and understands our defensive coverages and offensive scheme.” Stark, who missed the second half of last season due to injury, is an explosive linebacker who’s going to be worked into the offense as a running back. “We expect Owen to make a ton of tackles and pressure the quarterback like he did last season,” Martin said. “We were just about to mix him into the offense when he got hurt. He has a chance to be our leading rusher.” Junior Jack Miller is a fullback type who can grind out tough yards and catch passes. He’s also a linebacker. “We haven’t used a fullback in about eight years but Jack fi ts the mold,” Martin said. Also in line for carries is junior Jeff Conway, who did some damage from the quarterback position out of the Wildcat formation last season. He scored the only touchdown of the game against Elmont in Long Beach’s 7-0 victory in Week 3 and scored twice the following week to lead a win over Kennedy. “Jeff is one of our top offensive players,” Martin said. “He runs hard and brings a competitive fi re.” Conway and fellow juniors Hayden Sofi eld and Jack Shields comprise the options at quarterback. Sofi eld led the team in passing attempts with 30, Martin said, and makes smart decisions. Shields, who is 6-foot, 225, was the JV starter. “It’s a good problem to have,” Martin said. “It’s possible we rotate all three and see who emerges.” In addition to Grossman up front, the Marines have senior tackle Justin Garcia and senior guard Jonathan Schurin returning with experience. Junior Jack Skarren could play offensive tackle or move to tight end. Senior Jozeph Umana and junior Ronald Washington will start or get signifi cant snaps. Up from JV, Martin is excited about the potential of junior Chip Bueher and sophomore Luke Hartman. Both are capable of making an immediate impact on one of both sides of the ball, he said. On special teams, junior kicker Matt Contreras can be a real threat, Martin said.

ington will start or get signifi cant Up from JV, Martin is excited about the potential of junior Chip Bueher and sophomore Luke Hartman. Both are capable of making an immediate impact on one of both sides of the ball, he said. On special teams, junior kicker Matt Contreras can be a real threat, Martin said.

OWEN STARK

Chris Buonocore

MATT GROSSMAN

Schedule

September 10 @ MacArthur 7:00 p.m. 17 @ Herricks 6:00 p.m. 25 Elmont 2:00 p.m. October 2 Garden City 3:00 p.m. 9 @ Roslyn 2:00 p.m. 15 Glen Cove 7:00 p.m. 23 @ V.S. Central 2:00 p.m. 30 Sewanhaka 3:00 p.m.

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Fri. Sept. 3 WEST HEMPSTEAD MALVERNE 7:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 4 North Shore CLARKE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 4 EAST ROCKAWAY SEAFORD 2:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 10 FREEPORT Westbury 5:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 10 KENNEDY HEWLETT 6:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 10 Division SOUTH SIDE 6:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 10 SEAFORD C.S. Harbor 7:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 10 LONG BEACH MACARTHUR 7:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 10 Locust Valley MALVERNE 7:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 MEPHAM CAREY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 CLARKE Carle Place 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 Massapequa EAST MEADOW 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 BALDWIN Garden City 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 V.S. SOUTH LYNBROOK 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 LAWRENCE Oyster Bay 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 CALHOUN SEWANHAKA 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 HEMPSTEAD Syosset 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 OCEANSIDE UNIONDALE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 ELMONT V.S. CENTRAL 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 V.S. NORTH WANTAGH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 11 North Shore WEST HEMPSTEAD 2:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 17 Hicksville FREEPORT 6:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 17 LONG BEACH Herricks 6:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 17 Farmingdale OCEANSIDE 6:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 Glen Cove BALDWIN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 Division KENNEDY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 WANTAGH Bethpage 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 CAREY CALHOUN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 MALVERNE CLARKE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 SEWANHAKA ELMONT 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 Westbury EAST MEADOW 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 Carle Place EAST ROCKAWAY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 LAWRENCE Friends Academy 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 V.S. NORTH HEWLETT 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 UNIONDALE HEMPSTEAD 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 LYNBROOK Manhasset 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 MEPHAM Roslyn 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 WEST HEMPSTEAD SEAFORD 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 MACARTHUR V.S. CENTRAL 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 18 SOUTH SIDE V.S. SOUTH 2:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 24 UNIONDALE Westbury 5:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 24 Plainedge SOUTH SIDE 6:00 p.m. Fri. Sept. 24 CLARKE WEST HEMPSTEAD 6:30 p.m. Fri. Sept. 24 HEWLETT WANTAGH 7:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 V.S. SOUTH KENNEDY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 Garden City CAREY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 OCEANSIDE HEMPSTEAD 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 EAST MEADOW Hicksville 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 SEAFORD LAWRENCE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 ELMONT LONG BEACH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 EAST ROCKAWAY Locust Valley 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 Bethpage LYNBROOK 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 Herricks MACARTHUR 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 Friends Academy MALVERNE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 Glen Cove MEPHAM 2:00 p.m.

Sat. Sept. 25 BALDWIN New Hyde Park 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 CALHOUN Roslyn 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 V.S. CENTRAL SEWANHAKA 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 FREEPORT Syosset 2:00 p.m. Sat. Sept. 25 Manhasset V.S. NORTH 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 1 WEST HEMPSTEAD C.S. Harbor 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 1 EAST MEADOW Farmingdale 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 1 LAWRENCE Island Trees 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 1 SOUTH SIDE Manhasset 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 1 KENNEDY Mineola 7:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 SEWANHAKA BALDWIN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 Herricks CALHOUN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 EAST ROCKAWAY CLARKE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 CAREY ELMONT 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 Garden City LONG BEACH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 WANTAGH Division 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 MACARTHUR MEPHAM 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 SEAFORD North Shore 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 Syosset UNIONDALE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 Plainedge V.S. NORTH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 HEMPSTEAD FREEPORT 3:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 Massapequa OCEANSIDE 3:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 LYNBROOK Roosevelt 3:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 New Hyde Park V.S. CENTRAL 3:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 2 HEWLETT V.S. SOUTH 3:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 8 Massapequa FREEPORT 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 8 Manhasset HEWLETT 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 8 Port Washington OCEANSIDE 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 8 SEWANHAKA Glen Cove 7:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 8 CAREY MACARTHUR 7:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 9 ELMONT Herricks 1:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 9 MEPHAM BALDWIN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 9 V.S. NORTH KENNEDY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 9 Plainview EAST MEADOW 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 9 North Shore EAST ROCKAWAY 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 V.S. SOUTH Floral Park 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 UNIONDALE Hicksville 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 MALVERNE LAWRENCE 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 LYNBROOK Mineola 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 CALHOUN New Hyde Park 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 LONG BEACH Roslyn 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 CLARKE SEAFORD 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 9 SOUTH SIDE WANTAGH 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 15 WEST HEMPSTEAD Locust Valley 5:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 15 Bethpage HEWLETT 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 15 Glen Cove LONG BEACH 7:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 15 ELMONT MACARTHUR 7:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 15 Carle Place MALVERNE 7:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Hicksville HEMPSTEAD 1:30 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 BALDWIN CALHOUN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 New Hyde Park CAREY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Port Washington EAST MEADOW 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Island Trees EAST ROCKAWAY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 V.S. CENTRAL Herricks 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 KENNEDY LYNBROOK 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Garden City MEPHAM 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 LAWRENCE North Shore 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Roslyn SEWANHAKA 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Floral Park SOUTH SIDE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 OCEANSIDE Syosset 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 FREEPORT UNIONDALE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Mineola V.S. NORTH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Roosevelt V.S. SOUTH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 16 Manhasset WANTAGH 2:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 22 EAST MEADOW OCEANSIDE 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 22 V.S. NORTH Bethpage 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 22 FREEPORT Farmingdale 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 22 CLARKE C.S. Harbor 7:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 Roslyn ELMONT 1:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 CAREY BALDWIN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 Glen Cove CALHOUN 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 MACARTHUR Garden City 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 Massapequa HEMPSTEAD 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 HEWLETT LYNBROOK 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 KENNEDY Manhasset 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 MEPHAM New Hyde Park 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 EAST ROCKAWAY Oyster Bay 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 UNIONDALE Plainview 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 WANTAGH Plainedge 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 SOUTH SIDE Roosevelt 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 MALVERNE SEAFORD 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 Herricks SEWANHAKA 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 LONG BEACH V.S. CENTRAL 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 Mineola V.S. SOUTH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 Friends Academy WEST HEMPSTEAD 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 23 Locust Valley LAWRENCE 4:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 29 OCEANSIDE FREEPORT 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 29 HEWLETT Mineola 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 29 Bethpage SOUTH SIDE 6:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 29 SEAFORD Island Trees 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 29 C.S. Harbor EAST ROCKAWAY 7:00 p.m. Fri. Oct. 29 V.S. SOUTH Division 7:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 Roosevelt KENNEDY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 V.S. CENTRAL CAREY 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 Garden City ELMONT 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 WANTAGH Floral Park 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 Carle Place LAWRENCE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 SEWANHAKA LONG BEACH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 CALHOUN MEPHAM 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 MACARTHUR New Hyde Park 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 MALVERNE North Shore 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 HEMPSTEAD Plainview 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 BALDWIN Roslyn 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 EAST MEADOW UNIONDALE 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 LYNBROOK V.S. NORTH 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 Oyster Bay WEST HEMPSTEAD 2:00 p.m. Sat. Oct. 30 Locust Valley CLARKE 4:30 p.m.