Hewlett Senior Quarterback Andrew Cohen
By Marcus Henry
Hewlett quarterback Andrew Cohen can't wait for the season to begin. After all, his Bulldogs came out of nowhere last year as the sixth seed and made the playoffs after posting a 5-2 regular season mark.
This season Hewlett, the third seed in Nassau Conference II, won't be sneaking up on anyone. But that hasn't stopped the senior quarterback from thinking his team could be the last ones standing in the end.
"I definitely think [making the county championship] is a realistic goal," Cohen said. "Elmont's a good team and so is Garden City, but we definitely have a chance."
Adding to Hewlett's chances of a title is the lack of depth in Conference II. Lou Andre's powerful Lawrence team moved down to Conference III, while MacArthur moved up to Conference I. Add to that South Side's move to Conference III and you have a division that could be there for the taking.
"Losing Lawrence and MacArthur and South Side can only help the other teams in the conference," Cohen said. "I definitely think there are a good four or five teams that have a chance of winning the whole thing."
Hewlett coach Jay Iaquinta said he likes what he has seen from his team so far, especially on offense.
"The skill players are where we thought they would be," Iaquinta said. "We have an honorable mention All-County quarterback, an All-Conference fullback and an All-Conference wing back returning."
Overall, Iaquinta thinks his squad wil be in the mix. "We were seeded third and that's probably where we should be seeded," Iaquinta said. "The two teams above us [Elmont, Garden City] are beatable and there's certainly two teams below us that are capable of beating us."
But as confident as Cohen and the rest of the Bulldogs are, nothing is guaranteed, especially considering the fact that Hewlett must replace four starting offensive linemen from last season. Hewlett's only returning starter on the offensive line, Glen Gobetz, is moving from tackle to center. It is an important move for a team that runs the triple option.
"In the triple option every little thing has to work. Every read, every block," Cohen said. "The thing I'm telling everyone is to think about every step of the offense. Make the blocks you have to make. If you make the blocks, the running backs will run."