Football Overwhelms Pace on Homecoming, 58-0
Box Score
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Oct. 19, 2013) - Red-shirt junior quarterback Steven Laurino (Boise, Idaho) completed 12-of-19 for 177 yards and four touchdowns in the first half, as the LIU Post football team defeated Pace, 58-0, in Northeast-10 Conference action Saturday at Hickox Field in Brookville, N.Y.
After the Setters went three-and-out on their game-opening drive, red-shirt senior wideout Joe Botti (Holtsville, N.Y.) set up the Pioneers with tremendous field position, running a punt from the hosts' 44-yard line to the opposition's 39. Laurino then staged a seven-play, 39-yard series that was capped off by a one-yard pass, following a Pace pass interference call, to senior linebacker Rob Bright (East Meadow, N.Y.).
The Setters were forced to punt again on their next possession, but the snap sailed over the head of Reza Zoroufie (New Rochelle, N.Y.), who sent the ball out of play for a safety. That made it a 9-0 game.
Two plays after the subsequent free kick, the green and gold extended their advantage to 16-0. Laurino and Botti hooked up for a 42-yard touchdown pass.
Botti wouldn't be done just yet. During the ensuing LIU Post drive, the same duo connected for an eight-yard TD.
In the second quarter, the Pioneers continued to dominate. On their first series of the period, Laurino scampered for a seven-yard score to push the lead to 30-0. Three plays prior, Laurino found red-shirt junior wide receiver Kamron Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y.) for 26 yards on a 3rd-and-31 to make up most of the ground of a personal foul penalty by Sean O'Connor (Valhalla, N.Y.).
Red-shirt freshman tailback Mike Williams (Westbury, N.Y.) would succeed on the ensuing fourth-and-five conversion. An eight-yard completion from Laurino pushed LIU Post over the line of gain.
Later in the stanza, a 27-yard pick-six by freshman defensive back Clarence Sears (Montclair, N.J.), coupled with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Shane Hubbard (St. Albans, N.Y.), sent the green and gold into halftime ahead by a 44-0 count.
In the latter portion of the contest, red-shirt freshman signal-caller Matt Brennan (Sayville, N.Y.) hit Palmer for a pair of touchdown passes to wrap up all the scoring for the afternoon.
Red-shirt senior running back Joe Florio (Bayville, N.Y.) led the Pioneers' ground attack with 90 yards, off 14 carries. Palmer and Botti hauled in two TD's each. Defensively, senior Chris DiIorio (Holtsville, N.Y.) recorded a team-leading 12 tackles (six solo, six assist). In addition to catching a touchdown, Bright added nine tackles (three solo, six assist).
Head Coach Bryan Collins and his LIU Post squad are back in action next Saturday (Oct. 26) in South Easton, Mass. at NE-10 rival Stonehill. The opening kickoff is scheduled for noon.