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Sports

West Football Tramples Colts, Clinches Playoff Spot

Bulls beat Hills West, 42-14, to win their third straight game.

Smithtown West continued to steamroll Division II opponents Friday night, clinching a spot in the Suffolk County playoffs with an emphatic 42-14 victory over Half Hollow Hills West at Robert W. Pratt Field.

The Bulls, who came into the game in seventh place in the division, won their third straight game and improved to 6-2 on the season with a chance to earn a Big Four championship by finishing among the division's top four teams, depending on the outcomes of a couple of other games this weekend.

The Bulls forced five turnovers and converted the first four into touchdowns to take control of the game. Leading by seven at halftime, the Bulls scored 21 unanswered points in the second half and have outscored the opposition 112-14 in their three-game winning streak.

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"It was huge," said junior James Pannell, who rushed for three touchdowns and gained 134 yards on 22 carries. "We played as if we lost, we weren't going to make it, and if we win, we're automatically in. We just didn't give up."

West prides itself on its aggressive play and that certainly was the difference on this night. "We were just playing with tenacity out there," said Pannell, who had one of the Bulls' two interceptions. "We knew if we played a physical game, we would like the outcome."

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Anthony Gatto ran for 78 yards on seven carries with a touchdown and caught three passes for 30 yards. Gatto also made the highlight play of the night when he deflected a pass by Colts quarterback Chris Busuttil at the goal line and caught it in the end zone for a touchdown, which gave the Bulls the lead for good in the second quarter.

Quarterback Kyle Keenan completed four of eight passes for 34 yards and ran for 27 yards, including a touchdown.

Smithtown West coach Pete Cerullo said Pannell, Gatto and Keenan give the Bulls some dangerous weapons. "Pannell and Gatto are two of the best athletes in Suffolk County," Cerullo said. "Keenan is playing D-I lacrosse … we've got athletes. You have players like that, it makes it easy for a coach."

Cerullo said the Bulls have been successful by controlling the flow of the game. "The defense has been playing strong, and that's been great for us," he said. "But the offense has been picking up, too. We're running the ball, controlling the ball. Kyle, when he throws the ball, his percentages are unbelievable."

Hills West took the opening kickoff to midfield and, running into a stiff wind from the north, marched 54 yards in nine plays, capped off by a two-yard touchdown run by Devante McFarlane. The extra point gave the Colts a 7-0 lead.

The Bulls went three-and-out but got the ball right back on a fumbled snap at the Colts 22. Two plays later, Pannell scored on a 13-yard run.

The teams exchanged punts, but the Bulls' kick, by Derrick Ladeairous, pinned the Colts back at their own two. Three plays later, Gatto scored on his interception for a 14-7 Bulls lead.

Busuttil fumbled the ball on the Colts' next possession, putting the ball at the Hills West 36. Five plays later, Pannell scored a touchdown from four yards out and the lead grew to 21-7.

Hills West, however, rallied to score a touchdown in the final minute of the second quarter. A 32-yard pass from Busuttil to Deven Williams set up Busuttil's four-yard scoring run that cut the Bulls' lead to seven.

Another Colts fumble led to the fourth Bulls touchdown midway through the third quarter. Neeko Marchand recovered the ball at the Bulls 42 yard-line. A 32-yard run by Gatto and a nine-yard run by Pannell led to Gatto's 16-yard touchdown run. The missed PAT made the score 27-14.

The Colts went three-and-out on a series that saw Ryan Mathie get a sack and deflect a punt. The Bulls took over at the 50 and scored five plays later on a nine-yard keep by Keenan. Gatto's two-point conversion upped the Bulls' lead to 35-14.

The Bulls tacked on a final touchdown after a short Colts punt. Pannell busted through the middle of the line for a 29-yard run, his third score of the night.

Both Pannell and Cerullo said the Bulls need to follow the same winning script in the playoffs.

"We've just got to keep playing smart, the defense has got to keep doing what they're doing, and we'll be successful in the playoffs," Pannell said.

"Our motto is just being more physical than the other team and playing great defense," Cerullo said. "We have enough skill positions on offense and a strong offensive line, to establish a running game and control the clock. That's what we have to do."

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