There were a number of reasons why the 11-year-old Hicksville Crusaders lost their playoff game against the Uniondale Knights, but lack of effort was certainly not one of them. On this particular Sunday, the Crusaders simply got outplayed. The final score of 24-0 did not tell the whole story however.
Hicksville’s defense fought magnificently throughout the first half. Alex Pierce had a fumble recovery and Tom Fleming, Nick Austin and Ryan McBride all made important defensive contributions. Vincent Barretta grabbed his first interception of the season. Just before the half came to an end, Uniondale scored but was unable to convert.
In the second half quarterback Peter Capel did all he could to attack Uniondale’s defense, but a number of holding calls were his undoing. After a short drive, the Knights scored again.
The Crusaders fought their way down the field. An outstanding run by Julian Franco and a 15-yard completion to T.J. Delfino put the ball on Uniondale’s 15-yard line. Unfortunately a Crusader turnover gave the ball back to Uniondale. Two plays later, Sean Lewis recovered a Uniondale fumble. The Crusaders, with their “never give up” attitude on full display, continued to fight on but just did not have enough left in their tanks to endure.
It would have been an upset of massive proportions for the fourth-place Hicksville Crusaders to beat the previously undefeated Uniondale Knights. Though they could not pull it off, this team made their fans proud because of the way they fought in this game and for that matter throughout the entire season.
As the years go by and these young boys grow into manhood, they will most likely look back and reminisce about this exciting period in their lives. Although the players may not understand it now, there will come a time when they will realize how special it was to be a Hicksville Crusader “One Heart.”
