Friday football: Bayside 19, Salem 14

By Chic Reibel

Force-fed a steady diet of running teams through the first four games of the season, the Bayside defensive backs had been involuntarily fasting.

The Marlins' secondary had to settle for plugging holes, tackling the occasional runner who got through the line of scrimmage and shadowing receivers who would never see the ball.

But that all changed Friday night when fourth-ranked Bayside took on resurgent Salem at the Sportsplex.

"We were excited because we knew they had thrown nine interceptions and were going to air it out," junior defensive back Demetrious Nicholson said. "We've been waiting all year for this. We know we've got great DBs."

And they showed it. Playing like ravenous wolves, the Marlins picked off three passes, including a game-saver by Nicholson and another that was returned for a touchdown by Anthony Cooper, as they held off Salem 19-14. Bayside improved to to 5-0 overall and in the Beach District for the first time since 2000.

Nicholson's second pick came in the end zone with 1:45 to play and the SunDevils (3-3, 3-3) driving for the potential winning score. He out leaped two players for the ball.

"They did some kind of criss-cross and we were in a zone and I read it," said Nicholson, a 5-foot-11 junior. "The quarterback looked that way. I knew I had to make the play and I did."

Cooper's interception, which came on Salem's third offensive play, opened the scoring. The 6-0 sophomore plucked the ball at the Bayside 42 and weaved 58 yards for a touchdown.

"It was a play-action pass," he said. "The first time they did it, we didn't cover the tight end. They came back with the same play. I knew it was coming, so I went over the top and got it."

That wasn't even Cooper's most spectacular play. In the second quarter, with the score tied at 7-7 thanks to a 63-yard punt return for a TD by Salem's Mike Jeffrey, Cooper caught a hitch pass from Deion Stitt about 5 yards downfield, absorbed a brutal hit, then broke away for a 73-yard score despite the presence of three other defenders at the point of the initial contact.

"I got nailed, but the dude forgot to wrap up and I got loose," Cooper said. "I saw a whole bunch of guys there, but I saw an opening and I took it."

Bayside stretched its lead to 19-7 with 5:07 left in the third quarter after Lamar Jordan capped a five-play Marlin drive from the SunDevil 25 with a 6-yard run. Nicholson set up the score when he partially blocked a Salem punt from the end zone.

Notable stats: Bayside - Jordan 20-93, 1 TD rushing; Cooper 3-94, 1 TD receiving. Salem - Jackson 16-56, 1 TD rushing.