It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Ward Melville had no problem doing just that on Friday. They came out on top against the Longwood Lions by a score of 14-7. The score was all tied up 7-7 at the break, but the Patriots were the (much) better team in the second half.
Joey Benedetto was his usual excellent self, rushing for 186 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.2 yards per carry.
Ward Melville was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 291 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in September of 2023.
The win was the third in a row for Ward Melville, bringing their record for this year to 9-1. Those victories were due in large part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 11.3 points per game. As for Longwood, the loss snapped their winning streak at eight games and leaves them with a 8-2 record.
Ward Melville will challenge William Floyd at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Ward Melville's defense has only allowed 13.2 points per game this season, so William Floyd's offense will have their work cut out for them. Longwood does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
