Coaches Corner: Defense unable to stop the run in loss to Westhampton

Week 2 of the 2017 season didn’t go as Coach Madden planned. The Colts were soundly outplayed in all three phases in a disappointing 33-7 loss to Westhampton. The Hurricanes star running back Dylan Laube rushed for 216 yards on 25 carries and also had a 92 yard punt return for a touchdown in the game. The Colts lone touchdown came in the first quarter courtesy of senior wide receiver Jeff Terry. Unfortunately for the Colts that’s all of the points they would get as they were shutout in the second half. The loss drops the Colts to 1-1 in their conference as Westhampton moves to 2-0.

Earlier in the week I sat down with Coach Madden for his weekly interview. Here it is:

Your team is coming off a 22-6 win in last weeks opener vs. Comsewogue. What stood out to you about your teams performance?

I think our defense did a really great job against their offense. Their offense runs a Wing T which involves a lot of misdirection and our defense did a really great job reading their keys and keeping the game very small.

This week you guys have Westhampton at home. What can you tell us about them?

They’re also a Wing T team. They have maybe one of the best players on Long Island on their team in their running back (Dylan Laube), so we have to make sure we read our keys and do a good job there. Offensively, I think we need to take advantage of what their defense gives us and play more as a unit while focusing on being less selfish and more together.

Your defense was exceptional last week led by your captain, Jimmy Regateiro and sophomore Joey Venezia who combined for 16 tackles and 5 sacks. Talk a bit about their performance and what they bring to the team.

I think that what they do in practice is an example for the rest of the team. They work that hard in practice every single day. There’s no difference from what you saw on Saturday than what you see throughout the week. I think it’s a good thing for the rest of the boys to understand that that’s just what they do. They play hard every single day, so that when game day comes it’s no different.

Establishing a running game is very important, especially at the high school level. Talk about what Deyvon Wright and your offensive line bring to the table very week.

Deyvon when he wants to be, could be a dynamic player but he needs to really work on his consistency mentally, so he can be the best version of himself. Our offensive line is a work in progress and they’re going to keep getting better every single day. They’re very coachable kids, so we’re hoping that they can take the next step as far as being a solid unit.

I understand you were honored by the Suffolk County Legislature this past Sunday. Can you tell me about it and what it means to you?

It was very nice. I got an honor by the New York Giants as a coach of the week and the County Legislature Steve Stern came to the game on Saturday which was awesome. He recognized me in front of everybody and announced that it (9-9-17) was Kyle Madden Day which was a really cool experience. It’s a testament to my assistant coaches, all the parents and all of the great players that we have coached last year and over the years.

Douglas Lattuca

Assistant Sport Editor