It was a happy Babylon homecoming which began with the traditional team breakfast gathering for players, cheerleaders, coaches and parents. This year’s hosts were Tom and Kathy Reynolds. The parade blended nicely with the Babylon Merchants Fair and the Post Office Run. The Homecoming king and queen were Glenn Vickers and Jamie Gonzalez and the sophomore class had the winning float. The Boosters held their annual postgame gathering. Black and orange were everywhere.

The game crowd went home happy as the Panthers edged the Knights of John Glenn, 14-12 in a tight battle. The first quarter went to Glenn. A pair of sacks by Otto Kraatz got the Knights off to a quick start. Their first score came on a 63-yard drive in five plays. Quarterback Brendan Bokrash passed for eight and ran for seventeen, getting the Knights into Panther turf. Two plays later from the Babylon 35, he fired deep to Karon Williams on a fly down the left sideline for the score. The extra point kick attempt was blocked by the Babylon line. Following a sack by Panther linebacker Martin Pusey, the Knights recovered and threatened again, driving to the Babylon 14. But the defense stopped the attack and Glenn’s try for a 31-yard field goal went wide to the left and short.

The Panthers sprung right back, going eighty yards in thirteen plays. They took the ball to the Glenn 26, but a sack by Greg Buonavita and a procedure penalty set them back to the 32. On fourth down, quarterback Craig Condra tossed a left hitch lateral to Drew Peters. As the defense came up to meet the play, Peters gunned to a waiting, open Brandon Schultheis who trotted it in for the touchdown. Condra added the first of his two extra points and Babylon led 7-6. He followed with a kickoff into the end zone to put the Knights well back in their own territory and a sack by Paul Lopez kept them there. Condra’s kickoffs (another beyond the end zone) and punting (with excellent coverage) continued to push Glenn back throughout the game.

Early in the second half, the Panthers found themselves in good field position at the Glenn 35. They reached the 24 on runs by Jon Carr and Rich Laurich. From there, Condra drilled a left hitch to Peters who ran ahead, scraped right, eluded the defense and slanted across field to the near right corner of the end zone for the TD.

Glenn gained some momentum in the final period. They moved to the Babylon 14 and Bokrash found Onyi Momah in the end zone. Momah tipped the ball up and made a fine catch, but the play was called back as an ineligible receiver was downfield. Momah did score three plays later, slashing in from the 1. But on the two point conversion attempt, Bokrash’s pass to Momah was broken up by Panther linebacker Trevon Rodney. Babylon’s ball control ate up most of the remaining clock. Glenn’s last ditch attempt was stopped when Chris Casciola intercepted a long pass at midfield to end the game.

Statwise for Babylon, tailback Rodney rushed for 92 yards on nineteen carries. Ends Peters and Schultheis had two receptions apiece for a total of 75 yards and two TDs. Backs Carr and Laurich ran for a total of 54 yards. Bokrash was 8 for 27 with 157 yards passing for Glenn.

Babylon has a bye this week and plays on October 28 at Mt. Sinai.

(See page 8 for more local sports)