Located in Rockville Centre, Molloy University is home to one of the premier NCAA Division II athletic programs in the East Coast Conference. Molloy is expanding its athletic offerings by introducing sprint football as its 23rd intercollegiate sport. The Lions will proudly compete as the newest member of the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL), with the inaugural season kicking off in fall 2024.
Molloy University combines academic excellence and leadership with personal mentoring in over 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral academic programs.
Here you’ll think about your future in a whole new way.
OPEN HOUSE Sunday, November 17 at 1 PM
TEAM INDEX
Baldwin Bruins ..................................
Carey Seahawks
Clarke Rams
East Rockaway Rocks
Elmont Spartans
Calhoun Colts ..................................
East Meadow Jets ..........................
Farmingdale Dalers .........................
Freeport Red Devils ........................
Hempstead Tigers
Hewlett Bulldogs
Kennedy Cougars ...........................
Long Beach Marines
Lawrence Golden Tornadoes
Lynbrook Owls ................................
MacArthur Generals .......................
Malverne Mules
Massapequa Chiefs
Mepham Pirates .............................
Oceanside Sailors
Plainedge Red Devils
Seaford Vikings ..............................
Sewanhaka Ravens ........................
South Side Cyclones
Uniondale Knights Valley
Seaford captured the Nassau Conference IV title in 2023. Photo by David Meisenholder
Rockaway
Dylan Martini Wantagh High School
Photo by Karen Millindorf
SMART CHOICE
Nassau Community College offers a full college experience with 20+ nationally ranked athletic teams, 80+ student clubs, and flexible routes to a college degree.
• Academic scholarships and career coaching
• Supportive community for student-athletes
• No tuition increases for the fifth year in a row
Many of our graduates transfer to distinguished four-year universities and launch careers in the professional sports and entertainment industry. So can you.
Starting Fall 2024
New Degrees in E-Sports Marketing and Sport Marketing
Join us for our Fall Open House Sunday, October 20, 2024 9:30 a.m.
By TONY BELLISSIMO
ABALDWIN
fter spending the past two seasons as Baldwin’s JV football coach, 1987 graduate Mike Robinson is the Bruins’ third head coach in four years and is looking to bring the program back to the level it was at not long ago.
“A lot of different emotions,” Robinson said. “I’m excited and nervous but also comfortable. We made the semifinals a few years ago under coach [Frank] Chimienti and JV also went 5-3, but last year was tough. We just want to be competitive and start building things back up.”
Baldwin won one game in Conference I in 2023 and is back in unfamiliar territory in Conference II. Ranked No. 10, the Bruins open their brand new turf field Week 1 against Sewanhaka. It’s also Homecoming, adding to the excitement and pressure.
“I mean, my first game as varsity head coach, new field and it’s Homecoming,” Robinson said. “Really not much more you can add to it. It’s a beautiful facility and we’re hoping the students and community come out and make it an incredible atmosphere, not just for the first game but every game.”
The Bruins had a solid offseason, Robinson said, including 7 on 7 drills with Malverne and Hewlett, and a scrimmage against Wantagh. “Our numbers are good and I’m hoping they get even better,” Robinson said. “The kids are working really hard and many have been in the weight room since March.”
On offense, Baldwin will go as far as dynamic senior quarterback Angel Johnson takes it. “He’s an All-County kid with loads and loads of talent,” Robinson said of the dual-threat signal-caller. “He’s an explosive athlete who can do it all. He’s had many 100-yard rushing games and can throw the ball
50-yards deep. He was nicked up a little last year and keeping him healthy is top priority.”
Protection for Johnson figures to be improved. Heading into the opener, two seniors and three juniors are projected to form the starting offensive line. Senior Matthew Feeney will be at center and senior Micah Ellerbe Jr., a beast at defensive end, could play tackle or guard. Juniors Andrew Parchment, Derek Coolbaugh and Jayden Young have varsity experience and primed to take their performance to another level, Robinson said.
“We definitely have potential to be good up front,” the coach noted. “Everyone has been working to get stronger and improve technique. I think size-wise, we’ll match up pretty good against just about everyone on the schedule.”
Leading the list of downfield targets for Johnson is senior Prosper Prawl, a wideout/cornerback Robinson knows quite well from his JV days two years ago. “He’s lightning quick with great hands,” Robinson said. “He’s a gamechanger who’s hard to cover. He’ll see some time in the backfield but is primarily a slot. He’s also our kick returner.”
Senior Jelani Williams got a taste of varsity action last fall after serving as the JV starting quarterback in 2022 under Robinson. He brings a high football IQ and will start at either running back or receiver as well as safety. “Jelani is like having a coach on the field,” Robinson said. “He’s a student of the game.”
Senior Amir Hanson is a running back/linebacker who can grind out tough yards but also has the ability to explode for long gains. He’ll be among the defensive leaders with Ellerbe, a disruptive force at end who’ll lead the pass rush. Feeney, who also punts, along with Parchment and Coolbaugh add to the defensive front’s strength.
“As the 10-seed, we know we
New era begins for Bruins
probably need can’t think too go from there.”
probably need 6 wins to get to the playoffs,” Robinson said. “We can’t think too far ahead though. We just have to focus on Sewanhaka for now and go from there.”
Schedule
September 14 Sewanhaka 2:00 p.m. 20 @ Glen Cove 7:00 p.m. 28 @ Roslyn 2:00 p.m. October 5 New Hyde Park 11:00 a.m. 10 Roosevelt 4:30 p.m. 18 @ Jericho 6:00 p.m. 26 @ Calhoun 2:00 p.m. November
2 MacArthur 11:00 a.m.
JALANI WILLIAMS
AMIR HANSON
MICHA ELLERBE JR.
Photos by Michelle Ebel
Prosper Prawl
By BRIAN KACHARABA
TCALHOUN
he Calhoun football team has gone 4-4 in each of the two seasons under head coach Nick Rawls, who has helped make the program markedly better after the Colts won a combined four games in the previous three campaigns. This fall, the team will try for its first winning season since 2017.
Calhoun made the playoffs in 2021 but fell just short last season in frustrating fashion after holding a lead at one point in three of its four losses. A 27-21 overtime defeat to cross-town rival Mepham and a one-point setback at MacArthur in the penultimate contest proved to be too much in the end.
Like many teams, the Colts lost several key playmakers to graduation. But Rawls believes that his returnees can lead them back to the postseason.
“Overall, I think we’re very optimistic about the season,” he said. “When you graduate talent, you have these guys who are staples, and they move on. But we’re very excited about the guys that we have coming back. And the guys who we have coming up from JV are really, really talented.”
There will be a competition to be the new starting quarterback between senior Anthony Landolphi and junior Tim Lynch. Landolphi has previous experience at the position, while Lynch has impressed with his throwing prowess.
“They both love the game,” Rawls said. “In his sophomore year, we pulled [Landolphi] up for a game or two and then last year, he was predominantly the backup. I can’t say enough positive things about him, especially his character.”
Senior Dom Di Rico is one of three returning players to record a touchdown in 2023 when he
had a 10-yard rushing score in the finale against Jericho. His leadership abilities resulted him being named co-captain along with Landolphi.
“Dom is just like Anthony Landolphi, every characteristic that you want,” Rawls said. “Those two guys have been working exceptionally hard. They’re all in [and] they’re leaders. They’re the ones if I need something done and I need it done ASAP, they get it done.”
Senior Devin Zimmerman also had a 32-yard scoring scamper that day and sophomore Nick Maresca can also receive some carries.
Senior twins Braden and Nick Garvey head a deep wide receiving corps which also features Joe Belbol, who caught a touchdown pass against Roslyn in last season’s opener, senior Jake Barletta, juniors Jake Baci and Brandon Myers and sophomore Andrew Licari.
The offensive line returns three starters in senior brothers Paul and Tom Sansano and senior center Ryan Hanlon, but there are plenty of candidates for the other two spots in seniors Carter Tenenbaum, Noah Kitatani and Matt Lawler, juniors Mason Accardi, Angel Molina, Thomas Rossi, and Richard PowersSanders and sophomore Arthur Cespedes.
Tenenbaum also anchors the defensive line at tackle. He had 12 tackles against Herricks on Sept. 30 and a sack and fumble recovery against Jericho.
“For his position, he is extremely quick and fast,” Rawls said. “He plays with a motor. Everybody loves him.”
Nick Garvey, Di Rico, and Landolphi head the linebacking corps, with the latter two recording interceptions last season. Hanlon is another candidate at linebacker as is senior newcomer Bobby Bello, who could also be slotted as a tight end/H-back hybrid.
Colts continue to improve
Baci, Licari, Brandon
well as senior
Baci, Licari, Brandon Garvey and Belbol are up for the defensive backfield spots as well as senior Nicky Senese and ‘fearless’ sophomore Joe Smith.
the schedule, includ-
The Colts, who are ranked seventh in Conference II, have three new opponents on the schedule, including Long Beach in the opener and Baldwin and Nassau II county-finalist Carey in the last two games.
“It’s a tough
schedule,” Rawls said.
“Those first four weeks are really trying with Long Beach and then Jericho, Mepham and MacArthur, so it’s definitely challenging and something that we’re looking forward to.”
or the first time since 2015, a team not named Garden City will be crowned Nassau Conference II football champion as the Trojans have taken their eightyear county reign to Conference III.
Carey, which went 9-2 last season and was runner-up to Garden City, seeks its first crown since winning a second straight title in 2014 and is seeded No. 1, followed by 2015 champ MacArthur and Long Beach.
“Nobody’s going to miss Garden City on the schedule,” head coach Mike Stanley said. “They’ve been so dominant. Let someone else deal with them for at least a year. Our conference is still going to be tough.”
An offense that features a mix of experience and first-year starters at the skill position will go as far as the front five takes it, Stanley noted. Four starters on the line return and there’s also plenty of size. Senior Richie Metzger, an All-County lacrosse goalie, centers a group with senior Ali Jouda and Sean McNamee at guard, and senior Howie Silverstein and senior Michael Lucsczynski, the lone new starter, at tackle.
“I really like the experience, size, confidence and leadership we have on the line,” Stanley said.
The unit is in the hands of senior quarterback Chris Obertis, who split time during the first half of last season and brings strong command of the offense and a quality arm. “Chris is very coachable and had a nice offseason,” Stanley said. “He’s a competitive athlete with an outstanding work ethic. He can make all the throws we need and get out of the pocket if he’s ever under pressure.”
The backfield lost a great deal of talent in Will Tolliver and Ben Rose, but Stanley can’t wait to see
what junior Joncarlo Carbone and sophomore Justin DiPietro can do as a tandem. Carbone is explosive with excellent vision and is the lightning to DiPietro’s thunder. The defense’s leader in tackles in 2023, DiPietro is a physical runner who’ll be difficult to bring down. “They’ll both get plenty of opportunities,” Stanley said.
There’s depth at wideout and it’ll be needed with no timetable for senior Mike Verderosa to return from injury suffered during lacrosse season. “Mike’s a returning AllCounty player we hope to have back sooner than later, but we’re not sure when,” said Stanley, who said Obertis won’t have a shortage of targets with seniors Billy Koutsoumbaris, speedster Max Wright and Christian Todaro leading the depth chart. “We have good experience with Billy and Christian, and Max is a game-breaking type of kid,” Stanley said.
The defensive scheme is a 3-5-3 and anchored by senior Matt Smith at nose guard, Jouda and Silverstein at the ends, DiPietro at middle linebacker, and Todaro and Verderosa in the secondary.
“Matt Smith was our most underrated kid last year and is an All-Long Island caliber nose guard,” Stanley said. “He’s so disruptive and is just a matchup nightmare.”
Smith, Jouda and Silverstein will spearhead the pressure on opposing quarterbacks, starting with Glen Cove’s in the opener.
DiPietro leads a linebacker group that includes Koutsoumbaris, a returning starter who covers a lot of ground outside. “I can’t say enough about Justin, he has quite a future,” Stanley said of DiPietro. Senior Luca Cirotti, who’s competing for a starting job, as are a pair of JV starters last fall, junior Zachary Montante and junior Mark Vera.
Todaro is a four-year starter
at cornerback.
some action last fall and could start on
Senior Christian Korszlowski saw some action last fall and could start on the opposite side with junior Tristan Hickis looking solid at safety during camp.
The Seahawks’ special teams legs are back as Koutsoumbaris handles punting duties and senior Josh Palomino is a proven kicker.
duties and senior Josh Palomino is a proven kicker. cited about,”
“We had a great summer and there’s a lot to be excited about,” Stanley said.
Christian Todaro
MIKE VERDEROSA
BILLY KOUTSOUMBARIS
ALI JOUIDA
Photos by Brian Ballweg
1269158
WINNER
HERALD
By BRIAN KACHARABA
SCLARKE
Juniors hold key for Rams
give the offense another reliable weapon.
tarting off strong hasn’t been the problem for Clarke football in recent years, it’s been sustaining that play throughout the whole season. But a roster increase and an influx of talented juniors could fix that problem.
The Rams had collected three wins by the midway point of each of the last two seasons, but went on to finish 3-5 both times. Last year’s roster was just short of 30 players, which could have resulted in a stamina loss during the stretch run, but with about 10 more boys suiting up this year, the starters could get more of a breather from time to time.
“One of the issues that we had the last two years was we had no depth and no roster size,” head coach Kevin O’Hagan said. “We were walking a tightrope as far as if one guy went down, that was a major factor for us as far as being able to sustain our level of play. This year, we have a huge junior class coming in that is really talented and our numbers are much higher than we’ve had on the varsity level.”
Junior Matthew Kurz will inherit the quarterback position after starring for a JV team that went 7-1 last fall. Clarke throws the football a lot more than most Nassau schools, so his size, athleticism and decision making could be made to order in the Rams’ spread wing-T offense.
“With JV, he was real successful last year,” O’Hagan said. “He was picking them apart left and right. As long as we keep him upright, he’s going to find some openings in the secondary.”
Kurz should have plenty of weapons to choose from as Clarke possesses some good receivers in juniors Christian Destine, Dylan Collins, James Beckworth and Grady Rick. Nick Scully, who had a pair of touchdown catches last season, moves to tight end to
O’Hagan would also like some help from Mother Nature. “Last year, our plan was to throw the ball way more than we even did, [but] the way the weather worked, we played like five games in a monsoon,” O’Hagan said. “That really hampered our offense in a lot of ways because we wanted to be pass happy last year, but we couldn’t with the way the weather fell.”
Behind Kurz, junior Michael Iadevaia returns after rushing for almost 600 yards with six touchdowns in 2023. That included a 216-yard, two-score effort in last year’s 30-28 victory over Valley Stream North, highlighted by a 60yard scamper that capped a 22-8 fourth quarter for the Rams.
yard scamper that capped a 22-8 team,” O’Hagan said. “I think he’s
“He stepped in as a sophomore and was a leader of the team, so as a junior, I expect him to be one of the captains of the team,” O’Hagan said. “I think he’s going to really excel.”
Iadevaia could also see time at quarterback, which would give sophomore Jake Thakker an opportunity for some carries. Junior Alex Frank is a running back-wide receiver hybrid.
Justin Gonzalez and Justin Montez are expected to start as guards on the offensive line and flank center Ryan Connolly. Senior Andres Gonzalez was a fill-in tackle last year and is vying for the same spot during training camp.
Justin Gonzalez and Montez will play two-way football on the defensive line with agile junior Jose Pacheco providing depth. Seniors Dylan Bikara and Rocco Carino both provide “strength, speed [and] a little bit of a nasty edge” at linebacker, according to O’Hagan.
Beckworth, Collins and Destine are the potential cornerbacks in the defensive backfield, with senior Nick Barco, Iadevaia, Rick, and Frank rounding out the corps as safeties.
The ninthseeded Rams open the season against a Mineola team that went winless last season, but that will be followed by a challenging four-game stretch against Kennedy,
ish to 2023, playoff participant Hewlett, county semifinalist Manhasset and powerhouse Garden City.
p.m. Schedule
Mike Iadevaia
JUSTIN MONTEZ
NICK SCULLY
JUSTIN GONZALEZ
Photos by Paul Grassini
By MARC BERMAN
TEAST MEADOW
here is a new offensive system, defensive system and a brand-new head coach after all these years of the Vinny Mascia Era at East Meadow.
Mascia, who served as Jets’ head coach for 31 years, retired, paving the way for the hiring of Keith Lizzi.
History is important to Lizzi, who served as assistant defensive coordinator at Lynbrook the past four years. “I got big shoes to fill,’’ Lizzi said.
As such, Lizzi is leaning on Mascia. Days before the opening of training camp on Aug. 19, Lizzi spent an hour on the phone with Mascia.
“He lives and breathes it, so he hasn’t walked away completely,’’ Lizzi said. “He’s been a big help in the transition for us.’’
Mascia left the program in solid shape, as East Meadow posted 7-1 regular-season record. His reign ended with a 26-7 firstround Conference I playoff home loss to Oceanside.
Only one assistant remains from Mascia’s staff. Lizzi hired a prestigious offensive coordinator who formerly worked at SUNYMaritime and Nassau CC - Shane Batyr.
Batyr’s presence became the impetus for am offensive scheme overhaul, as the program switches from the old option to a pro-style spread.
“It plays into the hands of our personnel,’ Lizzi said. “We have a few who can play wide receiver and make plays and are athletes whom we want to get the ball into their hands. We want to be able to spread the ball out to all of our talent.’’
The quarterback is Trevor Smith, who missed last season with a broken hand. He’ll be blessed with ample receiving
including two tall basketball stars.
talent – four reliable pass catchers, including two tall basketball stars. They are 6-foot-5 Izaiah Richards and 6-3, Isaiah Perkins. The two slot receivers are Erick Garcia and Will Cassius, who didn’t play football last season but was the basketball team’s athletic point guard. Garcia also will start at cornerback.
It’s a setup that has Smith salivating as. Known for smart decision-making, Smith also can run the ball.
“He’s healthy with a new system with a ton of talent around him,’’ Lizzi said. “Trevor is a baseball kid. He’s smart and brings the ability to run but he has a nice arm.’’
Lizzi said. “Trevor is a baseball kid. and
East Meadow returns most of its entire offensive line, though it lost virtually all of its defensive front. That will put pressure on senior linebackers Ryan Michel and Anthony Montealegre to continue their tackling excellence.
New era begins for Jets
Montealegre also will be relied upon in the backfield after playing sparingly there. Their biggest loss came at running back with All-County Matt Rodriguez graduating.
“Anthony was a big factor on defense last year and now he will have a bigger offensive role carrying the ball most of the time,’’ Lizzi said.
Another name to watch is junior James Galiano, a tough outside linebacker last season who will be moved to cornerback. Galiano had 37 tackles and two interceptions last season. The coach likes to say he plays all over the field.
Josh Vargas and Manny Martinez are senior bedrocks on the line – both offensive and defensive. But the star of the O Line may be All-Conference Yiannis Kakavas,
Another contributor is expected to be Nick Schwabe, who is only a sophomore but may see time on both sides of the ball, at defensive back and receiver.
This could be a glorious year again as long as the new schemes are taken well. The defensive schemes have also
“It’s one of those things about me being patient, installing it,’’ Lizzi said. “We have a lot of talent but there’s a learning curve with these East Meadow will have to learn quickly as it plays at county finalist Syosset Sept. 13. “It’s a huge game,’’’ Lizzi said. “It would be a big-time win for this
p.m.
@ Hempstead 4:30 p.m. 18 @ Oceanside 6:00 p.m.
Central 3:00 p.m.
p.m. Schedule
Trevor Smith
MANNY MARTINEZ
ANTHONY MONTELEAGRE
RYAN MICHEL
Photos by Paul Grassini
Health key for short-staffed Rocks
By BRIAN KACHARABA
With a depleted roster of 21 players, just staying healthy will pose as much of a challenge for East Rockaway as it will be winning football games in hopes of returning to the playoffs.
With 22 positions combined on offense and defense to begin with, the senior-laden Rocks will have plenty of kids playing two-way football in 2024, which will likely put a huge toll on bodies as the season progresses. The task will be even more daunting considering that East Rockaway has arguably one of the toughest schedules in the county.
Head coach Russ Pajer has no choice but to accept his team’s circumstances and prepare the seventh-seeded Rocks the best he can for what figures to be a tough Conference IV grind.
“We’ve got some good players who are coming back, some impact players who can do some stuff,” he said. “[We have] an All-County kid coming back, an AllConference kid coming back, potentially two other All-Conference kids. We just can’t afford injuries. If the kids get hurt, we could be in a lot of trouble.”
October has decided the team’s fate the last two years and this season may be no different. An 0-3 start to the month in 2022 was a big factor in East Rockaway missing the playoffs in a full eightgame season for the first time in five years, but a 3-1 showing last fall – including a thrilling 22-21 win at Locust Valley – was instrumental in getting the team back to the postseason at 4-4.
Three weeks after visiting a tough Plainedge team in the opener, East Rockaway will host county semifinalist Wantagh and face Island Trees on the road before facing Seaford and Cold
Spring Harbor, the two teams that played in last year’s Nassau IV final. But Pajer isn’t looking that far ahead just yet.
“One game at a time,” Pajer said. “We’re going to come in and give Plainedge everything we got [and] hopefully we’re all healthy. We’re going to do the best that we can to be healthy.”
Joe Ventura will take over at quarterback this season. The senior was a tight end last year and a quarterback as a sophomore, making his knowledge of the system an asset.
“He’s smart, he’s athletic,” Pajer said. “We need someone to run our offense who understands it and knows what to do.”
Running back could be the greatest strength for the Rocks, who return three more seniors to their ground and pound offense. Offensive and defensive AllCounty honoree Anthony Grimaldi had nine rushing touchdowns last season, including ones for 49 and 50 yards and another 20-yard scamper with 34 seconds left in regulation that keyed the Locust Valley win.
“He can make things happen,” Pajer said. “He can do everything for us. You’ve got to know where he is.”
Antonio Buzzetta converted five two-point conversions last season, but is more than a one-trick pony with his athleticism. Fullback Conor O’Hagan completes the three-headed monster in the backfield and, with generally no receivers in Pajer’s offensive scheme, senior tight end Edwin Abreu-Lopez also becomes a key to the group.
Senior James Lewald anchors the offensive line at center, and Pajer is high on sophomore Terry Hayes and junior Jethro Jacquet, who both showed promise after their callups from the JV team last season. Guard Nick Fioretti will likely start at guard and senior
Nick Hickam provides depth.
EAST ROCKAWAY
guard in Pajer’s 4-6 defense and is joined
Hayes. Grimaldi is the middle linebacker flanked by Abreu-
O’Hagan is an experienced nose guard in Pajer’s 4-6 defense and is joined at the line by Fioretti at one of the end spots and Lewald, Jacquet, and Hayes. Grimaldi is the middle linebacker flanked by AbreuLopez as the strong side end backer with Ventura manning the weak side.
Pajer is hoping that senior cornerback Aiden Land can bounce back from an injury-
Pajer is hoping that senior cornerback Aiden Land can bounce back from an injuryplagued 2022 and Buzzetta should start on the other side. Senior Liam Anderson, Stefan Drakopoulos and free safety Matt Delligatti round out the defensive backfield.
Drakopoulos and free safety Matt Delligatti round out the defensive
Schedule
Wantagh 7:00 p.m.
@ Island Trees 7:00 p.m. 18 Seaford 6:30 p.m. 25 C.S. Harbor 7:00 p.m. November 1 West Hempstead 6:30 p.m.
Conor O’Hagan
JOSEPH VENTURA
ANTONIO BUZZETTA
NICK FIORETTI
Photos by Karen Millindorf
ELMONT
Balanced attack to lead Spartans
By ANDREW FANTUCCHIO
There were two things that Tom Innes wanted to accomplish as he took over as the head coach of the Elmont football program last year: establish his culture and march the Spartans down Hempstead Turnpike to the championship stage at Hofstra University. He managed to accomplish the former, leading Elmont to a 5-3 regular-season record in Conference II and a return to the postseason. However, the Spartans are still trying to navigate to the latter with a move to Conference III.
After painfully falling to New Hyde Park in the playoff’s opening round, Innes believes the best way to get the Spartans to where he wants them to go is to rely on where they’ve been.
Under its former head coach, Jay Hegi, Elmont had a reputation for airing the ball out and operating outside the numbers, but that has never been Innes’s M.O.
As a former interior lineman in his playing days, Innes still has an affection for the ground game, which he displayed on a weekly basis last season. But with the roster he now has at his disposal, the second-year coach sees a way to blend the two.
“This is the year that I really want to mesh what Elmont has done with what I’ve done,” said Innes. “These are the guys that can do this. I want to have a balanced offense.”
Of all the players who will be part of the Spartans’ twopronged attack, wide receiver Nassir Edwards is chief among them after he earned the Pat Pizzarelli/New York Jets Most Outstanding Receiver Award last season, given annually to the best high school receiver in
Nassau County, while still an underclassman.
Joining him on the outside, fellow seniors Dominic Collins, Arlyn Brown, and Khalil Muhammad only add to Elmont’s artillery of weapons, which looks equally dangerous out of the backfield, with sophomore Elijah Davis and senior Keyoun Kahan complementing one another with a balance of brute power and blistering speed.
As for the general of this army, the Spartans have full faith in junior quarterback Aiden Barnes after he took the helm of the team late last season, throwing for seven touchdowns and 700 yards while completing 81 percent of his passes.
“I have so much confidence in Aiden,” Innes said. “I’m just so happy with how he’s progressed. He has fully stepped up and taken control of this offense. The guys respect him. I’m really excited to see what he can do.” While its philosophy on offense has been renewed, Elmont will rely on the same defensive scheme that Innes installed last year, hoping it can once again hold opponents to an average of 22 points per game.
However, losing linebacker Vincent Lafferty makes that easier said than done, as it places more of an onus on senior safety Marquis Robinson and returning All-County senior defensive tackle Julius SylvainJenkins, who the Spartans will need to wreak havoc on opposing blockers as he did last fall.
As for Elmont’s own offensive line, Innes unsurprisingly took a special interest in developing Malachi Collins, Kirkley Grant, Ethan Ramnarine, Shiloh Belot, and Aaron Thomas.
Not only does he view them as the driving force that will help Elmont reach its dream of playing for a county championship at
some point down the road, but also in place.
“It’s about being able to grind and finding that within you,” said Innes. “That’s what I try to tell the kids. Everything is going to be a grind. We got to learn how to figure out how to grind through everything.”
some point down the road, but also the lifeblood of the culture it already has
Elmont’s grind begins against Hewlett on Sept. 14. The Spartans are ranked No. 3 in Conference III and also host Lynbrook, Floral Park and powerhouse Garden City.
Schedule
September 14 Hewlett 3:00 p.m. 20 @ South Side 6:00 p.m. 28 Lynbrook 3:00 p.m.
5 Floral Park 3:00 p.m. 10 @ Manhasset 6:30 p.m.
18 @ Division 6:00 p.m. 26 Garden City 3:00 p.m. November 2 @ Clarke 3:00 p.m.
Nassir Edwards
KHALIL MUHAMMAD
DOMINIC COLLINS
ARLYN BROWN
Photos by Brian Ballweg
By DYLAN BUTLER
FDalers have high expectations
starters. The All-County selection threw for 1,329 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior.
ootball greatness isn’t new at Farmingdale as proof of the 17 Nassau County championships and two Long Island Class I titles.
Most of those teams were senior-laden squads, like the undefeated team in 2022. But there’s a new wrinkle for head coach Buddy Krumenacker in his 32nd year at the helm of his alma mater.
There’s returning starters. A lot of them.
“We very rarely ever have this many people back,” Krumenacker said. “We’re typically very senior heavy. So therefore every year you’re in the replacement business. This year is very unusual for us.”
High expectations, though, are not unusual. With a bevy of high-end returning talent, the Dalers are preseason seeded No. 1 in Nassau Conference I this season. That comes on the heels of a 7-2 season, in which Farmingdale lost in overtime to rival Massapequa in the regular season and fell to Syosset on a last second field goal in the semifinals.
“Those are good experiences to take into the next season,” Krumenacker said.
While there’s value in varsity experience, Krumenacker said there isn’t any in revisiting the past.
“We don’t really talk about last year,” he said. “Last year’s last year and, and I tell these guys all the time we’re not gonna live in the rearview mirror. People who live in the rearview mirror get left behind. It’s all about what’s ahead of you.”
Offensively, the Dalers are led by senior quarterback Dennis Finkel, one of six returning
Two of Finkel’s favorite targets — seniors Gavin Gatchalian and JJ Collins — are back as starting receivers, while the offensive line, which is still being pieced together, has returners in juniors
Jack McCarthy and Jordan Petzold and senior Tom Meyer. Meanwhile, juniors Josh Kama, a starter at linebacker, and Jovens Theodate, will try to fill the shoes of Sal Posillico at running back. A year ago, Posillico, a three-year varsity player now at Springfield College, rushed for 1,318 yards and 19 touchdowns while being a stalwart at linebacker.
“It’s a tall order,” Krumenacker said.
The defensive line is anchored by multiple returning starters in senior Chris Ruotolo and juniors Wilson Quintanilla, Mateo Morales and Mike Suwalski.
“I think they’re going to be really good,” Krumenacker said of his defensive line.
Kama and seniors Rocco Martillotti and Matt Ippoliti are back at linebacker, while safeties Collins and junior Mike Galgano and senior cornerback Nick Ragone anchor the defensive secondary.
“I think we’ve got strengths in every aspect,” Krumenacker said. “We’ve got good size and real good speed and a lot of athletes, plain and simple.”
Another strength of the Farmingdale football program is in its coaching consistency. There’s been two coaches in Don Snyder, who died at the age of 98 in August, and Krumencker in 72 years.
Snyder, who went 237-93-8 in his career, coached Krumenacker when he was the captain of the 1966 Dalers.
FARMINGDALE
said. “I mean, we had fun. But important and it always mattered had football players.”
“I think when we played for him, it was business,” he said. “I mean, we had fun. But it was run like something that was really important. He had a storied career and it was always important and it always mattered in Farmingdale and you always had football players.”
Snyder before hosting Port Washington
Farmingdale opens the 2024 season at Don Snyder Stadium against Westbury on Sept. 13 before hosting Port Washington a week later. Wins in those two games would give Krumenacker 300 wins and he’d join legendary former Bethpage head coach Howie Vogts as the only two Nassau football coaches to reach that milestone.
Howie Vogts as the only two Nassau football coaches to
Schedule
September
13 Westbury 6:30 p.m.
20 Port Washington 6:30 p.m.
28 @ Massapequa 3:00 p.m. October
5 @ Herricks 3:00 p.m.
10 Syosset 6:30 p.m.
19 @ Freeport 2:00 p.m.
25 Oceanside 6:30 p.m.
November
2 @ East Meadow 3:00 p.m.
Dennis Finkel
JJ COLLINS
GAVIN GATCHALIAN
MATT IPPOLITI
Photos by Michael Scro
By ANDREW COEN
FFREEPORT
Red Devils kick off new era
reeport football begins a new era this fall following the offseason retirement of legendary head coach Russ Cellan, who guided the program for 38 seasons.
Cellan, who led Freeport to seven Long Island titles in his nearly four decades on the sideline, will be replaced by longtime assistant and former player, Jimmy Jones.
“I’m excited to get this opportunity,” said Jones, who was an assistant coach under Cellan for 17 years and a standout running back under him in the mid-1990s. “It’s been a great ride working and learning from Russ, but it’s definitely been a dream of mine to take the helm of the program and see what I can do and continue the winning ways.”
Jones inherits a Freeport team that reached the playoffs as the seven seed last year and fell tio Farmingdale in the quarterfinals. The Red Devils enter the season as the seventh seed in Conference I.
Freeport brings back some key skilled position players from last year’s 4-4 team including senior wide receiver Jayden Gordon, who has been on varsity since ninth grade. Versatile senior Anthony Velasquez, who split time in the backfield and at receiver last season, also returns along with junior running back Glen Person III.
The Red Devils graduated Thorp Award finalist D’Angelo Gordon, who started at quarterback the last four seasons. Junior Kelvin Abreu, who took some snaps at quarterback last year, is slated to be the new full-time signal caller this season.
The offense will be keyed by the offensive line, which features seniors Curtis Ealy and Tobias Fitzsimmons, who both saw
meaningful time in the trenches last season despite having a veteran-laden unit. Junior Malik Groover also saw time on the line last fall before injuring his shoulder early in the season.
Johnny Romero and Roshad Channer are also expected to see some time on the line.
“We’ve got kids who are kind of familiar with the system,” said Jones of his offensive linemen.
“There’s a decent amount of carryover from either JV to varsity or from the way that Russ ran things to the way that I’m going to do things.”
Jones will be calling the plays and plans to run a similar offense as before under Cellan with four wide receivers mixing in both running and passing plays.
“If you can’t run the ball it becomes a long day,” Jones said. “That’s one of the lessons I took from Russ very early.”
The defensive side of the ball will be led largely by Gordon, who anchors the secondary as a returning starting free safety.
“We’re definitely going to rely on his leadership and him being vocal,” Jones said of Gordon.
Ealy and Fitzsimmons will play integral parts in stopping the running game along with putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks as starting defensive ends. Fitzsimmons is the younger brother of former All-State Freeport standout Robert Fitzsimmons, who played on the collegiate level at Army West Point.
On special teams, Gordon will try and spark good field position as the main kick returner. Jones has high hopes for sophomore kicker Chris Martinez, who boasts a strong leg and could enable Freeport to add points via field goals.
Jones is hoping Freeport can exceed expectations and finish among the top teams in Conference I to earn as high a playoff
seed as possible. The Red Devils last reached the semifinals stage at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium in 2019.
Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium in
for a Long Island championship,” Jones to fully we are hitting our
“The plan is always to contend for a Long Island championship,” Jones said. “We’re planning to make sure we are in every game and when it gets to playoff time hopefully we are hitting our stride.”
Jayden Gordon
TOBIAS FITZSIMMONS
CURTIS EALY
GLEN PERSON III
Photos by Eric Dunetz
HEMPSTEAD
Young Tigers eye playoff return
By TONY BELLISSIMO
Hempstead has won 11 regular-season games in two seasons under head coach Matthew Ali, who knows for the Tigers to make a playoff run this fall it’ll require lots of production from varsity rookies.
Jonathan Davis, Nasir Motley, Jayden Polite and Christian Wright are the key returnees from a 5-win, senior-led squad that for a second straight year suffered a heartbreaking playoff loss to Syosset. The Braves eliminated Hempstead 34-27 thanks to a late fourth-quarter touchdown a year after taking a 21-20 playoff matchup.
“Conference I is such a difficult grind and we’ve had good results during the regular season and two tough playoff losses,” Ali said. “We have a young team that’s hungry and worked hard all offseason. The kids who weren’t playing other sports in the winter and spring all showed up for weight training.
“We’re going to have a bunch of young guys on the field and the goals are for them to develop every single week and get back to the playoffs,” he added.
Davis, a 5-foot-8 and 150 pound senior, led the Tigers in receiving a year ago after dominating the JV competition in 2022. He could be back in that same role or be used at quarterback or tailback. “He’ll definitely be a focal point of our offense one way or another,” Ali said. “He’s an explosive playmaker and one of two returnees who played snaps on both sides of the ball.”
If Davis isn’t under center, it’ll be junior Ibrahim Jalloh. Last year’s starting JV quarterback has a great pocket presence, Ali said, and has a strong grasp
of Hempstead’s scheme. “He’s looked good throughout the offseason and has an accurate arm,” the coach noted.
Split wide with Davis if Jalloh gets the nod will be junior Amare Collins, who was one of Jalloh’s targets a year ago. “Amare is an excellent route-runner and catches the ball at a high rate,” Ali said.
There’s big shoes to fill at running back after the graduation of Dwayne Meadors, a two-year star. Junior Christian Sams contributed primarily on special teams last fall and is among the leaders on the depth chart with sophomore Lamarcus Parsons, an explosive runner with good vision. “It’s running back by committee since Dwayne isn’t going to walk through the doors, but we have guys who can do the job,” Ali said.
Polite, a two-way junior lineman, was the only other kid aside from Davis to play most snaps on varsity in 2023. “He has great footwork and power,” Ali said of Polite, who can play tackle or guard. Motley, a senior who wreaked havoc on defense at nose guard and led the Tigers with 6 sacks, is becoming a twoway starter and will center the offense.
Wright, also a senior, is tall and quick and moving into a full-time role on both sides after thriving last fall when an injury opened the door for him. Junior Calvin Dunbar, a transfer, is projected to start at guard and defensive line and add size to both groups. Senior William Palacios and freshman Julian Chase are also showing promise and will either start or contribute off the bench on the O-line.
The defense, which has been a force for two years, features a solid front, Sams at linebacker
and Davis at safety.
Friday night lights versus
“Every week is just a battle,” Ali said. “We’re excited for straight years.”
The Tigers open at home under the Friday night lights versus Valley Stream Central and hosts nemesis Syosset for Homecoming in Week 6. “Every week is just a battle,” Ali said. “We’re excited for the opportunity to try to beat a Syosset team that we haven’t in the playoffs two straight years.”
Jonathan Davis
JAYDEN POLITE
NASIR MOTLEY
CHRISTIAN WRIGHT
Photos by Brian Ballweg
HEWLETT
Bulldogs excited about potential
By MICHELLE RABINOVICH
Putting it broadly, Hewlett head coach John Palladino is excited for the upcoming season – he said he’s excited to just be coaching football and the fact it’s that time of the year again.
Considering that’s his chosen vocation, that’s not a surprise in the slightest. Especially given the fact that his team showed promise last season, going from eighth in the pre-season poll to finishing sixth in the conference, with a 5-3 overall record, after a playoff loss to third-seeded Plainedge.
So the first order of business heading into the summer was straight forward: clean up house.
“We just have to get back to the drawing board, stay in the weight room and we got to get bigger and stronger.” Palladino said. “We got to pay a little bit more attention to detail and we think the program’s headed in the right direction. If we want to get to the next level, we’re going to have to pay a little bit more attention to detail and get better at the little things.”
The grind started early, literally.
“How we went about our summer conditioning and the attendance was fantastic this summer,” he said. “The last few years we work out three mornings a week at seven am to nine am, and the attendance was great. We got a lot done this summer, we planned out this summer and we pretty much hit on all of the objectives that we wanted to hit on, so we’re excited for the fall coming up.”
But it’s more than drawing up new routes or checking in on weightlifting sessions, it’s the freshness on the team that he looks forward to. Sophomores
Dominic Lord, Dylan Parchment and Brody Apter are all expected to join the varsity with the strategic goal to increase depth on all fronts, the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the special teams.
“We have a lot of kids, we do have some issues with some depth at certain positions, and these were the best kids at their positions on JV so we decided to bring them up and hopefully they can help us out in some spots,” Palladino said. “We won’t put too much pressure on them, we’re looking forward to see what they can do on the varsity level.”
The real reason why there’s so much hope for the upcoming year is because the upperclassmen are already taking care of the newcomers as leaders in their own right.
“We generally have good kids at Hewlett that are coachable and unselfish. One of the kids, [CJ] Maiorano, was a captain last year, he learned how to be a leader from our captains from last season, they did a real good job in mentoring him. The kids really stepped up this summer, they proved to be really good leaders.”
It’s not just Maiorano, it’s the other captains too, including Matthew DeCicco, an All-County quarterback, Gianni Griffith, a senior offensive/defensive lineman and Daniel Lankri a senior tight end and linebacker.
“They really took a big step in being leaders this year, getting everyone to summer conditioning and organizing summer activities on the weekends, just kind of bringing the team together,” Palladino said. “They showed a lot of growth between their junior year and their senior years.”
DeCicco, a track star in hurdles, racked up 1,280 yards
rushing and 13 touchdowns a year
“Not only does he have tremendous ath-
rushing and 13 touchdowns a year ago. “Matt is an exceptional young man,” Palladino said. “Not only does he have tremendous athletic ability, he’s a great teammate and leader.”
Also expected to play key roles are junior running back/cornerback/kicker Stefano Borsellino and seniors Michael Shlemovich and Taleek Edmonds as receivers/defensive backs.
With all of that energy, it’s up to the Bulldogs, seeded No. 5 in Conference III, to make good on their promise, with the opener against Manhasset.
up to the Bulldogs, seeded No. 5 in Conference III, to
@ Manhasset 3:00 p.m. 14 @ Elmont 3:00 p.m.
Clarke 3:00 p.m. 27 Garden City 6:00 p.m. October 10 @ Mineola 7:00 p.m. 18 @ South Side 6:00 p.m.
Floral Park 6:00 p.m. November
p.m. Schedule
Matthew DeCicco
CRISTOPHER MAIORANO
GIANNI GRIFFITH
DANIEL LANKRI
Photos by Eric Dunetz
KENNEDY
Cougars reset after strong finish
By BRIAN KACHARABA
It appeared that the Kennedy would have plenty of momentum heading into this season after rallying to finish at .500 for the first time since 2017 following an 0-3 start. But after losing 26 players to graduation last spring, including some key components on both sides of the ball, reaching that mark may prove to be a challenge.
The Cougars have not finished above .500 in any regular season since 2016 and the roster turnover resulted in the team falling to a No. 12 seed in Conference III.
“Obviously, that’s the goal,” head coach John McGuire said of a winning record. “Our whole offensive line graduated, defensively we have one returning starter [and] we have the quarterback and the two wide receivers coming back. A lot of changeover, but we’re hoping that this is a sign that we’re building a competitive program again.”
Senior Charlie Gampero took over the quarterback duties as an injury replacement early last season and threw three touchdown passes and rushed for five more. He is penciled in as the starter to run McGuire’s flex bone offense this year with senior Nick Sabo pushing him for the job at training camp.
“He’s a tough kid,” McGuire said of Gampero. “He’s strong for his size. He’s compact built, so decision making and athleticism are definitely his benefits.”
Senior Jaden Celestin is expected to be the featured back and brings more athleticism to the position. Sophomore C.J. Siegler brings similar attributes as he begins his development on the varsity level and speedy senior Corey Abel and juniors Zach Adelstein and Anthony Scali could also get carries.
Seniors Donald Ayodele and speedy Daniel Diaz should be the starting receivers with junior Chris Yao providing depth. Ayodele caught a touchdown pass for the Cougars’ lone points against Roosevelt on Sept. 23 and can bring down 50-50 balls with his height, while Diaz brings speed and toughness to the position.
Junior Christian Cruz joined the team last year and played sparingly but is expected to assume a much larger role this fall at offensive tackle and junior Logan Cohen is a top candidate for the other tackle position. Junior Ethan Polinsky will likely be the center and senior Ryan Califano is sliding to guard from fullback and seniors Mychel Brey and Matthew Sharp and Ian Garcia are up for the other spots.
Most of them will also see time in the defensive line, but McGuire is bullish on senior Tyler Power, who is expected to take over at tackle for the departed Brandon Goldstein.
“He benefited from being a junior and being next to Goldstein,” he said. “Goldstein would get a lot of double teams and he played pretty nicely for us last year.”
Cohen, Califaro and Siegler will be among the linebackers. Another player to watch there is senior Darlensky Fabien, who grew as a first-year player on the JV team last year.
“He’s a really good athlete, super fast,” McGuire said. “He might be the fastest on the team. He’s just learning a lot of the game.”
Ayodele will man one of the corner spots, with senior Will Cona and Niko Bachas, who had an interception last season, as the safeties. Sabo, Diaz, and Yao should all see time at down safety, with either Adelstein or Scali getting plenty of reps in the defensive backfield depending
start with three of its
on who doesn’t start on offense.
two contests. An early test will be against county Floral
Kennedy has a chance at a strong start with three of its first four opponents finishing below .500 in 2023, including Division and Clarke in the opening two contests. An early test will be against county finalist Floral Park in late September.
it’s not like we have county championship expectations,” McGuire said. “But as one of,
“We are the 12 seed, so it’s not like we have county championship expectations,” McGuire said. “But as one of, I think, four teams in Nassau County that have never been to Hofstra, that’s always our goal.”
Schedule
V.S. North 3:00 p.m.
@ Lynbrook 4:30 p.m.
Bethpage 3:00 p.m.
@ Mineola 6:00 p.m.
p.m.
Corey Abel
DONALD AYODEL
CHARLIE GAMPERO
DANIEL DIAZ
Photos by Karen Millindorf
LAWRENCE
Golden Tornadoes out to snap skid
By MARC BERMAN
The Lawrence football program has something to prove.
The stench of the wrecked, winless 2023 season won’t go away until the Golden Tornadoes do something about it. And nobody expects them to, coming off an 0-8 season in which all losses were by double digits.
“These kids felt 0-8 more than I did,’’ second-year head coach Melik Mavruk said. “They understand what it means and have a bad taste in their mouths from last season. Being the 14th seed in Conference IV puts a big chip on their shoulder. We’re expected to lose every game this season as well before we even walk into these games. These kids definitely have something to prove.’’
The hope for a Lawrence rebirth exists with a sophomore quarterback in Khalil Brassell and a sophomore running back in Geo Richardson.
The Golden Tornadoes haven’t logged a winning season since 2018 and have gone a combined 3-21 in the last three years.
“One thing promising for the future is we have a backfield for the next three years,” Mavruk said, noting the sophomore status of his quarterback and running back. “The last six years, we’ve had to find a quarterback every year.’’
The only noteworthy player missing from last season’s winless squad is graduated captain and All-Conference selection Bryan Guevara, who played running back and linebacker. A lot of other players from 2023 aren’t back by design.
“We had to hit rock bottom so we can start building up and last year was definitely our rock bottom,” Mavruk noted.
There will be no JV mainly because last year’s JV starter, Brassell, is solid enough for varsity. “If I didn’t have confidence in him on the varsity level, we would’ve still had a JV this year,’’ Mavruk said. “But I trust this sophomore quarterback.’’
In its young running back, Richardson, Lawrence has a two-way starter. Richardson got called up for the final three games and scored a touchdown. He’ll also play defensive back.
Lawrence only has four seniors, led by leader and two-way starter Eyad Karram, who plays wide receiver and defensive back..
“He’ll make a big impact for us,’’ Mavruk said. “He fell into a nice groove. He’s in the weight room and leads those practices without coaches. He is someone who is a program kid. As a freshman, he had growing pains, but he turned into a formidable receiver for us and two-way starter.’’
The other three seniors are linemen, giving Lawrence some experience in the trenches.
Senior defensive and offensive lineman Junior Martinez is a veteran cog on both sides of the ball. “He’s a hard-nosed kid,’’ Mavruk said. “He played center last year but will be more a tackle. He’s a wrestler and that translated well to football. He’s played defensive end since sophomore year.’’
The biggest kid of them all is senior Micah Alexander, a 6-3, 275-pound offensive tackle. He’ll also play defensive tackle. “You can’t coach size,’’ the coach said.
Senior Justin Taveras is another lineman who, despite being undersized at 5-6, started for the first time last year. “He plays with leverage,’’ Mavruk said. “He’s short but always has leverage on his side. He blocks all the way, finishes blocks, looks for work. Another weight room kid who loves being in there.’’
Rounding out the offensive line is junior Mark Iacomino, a block-finisher who will play guard and linebacker. The starting wide receivers are juniors -Lucas Martinez and Tevin Johnson, whose brother Tevine played on the Long Island championship team in 2014.
“He’s one of the best athletes we have on the team, plays basketball, runs track,’’ Mavruk said. “He’s hardworking, loves the game of football but I think he might be doing too much as a three-sport athlete.’’
its
Last season’s campaign began with Lawrence forfeiting its opener at home because of a lack of bodies due to disciplinary actions. That won’t happen in 2024 whcn Lawrence kicks off at Oyster Bay Sept. 14.
bodies due to disciplinary actions. That won’t happen in 2024 whcn
p.m.
5 @ Carle Place 3:00 p.m.
Malverne 4:30 p.m. 18 @ V.S. South 7:00 p.m.
Shore 2:00 p.m.
Eyad Karram
JUNIOR MARTINEZ
GEO RICHARDSON
TEVIN JOHNSON
Photos by Sue Grieco
2024 HEAD COACHES
DOM CARRE West Hempstead
KEITH SACHS Wantagh
JOE GUASTAFESTE VS South
MIKE PAOLILLO VS North
TOM SCHIAVO VS Central
PHIL COPPOLA Uniondale
PHIL ONESTO South Side
GEORGE KASIMATIS Sewanhaka
MIKE MCHUGH Seaford
Rob Shaver Plainedge
ROB BLOUNT Oceanside
TOM MAZEIKA Mepham
KEVIN SHIPPOS Massapequa
KITO LOCKWOOD Malverne
BOB FEHRENBACH MacArthur
DAVE YAKER Lynbrook
SCOTT MARTIN Long Beach
MELIK MAVRUK Lawrence
JOHN MCGUIRE Kennedy
JOHN PALLADINO Hewlett
MATTHEW ALI Hempstead
JIMMY JONES Freeport
BUDDY KRUMENACKER Farmingdale
RUSS PAJER East Rockaway
KEITH LIZZI East Meadow
KEVIN O’HAGAN Clarke
MIKE STANLEY Carey
NICK RAWLS Calhoun
MIKE ROBINSON Baldwin
TOM INNES Elmont
CIRCLE THE CALENDAR
2024 HERALD High School
Foot ball Preview
Fri. Sept. 6 MASSAPEQUA OCEANSIDE 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 6 UNIONDALE Port Washington 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 6 V.S. SOUTH Carle Place 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 6 KENNEDY Division 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 7 CLARKE Mineola 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 7 LYNBROOK Floral Park 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 7 HEWLETT Manhasset 3:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 V.S. CENTRAL HEMPSTEAD 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 Herricks OCEANSIDE 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 Island Trees SEAFORD 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 EAST MEADOW Syosset 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 Westbury FARMINGDALE 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 EAST ROCKAWAY PLAINEDGE 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 FREEPORT MASSAPEQUA 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 KENNEDY CLARKE 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 13 MALVERNE WANTAGH 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 CALHOUN LONG BEACH 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 WEST HEMPSTEAD V.S. SOUTH 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 LAWRENCE Oyster Bay 1:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 SEWANHAKA BALDWIN 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 Glen Cove CAREY 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 HEWLETT ELMONT 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 SOUTH SIDE LYNBROOK 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 MACARTHUR MEPHAM 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 UNIONDALE Plainview 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 14 Bethpage V.S. NORTH 3:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 ELMONT SOUTH SIDE 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 WANTAGH Locust Valley 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 Plainview EAST MEADOW 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 OCEANSIDE Syosset 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 Port Washington FARMINGDALE 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 BALDWIN Glen Cove 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 New Hyde Park MACARTHUR 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 20 V.S. NORTH Division 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 Jericho CALHOUN 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 CAREY LONG BEACH 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 SEWANHAKA Roosevelt 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 PLAINEDGE WEST HEMPSTEAD 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 MEPHAM Roslyn 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 MALVERNE Oyster Bay 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 EAST ROCKAWAY LAWRENCE 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 C.S. Harbor SEAFORD 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 V.S. SOUTH North Shore 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 Mineola LYNBROOK 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 CLARKE HEWLETT 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 MASSAPEQUA UNIONDALE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 Herricks HEMPSTEAD 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 21 FREEPORT V.S. CENTRAL 3:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27 Garden City HEWLETT 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27 LONG BEACH Jericho 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27 SEAFORD PLAINEDGE 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27 Herricks FREEPORT 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27 SOUTH SIDE V.S. NORTH 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Sept. 27 North Shore MALVERNE 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 CALHOUN MEPHAM 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 Locust Valley V.S. SOUTH 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 BALDWIN Roslyn 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 Manhasset CLARKE 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 WEST HEMPSTEAD LAWRENCE 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 EAST MEADOW Herricks 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 Roosevelt MACARTHUR 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 Oyster Bay WANTAGH 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 CAREY SEWANHAKA 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 HEMPSTEAD OCEANSIDE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 Floral Park KENNEDY 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 Carle Place EAST ROCKAWAY 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 LYNBROOK ELMONT 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sept. 28 FARMINGDALE MASSAPEQUA 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Sep. 28 UNIONDALE V.S. CENTRAL 3:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 4 WANTAGH EAST ROCKAWAY 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 4 SEAFORD MALVERNE 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 4 V.S. SOUTH Island Trees 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 New Hyde Park BALDWIN 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 MEPHAM CAREY 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 Roslyn SEWANHAKA 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 MACARTHUR CALHOUN 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 PLAINEDGE North Shore 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 Oyster Bay WEST HEMPSTEAD 2:30 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 MASSAPEQUA EAST MEADOW 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 Garden City CLARKE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 Floral Park ELMONT 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 FARMINGDALE Herricks 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct.5 OCEANSIDE FREEPORT 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 V.S. NORTH KENNEDY 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 LAWRENCE Carle Place 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 HEMPSTEAD UNIONDALE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 V.S. CENTRAL Hicksville 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 Bethpage SOUTH SIDE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 5 LONG BEACH Glen Cove 6:00 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 V.S. NORTH Floral Park 2:00 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 SEWANHAKA CALHOUN 2:15 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 MACARTHUR CAREY 2:15 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 Jericho MEPHAM 2:15 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 PLAINEDGE WANTAGH 3:00 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 Roosevelt BALDWIN 4:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 EAST MEADOW HEMPSTEAD 4:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 New Hyde Park LONG BEACH 4:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 KENNEDY LYNBROOK 4:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 MALVERNE LAWRENCE 4:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 SOUTH SIDE Garden City 4:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 FREEPORT Westbury 6:00 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 Locust Valley SEAFORD 6:00 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 ELMONT Manhasset 6:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 Herricks V.S. CENTRAL 6:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 Syosset FARMINGDALE 6:30 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 HEWLETT Mineola 7:00 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 EAST ROCKAWAY Island Trees 7:00 p.m.
Thu. Oct. 10 WEST HEMPSTEAD C.S. Harbor 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18 BALDWIN Jericho 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18 EAST MEADOW OCEANSIDE 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18 ELMONT Division 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18 HEWLETT SOUTH SIDE 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18 SEAFORD EAST ROCKAWAY 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18 Island Trees WEST HEMPSTEAD 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 18 C.S. Harbor PLAINEDGE 6:30 p.m. Fri. Oct. 18
Fri. Oct. 18 Glen Cove MACARTHUR 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 18 LAWRENCE V.S. SOUTH 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 North Shore WANTAGH 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 CAREY Roosevelt 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 CALHOUN Roslyn 12:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 FARMINGDALE FREEPORT 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 Carle Place MALVERNE 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 MEPHAM New Hyde Park 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 Port Washington MASSAPEQUA 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 CLARKE V.S. NORTH 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 Syosset HEMPSTEAD 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 Bethpage KENNEDY 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 LYNBROOK Garden City 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 V.S. CENTRAL Plainview 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 19 Westbury UNIONDALE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 25 PLAINEDGE Island Trees 5:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 MASSAPEQUA Westbury 5:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 Floral Park HEWLETT 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 Carle Place WEST HEMPSTEAD 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 WANTAGH SEAFORD 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 KENNEDY Mineola 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 OCEANSIDE FARMINGDALE 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 HEMPSTEAD Plainview 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 C.S. Harbor EAST ROCKAWAY 7:00 p.m.
Fri. Oct. 25 LONG BEACH MACARTHUR 7:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 CAREY New Hyde Park 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 MEPHAM SEWANHAKA 11:00 a.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 LAWRENCE North Shore 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 MALVERNE Locust Valley 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 BALDWIN CALHOUN 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 Oyser Bay V.S. SOUTH 2:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 CLARKE Division 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 Garden City ELMONT 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 V.S. CENTRAL EAST MEADOW 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 V.S. NORTH LYNBROOK 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 Manhasset SOUTH SIDE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 Hicksville UNIONDALE 3:00 p.m.
Sat. Oct. 26 FREEPORT Port Washington 6:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 1 Manhasset KENNEDY 2:00 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 1 OCEANSIDE Port Washington 5:30 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 1 Division HEWLETT 6:00 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 1 WEST HEMPSTEAD EAST ROCKAWAY 6:30 p.m.
NOTE: Home teams on right. Local teams listed in BOLD/CAPS
By DAVID WEINGRAD
IFront lines will anchor Marines
f the city of Long Beach needed an additional barrier to protect against high tides, they may wish to look no further than the offensive line the Marines will be fielding.
It’s a major reason the team will enter this season seeded third in Conference II following a realignment plus a successful 2023 that continued a string of several straight playoff berths.
Long Beach, coming off a 4-win campaign, is returning several skill players and particularly staunch offensive and defensive lines that has longtime head coach Scott Martin quite excited.
Arguably its most key returner is senior running back and defensive lineman Wyatt Kenzon, who will be a major focus in offensive and defensive schemes. Already a playmaker as a junior who racked up four touchdowns last season and secured three fumble recoveries, Martin said Kenzon has led the team in strength training this summer and appears primed for a big year as captain. “He’s always around the ball,” said Martin. “We’d like to increase that production, maybe double.”
Another crucial returning piece is senior Rafael Almonte, who doubles at defensive tackle and guard. At 6-foot-1 and 265 pounds, Martin said he arrived to camp bigger and stronger. “He’ll be the leader for the big guys and help us control the line of scrimmage,” he said.
Adding further fortification to the experienced line is senior Shea Mullarkey, whose strength and athleticism may allow Martin to try him at other positions this season, including tight end.
The spoil of riches among his returning lineman provides Martin extra flexibility, and that in-
cludes senior tackle Leo Muskin, whose 6-foot-2, 280-pound frame will be another daunting factor for opposing linebackers.
“Three returning offensive lineman and a good running back,” mused Martin, noting that Conference II has historically been a run-heavy league. “That’s the base of our offense and how we’re going to build the team from the inside out.”
The extra benefit it will provide to their ground game will be a bonus, he said, since the Marines under his tenure have primarily been a pass-first offense.
The quarterback position, meanwhile, will be decided in a preseason battle between two juniors: last year’s backup Charlie Conway, and Colin Liguori, the JV starter last fall. It’s a win-win situation, said Martin, as the player who doesn’t start behind center will still play a major role in the starting 11.
Stepping in to fill the role of fullback will be junior Max Schimmel, who played mostly defense in 2023 but also rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns in limited duty.
A wild card for the Marines is the return of senior Kieren Emerson, who battled injuries last year but enters this season in full force and could be a major factor as an outside receiver. “We’re excited because it’s a bonus,” said Martin.
Another returner, junior Tim Miller, will battle it out with Mullarkey during camp for reps at tight end.
If there’s any question marks, said Martin, it’s depth in the receiving corps and a lack of experience in the defensive backfield. But, he added, a glut of athletic sophomores will be duking it out for those spots and may bring an extra source of energy.
Martin said there’s no reason
LONG BEACH
and make
his team can’t live up to their appointed 3-seed and make another postseason push. With eight-time defending Conference II champion
Garden City bumped to Conference III, the title is up for grabs. Only Carey and MacArthur are seeded ahead of the Marines.
Garden City bumped to Conference III, the title is
“We think we can compete with the top of the league,” he said. “Our goal is to try to get back to Hofstra. We have a long way to go, but we’ll be ready.”
“We think we can compete with the top of the
Wyatt Katzen
SHAE MULLARKEY
RAFAEL ALMONTE
LEO MUSLIM
Photos by Justine Stefanelli
LYNBROOK
Weight training motivates Owls
By MICHELLE RABINOVICH
Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, Lynbrook has a good starting point, according to head coach David Yaker.
After finishing 4-4 in 2023, one of the biggest points of emphasis this offseason for the Owls was consistency in the weight room. As cliché as that sounds, it’s the truth: “The teams that we lost to last year, when push came to shove, well, they pushed us around. In football, there’s not really a great answer for getting physically pushed around,” Yaker said.
So a common theme is pumping iron as a huge addition to running routes, and it starts with the upperclassman: senior offensive/defensive lineman Frank Sirufo, set to start for the third year in a row, with senior center Dominic Fasano and junior offensive lineman Mason Cofer going shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
The invisible string connecting all of these offensive linemen is they have all shown the same level of commitment to watching film and pushing themselves in the weight room in order to see results time and again on the field for several seasons.
Senior defensive lineman Emmett O’Grady, who’s had plenty of action in seasons past, is anticipated to be a two-way starter as well.
For the special teams part of the squad, all eyes look to Miles Storm, who was brought up from JV as a sophomore last year and started the last two games of last season. Now a junior in wide receiver and defensive back roles, and described as someone with terrific hands and a terrific route runner by Yaker, plenty is expected of the skills player in the coming months.
There’s also the likes of senior Bennett Votano, who is ready to take his game to another level. “Last year wasn’t good enough for him so he committed himself to the weight room, committed himself to our off-season program,” Yaker detailed. “He’s a multi-sport athlete, he’s a terrific lacrosse player; he’s like a swiss army knife kind of guy, he can play some quarterback, play some running back, play some receiver, he’ll play on the defense, he’ll play some corner, some safety, he’ll be a punt returner, a kick returner. He’s got terrific speed and toughness and he’s a guy who can really do it all for us.”
The best part about all of this is not the returners, but the competitive edge within the players, all vying for a starting role.
“There’s competition all over the field, guys are competing at a lot of different positions,” Yaker said. “We won’t know who [our] starters are in some spots probably until after the game scrimmage.”
On top of that, the most sought-after role, the quarterback, is being decided between junior Chase Hamilton, who’s up from JV, and senior Joseph McHale, who started for Lynbrook in last year’s playoff game. And it’s not just upperclassmen fighting for their right to party, or lower classmen trying to show them up, but even peers that came up together hanging onto every moment of playing time. A prime example are juniors Jake Brenneis and Paolo Palleschi, primarily tasked with the running back role.
“Those two are certainly guys who we’re counting on this year,” Yaker said. “Those two are having a great camp and great off seasons and so those two are battling at the running back positions.”
There isn’t really anyone that
doesn’t have some sort of expectations on them, most exemplified by the likes of senior linebacker Adam Berkowitz, who also has done time in the halfback and tight end slots.
senior linebacker Adam done time in the halfback
year last year, was figuring it out [how] this is a whole different level,” Yaker
“Also first half of the year last year, was figuring it out [how] this is a whole different level,” Yaker explained. “Committed himself in the off season, he’s had a great summer and a great camp so far and now he’s one of our better season leaders out there.”
he’s had a great summer and a great camp so far and now he’s one of our
The Owls are ranked sixth in Conference III.
p.m. Schedule
V.S. North 3:00 p.m.
Frank Sirufo
BENNETT VOTANO
DOM FASANO
OMARIAN MCCLEAN
Photos by Sue Grieco
By ANDREW COEN
MMacARTHUR
Generals seek deep playoff run
acArthur returns plenty of experience for the 2024 season as it seeks to return to the big playoff stage.
The Generals featured just 13 seniors last season, the lowest number in longtime head coach Bobby Fehrenbach’s career leading the MacArthur sidelines. An up and down season ended for the second straight fall with a quarterfinal loss one win short of competing in the semifinals at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium, a venue Fehrebach hopes to be seeing this November with a large returning senior class who got plenty of playing experience as juniors.
“The goal of most high school programs is to get to Hofstra,” said Fehrenbach, whose program last competed on the Shuart Stadium turf in a 2021 Conference II finals loss to Garden City. “We haven’t been there in three years so we would like to try to get back there.”
With a veteran-laden roster, MacArthur was given the preseason two seed in Conference II behind only Carey. The league will have a far different look with powerhouse Garden City, who has won eight straight county titles, moving to Conference III. .
Among MacArthur’s many talented returning starters is senior running back Jesse Seder, who got the bulk of the carries last season. He rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns in MacArthur’s 24-19 win against Mepham late last season.
Senior fullback Thomas Bennett also returns to give additional experience to the backfield.
Chase Palma is set to take over the starting quarterback spot as a senior after serving as a backup last fall. The athletic Palma, who is also a standout baseball player, gives the Generals another rushing
weapon on set or broken plays. “He won’t be afraid to talk and go and he’s got a strong arm,” Fehrenbach said of Palma, who started on defense at safety and linebacker last season. “It might take a few games to get adjusted because he never took meaningful snaps last year.”
Senior Emberny Mateo will be one of the passing targets for Palma as the lone returning wide receiver. The tight end spot may be taken by senior Jack Centonze, who was backup offensive lineman last year.
The offensive line will be anchored by senior Jack Orlando, who has been a starter since his sophomore season in 2022. Seniors Dean Quitoni and Andrew Chizik are also expected to be big focal points of the offensive line.
The defense, which features many two-starters, will be led largely by Seder at linebacker and Bennet at defensive end. Junior Danny Lopez also returns after earning some starting time at defensive back and linebacker as a sophomore.
On special teams, Fehrenbach entered preseason practices in search of a new punter and kicker following the graduation of both key positions.
The Generals kickoff the season at Mepham before hosting New Hyde Park and Roosevelt in back-to-back home games. The schedule is highlighted by an Oct. 10 road battle at Carey starting at 2:15 p.m.
Last season MacArthur entered as the No. 7 seed, but took on two of the top three ranked teams to open the season en route to a 1-3 start. Fehrenbach is hoping for a better start out of the gate this September playing a challenging schedule as the two seed to position the Generals for as high a playoff seed as possible in what he expects to be a challenging conference.
“Hopefully we get off to a faster start this year,” said Fehrenbach, who played for the Generals in the 1990s and led his alma mater to county titles in 2002 and 2015. “When you play the games, seeds go out the window.” and 2015. “When you play the games, seeds
p.m.
Jesse Seder
JACK ORLANDO
THOMAS BENNETT
CHASE PALMA
Photos by Karen Millindorf
2024 NASSAU COUNTY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
CONFERENCE I
1. Farmingdale Dalers
2. Oceanside Sailors
3. Massapequa Chiefs
3. Freeport Red Devils
4. Syosset Braves
5. Port Washington Vikings
6. East Meadow Jets
7. Freeport Red Devils
8. Herricks Highlanders
9. Westbury Green Dragons
10. Hempstead Tigers
11. Uniondale Knights
12. Plainview Hawks
13. Hicksville Comets
14. V.S. Central Eagles
CONFERENCE II
1. Carey Seahawks
2. MacArthur Generals
3. Long Beach Marines
4. New Hyde Park Gladiators
5. Mepham Pirates
6. Glen Cove Big Red
7. Calhoun Colts
8. Roosevelt Rough Riders
9. Sewanhaka Ravens
10. Baldwin Bruins
11. Jericho Jayhawks
12. Roslyn Bulldogs
CONFERENCE III
1. Garden City Trojans
2. South Side Cyclones
3. Elmont Spartans
4. Floral Park Knights
5. Hewlett Bulldogs
6. Lynbrook Owls
7. Manhasset Indians
8. Bethpage Golden Eagles
9. Clarke Rams
10. V.S. North Spartans
11. Division Dragons
12. Kennedy Cougars
13. Mineola Mustangs
Second-seeded Oceanside and No. 6 East Meadow met in last year’s Nassau Conference I playoffs and will battle once again this season in Week 6.
CONFERENCE IV
1. Seaford Vikings
2. Wantagh Warriors
3. Plainedge Red Devils
4. Locust Valley Falcons
5. Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks
6. North Shore Vikings
7. East Rockaway Rocks
8. Malverne Mules
9. Island Trees Bulldogs
10. Oyster Bay Baymen
11. West Hempstead Rams
12. V.S. South Falcons
13. Carle Place Frogs
14. Lawrence Golden Tornadoes
Photo by Ross Farber
By TONY BELLISSIMO
TMALVERNE
Mules must overcome inexperience
ence starts and ends.”
here was tremendous buzz surrounding Malverne’s program a year ago, but the Mules had a nice season cut short by Cold Spring Harbor in the Conference IV semifinals at Hofstra.
Graduating 24 of its 40-player roster, including Penn State-bound Josiah Brown and tackling machine Hugh Wilkerson III (Southern Connecticut State), Malverne will be hard-pressed to duplicate the 7-win campaign.
“It’s a whole new team but the offseason went exactly how we wanted,” said 15th-year head coach Kito Lockwood, who led the Mules to their last county title in 1991. “Some kids competed in winter and spring track and worked hard in the weight room,” he added. “We bring back only one starter, so we have a lot of pieces to put together.”
Despite the plethora of departures, Malverne is expected to make the playoffs — on paper — as the No. 8 seed in the 14-team conference that added perennial Conference III powers Plainedge and Wantagh. The latter, which captured the Conference IV championship in the spring of 2021, hosts the Mules in the opener.
“We couldn’t ask for a better situation,” Lockwood said. “The best time to play a top team like Wantagh is right out of the gate. We don’t play Plainedge, but we have Seaford and Locust Valley.”
Senior Aaron Munoz is Malverne’s only returning starter and anchors the offensive line at center. It’s his third year as a starting offensive linemen and he’s being counted on to play both sides of the ball in 2024, adding defensive tackle to his workload. “He has the ability to snap the ball accurately and blocks well,” Lockwood said. “He’s where our starting experi-
Senior Sasha Turnier will be a two-way starting tackle, Lockwood said, and brings improved focus and strength. He throws the shot put for the track teams and added muscle since last fall. Junior K’Von Hightower moves into a two-way starting role up front as well, filling a guard spot and defensive end. Like Turnier, he saw some game action last season as a reserve.
Among those battling for the starting tackle and guard spot during camp were varsity returnee John Karam, a junior, and JV grads Brian Major, a sophomore, and juniors Christopher Tucker and DeVondrea Martin.
“We had a strong line last year and we know how important it is to be good up front,” said Lockwood, who noted senior Nahmare Gibson will assist as a blocking tight end.
Senior wideout/safety Isaiah Jolley could be this year’s version of Brown, with dynamic 4.4 speed in the 40 and All-County track accolades. “He came on strong midway through last season and was one of a few underclassmen to get touches,” Lockwood said. “He’s dynamic and we’ll try to get him the ball any way we can because he’s the real deal.”
Sophomore Isaiah Smith and senior Matthew Stephens lead the backfield. Smith comes off a solid JV season and could make an immediate impact on both sides of the ball, while Lockwood expects Stephens to thrive under-the-radar as a ball-carrier and linebacker. Senior Keshawn Pinnock is another running back who on defense is quick enough to play cornerback and strong enough for linebacker.
Junior Jayden Jungra tops the depth chart at quarterback, with Smith entering the campaign as the backup. Jungra led the JV huddle in 2023 and is a pocket passer with a quality arm. “He
needs some reps, but I’m confident he’ll do a good job,” Lockwood said.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the summer was the leg of junior Jayden Mora, a member of the soccer team who was drilling extra points like clockwork. He’ll also handle the punting.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the summer was the leg of junior there,” Lockwood said.
“Get into the playoffs and see where we go from there,” Lockwood said.
Carle Place 2:00 p.m.
@ Locust Valley 2:00 p.m.
Aaron Munoz
SASHA TURNIER
ISAIAH SMITH
K’VON HIGHTOWER
Photos by Sue Grieco
MASSAPEQUA
Chiefs aim to defend title
By DYLAN BUTLER
The 2003 football season will go down as one of the greatest in Massapequa High School history.
The Chiefs went undefeated for the eighth time in program history, cruising to a ninth county title and fourth Long Island Class I championship and winning their first Rutgers Cup since 1994, sixth overall.
It was the perfect way for 30 seniors to go out.
And for those who return this year, turning the page from a historic season happened pretty quickly.
“I try to tell the kids that you want to learn from those kids the way they led, but you don’t have to lead exactly like them. Every group is different,” head coach Kevin Shippos said. “That’s kind of been the mantra with this year’s group, the 15 seniors we have is, ‘create your own legacy.’ Your season is 2024. How do you want it to be written? They’ve been very receptive to that.”
Senior Joey Diesso returns for his second full season as starting quarterback. He brings swagger and leadership a year after completing 60 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,200 yards and 20 touchdowns.
“He’s always having fun, has a smile on his face, takes criticism real well,” Shippos said. “He loves to get the guys going. Last year he had 30 seniors that were kind of helping him, coaxing him along the way and showing them how to do things. Now it’s flipped. Now he’s the guy.”
Also back is senior running back/safety Tyler Villalta, a first-team All-State selection who had 1,700 total yards and 33 touchdowns a year ago. His leadership is by example.
“If I could clone 50 of him,
I would,” Shippos said. “He finishes first in every sprint. He doesn’t miss a workout. ‘Yes, sir, no, sir.’ He’s a great, great kid.”
Joining Villalta in the backfield will be Andrew Pedalino, a quick and stocky junior running back, while senior wide receiver Frank Romano will be Diesso’s top target. Junior Cole Villalta, Shippos expects, should “take the top off the defense,” and senior Kenny Gein will be a slot receiver who will also play strong safety on defense.
Anchoring the offensive and defensive lines is junior Tristan Tarasi, who was on varsity as a freshman and was a two-way starter as a sophomore. He was mentored by three-year starter Jason Kovaluskie, continuing a seamless transition on the line that included Connor Payne, Michael Rollo and Jake Menichini.
“You could tell it from a young age, he had that mentality, that maturity about him, he took the game of football seriously, just everything about it,” Shippos said of Tarasi.
Senior A.J. Molenko is expected to start at tackle next to Tarasi, while junior Alex Van Schuyler slots in at center, seniors Tommy Biggin and Connor Pineda are competing for the other starting tackle spot and senior Bobby Faran is looking to solidify himself at the other guard position.
On the defensive side, junior Anthony DiNello will anchor the linebackers and will play alongside sophomore Nolan Wieczorek, while Alex Chillemi, who kicked the winning field goal to win the Long Island Class I championship as a freshman, will feature as a defensive end.
The Chiefs, ranked No. 3 in Conference I, kick off their season with a marquee showdown at Oceanside. After a trip to Uniondale, Massapequa plays
its home opener against top-ranked Farmingdale Sept.
“At Massapequa, kids are always going to show up, they’re always gonna be ready to go,” Shippos said. “The attitude and effort is always going to be there. The kids are pretty much all cut from the same cloth. It’s just the experience and getting them repetitions with the system.”
@ Westbury 5:00 p.m.
Syosset 6:30 p.m.
Tyler Villalta
FRANK ROMANO
JOEY DIESSO
TRISTAN TARASI
Photos by Michael Scro
By DAVID WEINGRAD
AMEPHAM
Pirates look to flip close results
there’s no shortage of athletes ready to fill in.
ttention to detail is the mantra for the Pirates following a 2023 campaign that saw them on the losing end of four one-score games. Avoiding preventable mistakes early, said head coach Tom Mazeika, will prevent them having to play catch-up late.
Though a first-year head coach, Mazeika is no stranger to Pirates football – he’s spent the last two decades on the team’s coaching staff. So far in training camp he lauded the hard work his kids have put in this summer while savoring the plethora of skill players returning.
Leading that charge is senior Jake Classie, a three-sport athlete who will split time at wide receiver and cornerback this season. A talented player who leads by example, Mazeika noted he will be a major focal point on offense.
Entering the season at starting quarterback is senior Owen Heller, who took over the role full-time late last season and who Mazeika praised as a 6-foot-4 “superathlete” and breakout candidate.
“He could be one of the better quarterbacks in our league,” the coach said. “He’s stepping up and leading a bit.”
Another standout returner is senior wide receiver and safety Nick Gampero, who could break a game open with his explosive speed and route running.
Senior Matthew Biscardi will step into the starting running back position this season, while also starting at middle linebacker, where Mazeika said he will be a leader on the defensive end.
While these seasoned skill players instill confidence, Mazeika said that turnover on the offensive and defensive lines leave a little bit more uncertainty. But
That includes seniors Declan McArdle, who was a reserve last year but has impressed the coaching staff this summer, and Stephen Seol, who saw some playing time last season and will have the opportunity to start on the offensive line beginning week one.
Other new faces in the starting lineup include senior Tyler Rannacher, a reserve last year who will play wide receiver and safety and junior James Quilty, a lateseason call-up from junior varsity last season who will step in at linebacker.
Offensively, Mazeika said his team’s balance will be a major strength, with the ability to pass and run the ball evenly. Their talented skill players will also give opposing defenses a handful. On the defensive end, he sees a group that’s improved a bit physically and athletically from a season ago.
And while a reshaped offensive and defensive line could be viewed as a disadvantage early on, Mazeika sees it as an opportunity for other players to step in and establish themselves.
Seeded as No. 5 in Conference II, a major challenge towards improving upon their six-loss season, said Mazeika, is fixing the mistakes that resulted in those slim defeats. “It’s more about making situational plays,” he said. “Getting a key stop and doing the little things. It was the middle of the game where we made mistakes.”
An opening week matchup against a strong MacArthur team, seeded only behind Carey in a conference no longer led by Garden City, will be a valuable litmus test for the Pirates, and then they have their eyes set on their annual rivalry game against
Calhoun in Week 3.
said it was exhilarating en-
to be there not because I’m head coach, but because of
Already a fixture on the Mepham sidelines, Mazeika said it was exhilarating entering camp on the first day as head coach. “The vibe is good, and they’ve got plenty of energy so I’m more excited to be there not because I’m head coach, but because of them,” Mazeika said of his team. “This group, starting with my seniors, has really brought it. It makes it fun to coach them.”
@ Sewanhaka 11:00 a.m.
2 Long Beach 2:00 p.m. Schedule
Owen Heller
NICK GAMPERO
JAKE CLASSIE
MARIO CORRAO
Photos by Karen Millindorf
OCEANSIDE
Experienced Sailors are title contenders
By ANDREW FANTUCCHIO
There is a cyclical nature to building a winning program. A team starts from scratch, cultivating its young talent as underclassmen until that crop eventually reaches its peak as seniors. But when that group graduates, the team is left with no choice but to go right back to the beginning.
Rob Blount has lived through the cycle multiple times over in his 16 years as the head coach at Oceanside, which is why, after two seasons in the development phase, he’s ready for the Sailors roster to come into its own in 2024.
“We’re coming off two rough, I would say, reloading years,” said Blount. “We’re real confident in the group that we have this year. It is an experienced group that has been around and took some licks as they got to this point. But we’re excited for where they’re at and where they’re going to be.”
Oceanside, which finished last year 5-3, returns virtually its entire starting lineup on both sides of the ball. However, there is still some competition at key positions.
The Sailors, seeded No. 2 in Conference I this fall, began last season with Shane Harmon at quarterback, Luke Viella stepped in midseason after Harmon suffered an injury. In six starts, Viella racked up a combined 1,344 all-purpose yards and 13 total touchdowns, earning an all-county honorable mention.
But even after his heroic performance, the senior’s job security is now under threat as Viella has Harmon, back from injury, looking over his shoulder. Both are proven commodities to help the Sailors reach the end zone.
“Luke brought a different dynamic to our offense as both a running and a passing threat,” Blount said. “He’s a competitor, one of the best competitors that we have on his team. It’s his job to start off with, but everything that we do here is a competition. Shane is going to have an opportunity to compete for reps. They’re both going to end up playing at some point.”
While the command of the offense is in flux, there’s no questioning who will lead Oceanside’s defense. Already a three-year starter, rangy linebacker Dylan Bender returns for his senior year as an All-County selection in 2023.
“He’s got an innate ability to get to the football,” Blount said. “He’s one of those old-school throwback guys where he’s very physical. He loves the aspects of competition and getting after it during the game. He’s going to set the edge for us on the defensive side of the ball.”
As if running against Oceanside won’t be hard enough for opponents while Bender lurks in the middle of the field, advancing the ball through the air won’t be much easier with senior Andrew Dato lined up at safety and senior Simon Wareham playing outside at corner.
While Oceanside’s roster doesn’t have any huge holes, it’s not one that is overly big, either. Competing in the ultra-physical Conference I, Blount believes that whatever the Sailors lack in size, they can compensate for with experience and character.
“Size sometimes is overrated,” Blount said. “Winning individual battles is important. The thing that we look at is guys being gritty and being able to be physical and tough. Size will end up being a factor at certain points throughout the season,
but hopefully, our grit and toughness can overcome that.”
That will all start and end in the
That will all start and end in the trenches.
William Purrman, Jack Grimaldi,
Senior Dylan Koreko will play on both sides of the ball, but his main priority will be anchoring the offensive line alongside William Purrman, Jack Grimaldi, and Brenden Doherty, as well as Andrew Guida and Blake Halpern.
That group will be tasked with protecting whoever starts at quarterback and allowing them to operate Oceanside’s spread offense, which features Issaiah Spivey at running back and Dillon Tveter at wide receiver, both new additions to the neverending cycle.
That group will be tasked with protecting whoever starts at
WILL PURRMAN
Photos by Eric Dunetz
SIMON WAREHAM
Roman Perisa
DILLON TVETER
Giving Birth? Look No Further than the South Shore’s Only High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care
Mothers looking for a hospital at which to give birth should consider the quality indicators used by U.S. News & World Report ® to determine institutions deemed High Performing for Maternity care.
Mount Sinai South Nassau is the only South Shore hospital to earn the rating of High Performing based on eight key measures:
If you want the best birthing experience for you and for your baby, look no further than Mount Sinai South Nassau.
Learn more at southnassau.org/maternity, or call 877-SOUTH-NASSAU.
PLAINEDGE
Red Devils among county’s best
By MARC BERMAN
Imagine Plainedge’s longtime football coach Rob Shaver with more time on his hands to dedicate to the Red Devils.
Shaver, at 55, has retired as a teacher but is back for football, returning for his 29th season.
Under Shaver, Plainedge’s storied program has made the final four at Hofstra 22 times.
The Red Devils have captured two Long Island championships and six Nassau County titles –the last in 2022.
And there may be more Plainedge power ahead for the North Massapequa school that has switched down to Conference IV from III because of smaller enrollment.
“We can win the Long Island championship again,’ Shaver said.
Shaver feels he can be an even sharper coach with no teaching obligations. “I live so close to the school so it actually could help,’’ Shaver said. “I can still be in school quite a bit and have more time to do stuff. I can have more time with the kids. I pull kids out of lunches and study halls. In the past, (I ask), can you guys come down to watch film during my (free) period and they’d say they have a class. And now I never have a class.’’
But Shaver has a lot of offensive talent, especially at quarterback and wide receiver. New signal caller Jaxson Torres is just a sophomore but with a howitzer arm.
The 6-foot-2-, 200-pounder who got called up late last season could be “a game changer,’’ Shaver said.
“The excitement is he has an incredibly live arm,’’ Shaver said. “We’ve had a bunch of guys win quarterback awards. He potentially can have the best arm
we’ve ever seen. This kid can rip it. He’s live.
“He’s got pretty good size for a sophomore,’ Shaver added. “He doesn’t run great yet but I think he will when he gets older. But he can really spin it around the place.’’
Senior. Alec Anderson, who had 12 catches for 232 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023, is back as star receiver and junior Taylor Nitsch isn’t far behind. Nitsch hauled in 6 catches for 100 yards. He also plays defensive back and recorded 18 tackles and an interception. Anderson is 6-4, plays basketball and is being looked at by Villanova and high-level Division III Johns Hopkins. “H’s a Division I player. jumps out of the gym and is super strong,’’ Shaver said.
Nitsch is more possession receiver but Shaver thinks he will do more. “He never drops the ball,’’ Shaver said. “I expect him this year to be a little more dynamic with the ball after he gets it.’’
Senior Jake Parpan is another receiving option. He also plays defensive back. “We’re loaded at wide receiver,’’’ Shaver said. “We have eight guys who can probably play in there and be good.’’
One of them is sophomore Dominic Agovino. Making his varsity debut, Agovino, son of esteemed North Shore head coach Dan, will be more impactful at defensive back. Shaver said he’s “a fearless tackler and cover man.’’
Leading the running game is Dylan Fella (125 carries, 911 yards). “He runs really hard and is very hard to get on the ground,’’ Shaver said. “I think he’ll have an all-county breakout season.’’
The offensive line is solid with junior center Bobby Westcott, tackle Nick Ippolito and guard
Jaden Camp. “(Westcott) is super bright and could be better this year,’’ Shaver said.
year,’’ Shaver said.
Ippolito started all games last season and will be off to West Point, though not to play football. “Great student and very disciplined,’’ Shaver said.
very disciplined,’’ Shaver
athletes deciding recently
Shaver’s only concern is a lack of depth with roster numbers down to 31. Shaver said it’s a result of athletes deciding recently to play one sport. “It’s a bad idea,’’ Shaver said.
Dylan Fella
ALEC ANDERSON
TAYLOR NITSCH
NICK IPPOLITO
Photos by Michael Scro
By ANDREW COEN
SSEAFORD
Vikings face some new challengers
eaford is aiming for a repeat championship under new leadership.
Mike McHugh took over for Mike Corcoran as Seaford’s head coach a season removed from the Vikings capturing a county title in Conference IV for the first time since 2016. McHugh began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant 12 years ago under former longtime Seaford head coach Rob Perpall before joining the coaching staffs at Calhoun and Mepham.
“Taking over a program as strong as Seaford is a big responsibility,” said McHugh, whose son James was a standout running back for the Vikings and is now a junior on the college football level at Wesleyan. “This is a great football town, and it gets our boys not only ready for football, but gets them ready for life.”
McHugh inherits a roster that features some key pieces from last season’s championship team including senior center Michael Villeck, who helps anchor a strong offensive line that also features guard Rob Mcnamara and tackle Justin Discala. The senior trio also serves as team captains.
“They are strong leaders,” McHugh said. “Our team believes in this offensive line very much.”
The tri captains will block for a lethal Seaford ground attack led by junior running back Brian Falk, who amassed nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards and scored 18 touchdowns as a sophomore. McHugh said Falk, who rushed for 177 yards with three touchdowns in Seaford’s dominating 30-6 win against Cold Spring Harbor in the county finals, could make a run at Conference IV player of the year honors.
While McHugh plans to continue Seaford’s power
run-focused offense, he also wants to incorporate some more spread formations that were utilized while he was coaching at Mepham. He said receivers Kyle Britton and Brian Hennessy have the versatility to play either tight end or split out as wide receivers depending what offensive set is run.
The starting quarterback job was up for grabs entering the regular season between senior Will Peterson and junior Mike Spinella
The starting defense will be keyed largely by senior defensive tackle John Elias, whose speed makes him a weapon in stopping run and passing plays. Senior defensive end Justin Betz along with linebackers Giancarlo Belgiorno, Peter Barone, Falk and Villeck give the Vikings a solid unit to mount pressure on opposing defenses.
Senior free safety Ayden Das is also an integral part of the defense, who is 100 percent after being hampered with injuries for much of last season.
“He’s worked hard all year in the weight room,” said McHugh of Das. “He is going to be in the box for us and he can hit.”
On special teams, Seaford returns starting punter Brendan Draude. The kicking duties will be handled by Max Kasparian, who has been a part of the Seaford boys soccer program.
Seaford enters the season seeded first in Conference IV. The league will have a new look with the addition of longtime local powers Wantagh and Plainedge. McHugh said resuming a rivalry with Wantagh, which was briefly in Conference IV during the abridged spring 2021 season, will have special meaning to both neighboring communities.
“It’s definitely good for both towns,” said McHugh, noting that many players competed with each other across multiple sports
in the Wantagh-Seaford Police Activity League growing up. “Both teams respect each other, but I think the competition and that rivalry will be fierce.”
The Vikings will host Wantagh in the second-to-last regular season game on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. The Plainedge game is scheduled for Sept. 28 in North Massapequa.
competition and that rivalry will season game on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. The Plainedge game is scheduled for Sept. 28 in North Masshead
won eight county titles and two for the program,” McHugh said. “He has always offered help in
In preparation for his first head coaching job McHugh has been in contact often with Perpall, who won eight county titles and two Long Island crowns in his 21 seasons leading the Vikings’ program before retiring in 2021.
“Rob Perpall is always here for the program,” McHugh said. “He has always offered help in anything we need.”
Schedule
September
13 Island Trees 6:00 p.m.
21 C.S. Harbor 2:00 p.m.
27 @ Plainedge 6:30 p.m.
October
4 @ Malverne 7:00 p.m.
10 Locust Valley 6:00 p.m.
18 @ East Rockaway 6:30 p.m.
25 Wantagh 6:00 p.m.
November
2 @ North Shore 2:00 p.m.
Brian Falk
MICHAEL VILLECK
KYLE BRITTON
JUSTIN DISCALA
Photos by Karen Millindorf
WRavens roll out new nickname
By MICHELLE RABINOVICH
ith the upcoming season for the newly named Sewanhaka Ravens, head coach Geroge Kasimatis is ready to go into the swing of things flaming hot, starting with the takeaways of last year’s sub-.500 season.
“We definitely underachieved last year; I didn’t think we were going to turn the whole conference on its ear, but we were in a lot of tough games,” he said. “I just felt that if we had gotten the ball rolling in the right direction, we could have been better.”
That translates to being hopeful, believing in the chance and ability to redeem themselves starting with the opener at Baldwin.
“The 2-6 record doesn’t show the talent that we have with this team, it’s just that we had a young group and inexperience and I think that they learned from it, as did we as coaches,” Kasimatis said. “Pretty impressive so far, our guys. Their mental state, their toughness, how they responded in the offseason, worked really diligently, did what we asked of them and very motivated coming into this new year.”
Sewanhaka has plenty of players to bring about, with several in the elder, senior leadership being one of the few who start for both the offensive and defensive lines. This including the characters of junior wide receiver/defensive back Braylon Metellus, junior wide receivers and linebackers Jadon Lawson, Khai Harris and Joe Gallardo, to name a few guys wearing two hats at any given time.
When it comes to the likes of Harris, the coach is anticipating him blossoming on the offensive half of the field for the upcoming
season.
“Quick, heavy-hitter, big tackler on our team. He’s a good weapon because he loves to block so he’s one of these kids that just want to be on a field and run around and have fun,” Kasimatis said. “He’s selfless, doesn’t care if he gets the ball; he’s not stats-driven, he wants to play and run around and have a good time.”
Some of the guys that also stand out to Kasimatis include junior offensive and defensive linemen Devon Hendrickson, Manny Cruz, sophomore running back and linebacker Adrian Ayau, and junior quarterback Anthony Caliendo.
Hendrickson sticks out to Kasimatis because he came into the sport later than the rest of his teammates, only last year as a junior. In the time since, Kasimatis said that he’s grown to be a pivotal player on the roster, due entirely to his hard work.
“Never misses practice, really diligent worker, he’ll probably see time on both sides of the ball but definitely we’ll start him on both sides of the ball; he’ll definitely start at least one way,” he explained. “we wish we would have had him longer to see what we really could have done with him.”
Kasimatis also reveled in the fact that Hendrickson, paired with Christian Alonso and Steven Ortiz, are expected to make for a tough trio on the defensive side.
Kasimatis also knows he has one task taken care of: the team motivates itself every step along the way, something he noticed during weight room training. It might sound silly, corny and even straight out of a movie, but it’s when the guys are pumping iron that Kasmatis noticed just how tightly knit and supportive the team is of each other.
SEWANHAKA
days we test, we do sets of five personal records, it’s just incredible.”
“All of these kids that I’ve been mentioning [have] really bought in… On days we test, we do sets of five on our weights and all these kids are rooting for each other in the weight room,” he explained. “It sounds like we have cheerleaders when somebody’s lifting, they’re encouraging them, they’re pushing through to new personal records, it’s just incredible.”
The Ravens are
The Ravens are ranked No. 9 in Conference II.
Braylon Metellus
KEVIN DOPWELL
ANTHONY CALIENDO
JOSHUA HICKS
Photos by Brian Ballweg
Cyclones start fresh after title
By ANDREW COEN
South Side is largely starting over after conquering the program’s first county title in 22 years.
The Cyclones return just one full-time starter from last season’s magical 10-2 season that featured a celebration at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium after winning a county crown with a 17-14 victory against Floral Park in the Conference III finals. The magical run nearly culminated with a Long Island championship, but South Side fell 19-14 in the Class II title game to East Islip back at Hofstra.
Despite newcomers on both sides of the ball this season, South Side is seeded second in Conference III behind only longtime power house Garden City. Fourteen-year head coach Phil Onesto said playing at Hofstra in November has been the expectation ever since reaching that stage in 2018 for the first time since South Side’s captured a county title in 2001.
“The goal is always to get to Hofstra and give yourself a chance to compete for a championship,” said Onesto, who was a wide receiver on that 2001 championship team. “Even though we graduated all those guys the goal hasn’t changed and we want to build on what the team has accomplished the last couple years.”
Junior Brendan Vetter, who started at cornerback last season, will take on a leading role with the offense this fall as the No. 1 receiver after seeing some time as a sophomore with a senior-laden team.. Vetter leads a receiving unit that also includes Sean Arnott, Jack Boynes, Tyler Korten.
Onesto also has receiving weapons in junior Jack Mullin
and senior Daniel Vanefsky. He said on some plays there may be two tight end formations.
The starting quarterback spot was up in the air early in preseason between juniors Nate Schwartzberg and Connor McNulty. Schwartzberg was the backup starting quarterback on varsity last year while McNulty started on JV.
Senior Justin Singh has solidified himself as the number one running back entering the season after getting carries last year in a backup role. He ran for 109 yards in the Long Island finals last season and Onesto said he has the potential to be a top five running back in the county this season.
“He’s got really top-notch speed,” Onesto said of Singh. “He’s a sprinter in the spring for track and any time he touches the ball he has the ability to turn it into a touchdown.”
Sophomore AJ Magaraci is also expected to play a role in the backfield this season and split out as a receiver. Magaraci scored the first touchdown in the county championship game with a 25-yard reception.
The offensive line will include senior Jimmy Loud and junior Ryan Healy, who were both on varsity last year. John Schmidt, Jayden Johnson, Joe Gigante, Jack Sciallis and Jaylen Fletcher are also expected to play a role on the line this season.
The defense will be keyed largely by a deep defensive line group led by Schmidt at defensive end. Healy, Loud, Fletcher, Mullin, Vanefsky, Brayden Gamberg and Yuri Carper are also expected to play important roles in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Junior Lucas Papadopulos is slated to take over the starting kicker role vacated by his older brother Nick who graduated.
SOUTH SIDE
Lucas Papoints with eight.
Lucas Papadopulos filled in for his brother in a 56-0 win against Mineola last fall and broke a single-game school record for extra points with eight.
South Side opens up its quest to return to Hofstra against neighboring rival Lynbrook.
South Side opens ing rival Lynbrook. “We’re not even looking last year up to speed.”
“We’re not even looking into November yet,” Onesto said. ”It is a matter of one game at a time and getting the guys who didn’t get experience last year up to speed.”
Brendan Vetter
RYAN HEALEY
JIMMY LOUD
JACK BOYNES
Photos by Michelle Ebel
UNIONDALE
Knights embrace new home field
By ANDREW COEN
Uniondale enters the 2024 football season with plenty of local pride on its side.
After more than 70 years of playing on a grass field that dated back to 1949, Knights will now play home games at the Uniondale School District’s newly enshrined synthetic turf field that was unveiled in August with a new scoreboard also set to debut in September. The project, which was part of a $158 million bond act approved by district voters in 2018, began in August 2023 and resulted in Uniondale playing its 2023 home schedule at Cantiague Park, in Hicksville.
“It’s a long-time coming and very exciting,” said Uniondale head coach Philip Coppola. “It looks beautiful and the kids are really excited for it.”
Coppola noted the new playing surface, which is equipped to withstand wet weather, will also benefit the future of the program with youth football teams now having more opportunities to play there. The Knights hosted a pop warner clinic in mid-August soon after the field was christened.
The Knights will be looking to make the inaugural season on their new and improved field a memorable one by punching the program’s first playoff appearance since 2019. While Uniondale was seeded 11th in the Conference I preseason rankings in early 2024, the team got an offseason boost with some highly touted transfers.
Two of the Uniondale newcomers hail from Holy Trinity in senior Adrian Ayala and junior Darien Oliphant. Both are versatile two-way players who on offense will see time at running back or wide receiver.
Uniondale is also adding senior DaJon Clinton from Ami-
tyville High School, who will be a key part of the running game as a power back and help anchor the defense at middle linebacker.
Copolla said all three transfers have the potential to be All-County.
Clinton will bolster a strong running game that returns senior Jahiem Foote, who led the team in rushing and touchdowns last season. Sophomore Marquis Lawrence gives Coppola another speedster in the backfield to complement Clinton’s power running.
“We have thunder and lightning in the backfield,” Coppola said.
Senior Xavier Whyte and sophomore Jaden Garland will be big targets in the passing game as wide receivers.
The Knights bring back a young offensive line that will rely on the senior leadership of Jaden Lewis-White, a three-year starter at offensive tackle. Coppola said that Lewis-White, who measures around 6-6 and 280 pounds, also has the ability for an All-County season playing on both sides of the line.
Juniors Carlos Perez and Ethan Thomas also return as starters to the offensive line with senior Bryce Inniss set to start at center. Senior Will Smith, a 6-7 300-pound offensive tackle, is also expected to be a key part of the trenches in his first season on varsity.
On defense, Clinton will be a key addition at middle linebacker while Oliphant will enhance the secondary as a shutdown cornerback. Lewis-White is also an integral part of the defense putting pressure up the middle at defensive tackle while Foote brings versatility as a returning strong safety for defending passing plays as well as stopping the run.
The special teams bring back kicker Jaden Ayala, who boasts
a strong leg on field
sporting special camo jerseys.
a strong leg on field goals and kickoffs. Uniondale will debut its new field with a challenging game against defending Conference I champion Massapequa on Sept. 21 at 3 p.m, which will also honor local military veterans and first responders with the Knights sporting special camo jerseys. The second home game on Oct. 5 against longtime rival Hempstead be be an alumni day with many past Unionale players in attendance.
“Each home game will have a special theme and we want the community to come out and see what they paid for,” Coppola said. “There are a lot of positive and good vibes going around right now.”
and good vibes going around
p.m. Schedule
Jaden Lewis-White
JAHIEM FORTE
ADRIAN AYALA
DARIAN OLAPHANT
Photos by Eric Dunetz
V.S. CENTRAL
Eagles embrace fresh start
By MICHELLE RABINOVICH
This season is a chance to turn over a new leaf for the Valley Stream Central football team after finishing without a Conference I victory in 2023.
“Last year we had a very disappointing year; it was a disappointing year because we had fantastic kids on the team and I wanted them to experience success, but we just never got it done in any games, we went 0-8,” Eagles head coach Tom Schiavo. “And that was the first time in my career that ever happened.”
So to the question of what the team worked on to improve, the answer was straightforward from Schiavo: “everything.”
One of the first targets for improvement was working on chemistry, adding emphasis to getting to know each other better, how to support each other and developing affection for each other as strong as their individual feelings toward football.
“I’m seeing that we are technically better, and I’m looking for that enthusiasm, that infectious enthusiasm like when someone makes a good play, I’m looking for that,” he said. “How it infects everybody and makes everybody want to make the next play, I’m looking for that.”
After that came the hard part: cleaning up technical skills in the offseason and preseason to get ready for the fall. To his team’s credit, there are some charismatic leaders that aid in the transition and improvement of the collective.
Schiavo named senior quarterback/linebacker Omarre Gantt, “without a doubt, the leader of the team, both emotionally and as a player.”
Following suit is co-captain Nelson Frias, a junior receiver/ free safety. “[Frias] is doing the
same stuff like Omarre, taking huge steps forward this year and he’s an excellent team leader,” Schiavo said.
What the team has and lacks is clear in Schiavo’s mind: while they have the tools necessary to succeed, it’s a matter of getting used to actually using them regularly in order to repeat success.
“We’re big, we’re strong, we’re fast, we’re tough, but the one thing we don’t have a lot of is experience,” Schiavo admitted. “Our big push is to give the kids opportunities to play football, we have a lot of joint practices scheduled. We try and expose the kids to as much football as possible to bring up their football IQ and get them to a level where they can compete with the other conference 1 schools.”
With additional joint practices, three this year across five team, compared to last year’s one joint practice thanks to a fresh New York State law, the team’s excitement is just as freshly renewed.
This gives seniors Michael Pinnock, Jared Portillo and Anderson Estrada, and juniors Zamir Labranche and Chris Srour, the envisioned o-line, additional reps before they kick off the season Sept. 13 against Hempstead.
On the opposite side of scrimmage, Labranche will double dip with junior Ryan Icart, Christopher Santos and Alex Bisnath flanking his sides, to anchor the defense. Someone who sticks out is senior senior Jayden Fox, who plays multiple skilled positions on offense and is also a defensive back on defense. “He can be pretty good,” Schiavo said. “He’s been on varsity since 9th grade, he knows the drill.”
There’s also senior Tyler Haye, the lead running back heading into the season, who the coaching staff, in no uncertain terms, expects big things from.
up our IQ and maximize our effort,” Schiavo said.
With opening day on the horizon, the goal is clear: “We’re just trying to bring up our IQ and maximize our effort,” Schiavo said.
“It’s the best offseason
great schedule. It gives us
“It’s the best offseason I’ve experienced in 35 years coaching football,” he added “I think we have a great schedule. It gives us a chance to compete every week.”
Omarre Gantt
TYLER HAYE
JAYDEN FOX
NELSON FRIAS
Photos by Donovan Berthoud
By BRIAN KACHARABA
DV.S. NORTH
Youthful Spartans look to rebound
espite returning only three starters, Valley Stream North may have been better than its second straight 2-6 record in 2023 would indicate. It held leads in three of its games during a season-opening fivegame losing streak and averaged just over 22 points the entire season.
The Spartans again do not have many starters returning as they try for their first above .500 regular season since 2014 – they made the playoffs three times with 4-4 records since – but head coach Mike Paolillo believes those that are back or brought up from the JV will show just as much moxie.
“We may surprise some people,” he said. “We’re young, so [we have] a lot of 11th graders who have not played varsity football. I think we’ll be OK.”
Senior Imran Paul, who rushed for over 400 yards and caught for almost 100 more with five combined touchdowns as the featured tailback last season, will be the team’s new quarterback. Though it may take a little time to refine his throwing skills and form a bond with his receivers, Paolillo feels that he could still be the most productive player on the field.
“Imran has the ability and will be a running quarterback for the most part,” he said. “He can throw the ball deep. He needs to work on his touch a little bit, but otherwise, it’s a no-brainer for us. The ball is going to be in our best player’s hands for the most part.”
Juniors Izaiah Hill and Aidan Munro will both be replacing Paul at tailback after starring on the JV team with junior Dominick Verso adding depth and senior
Antonio Casoria providing fullback duties. Hill brings plenty of speed to the position, while Munro can bowl defenders over with his strength.
“We expect them to do a lot…quickly,” Paolillo said of the pair.
Senior Steeve Delma, who had a pair of long touchdown runs last season, can be found as both a tailback and receiver, where he will join a corps that also includes senior Christian St. Amand and junior Marco Dicostanzo. The latter two played well in limited receiver roles last season, according to Paolillo, with Dicostanzo catching two touchdown passes of 69 and 30 yards in 2023.
The offensive and defensive lines are the biggest question marks on this year’s team, Paolillo said. Nate Smith will anchor both after the senior shifted from guard to center last fall and will move inside to defensive tackle this season in the 4-2-5- scheme.
“He’s the leader,” Paolillo said. “He’s the guy. He’s really our only returning eight-game starter. Other than Nate, no one has much experience [on offensive line].”
Junior Mike Posillico is expected to regain his left tackle spot after suffering a knee injury midway through last season and senior Danial Haq is being slotted at right tackle. The starting guards will be determined after training camp.
Casoria, Verso, and junior James Romano are projected as the inside linebackers, with Munro, Karim Waly, and Joseph Capolino on the outside. Paul, Hill, senior Jayden Gonzalez and St. Amand will all be a part of the cornerback rotation and Dicostanzo is an early candidate at safety.
North, the No. 10 seed in Con-
ference III, will open the seachampion-South Side in the third game. The Spartans will
ference III, will open the season at home against Bethpage (3-5) and at Division (1-7) before hosting defending county champion-South Side in the third game. The Spartans will visit Floral Park, which lost to South Side in that title game, on Oct. 10 before closing the season with winnable games against Clarke (3-5), Lynbrook (4-4) and Mineola (0-8).
against Clarke (3-5), Lynbrook
“It’s a very favorable schedule for us,” Paolillo said. “We just have to stay healthy and play mistakefree football and I think we should be very successful.”
healthy and play mistakefree football and I think we should be very successful.”
September 14 Bethpage 3:00 p.m. 20 @ Division 7:00 p.m. 27 South Side 7:00 p.m. October 5 @ Kennedy 3:00 p.m. 10 @ Floral Park 2:00 p.m. 19 Clarke 3:00 p.m. 26 @ Lynbrook 3:00 p.m. November 2 Mineola 3:00 p.m. Schedule
Imran Paul
NATE SMITH
TONY CASORIA
MARCO DICOSTANZO
Photos by Brian Ballweg
By MARC BERMAN
GV.S. SOUTH
Falcons facing many obstacles
one is stalwart quarterback Michael Hernandez, among 18 graduated seniors.
After losing its star two-way star player, Elijah Jack, before training camp to an ACL tear, Valley Stream South is all but starting from scratch. The Falcons will be led by a new junior quarterback, Daniel Casey, who hasn’t thrown a varsity pass.
Casey was starting JV quarterback last season but dressed with the varsity occasionally as the ‘emergency’ QB.
“We had the luxury of having Michael Hernandez for three years,’’ head coach Joe Guastafeste said. “He’s moved onto LIU. Now we have to get a new quarterback ready to go.’’
Easing the pressure on Casey is Valley Steam South had always been known for its rushing attack with its “Wing T’’.
“His strengths are he has varsity experience in that he’s been pitching for the varsity baseball team the last two years,’’ Guastafeste said. “He’s a quick learner with a great football IQ and has a passion for the sport. So he’s really invested.’’
Last season’s Falcons finished 3-5 and missed the playoffs in the final game, losing to Oyster Bay. It is a longshot to project Valley Stream South as playoff material, but there is optimism. Many of the new starters were successful JV players, compiling a 9-7 record in 2022 and 2023.
The season opener is versus Carle Place. “I’m looking forward to that first game and see how they transition to varsity football players,’’ Guastafeste said. “It will give me an idea what the season will look like.’’
South will need a big year from junior running back David
Brooks. Last season, Brooks only had 12 rushes but gained 101 yards. He also is a standout outside linebacker who collected 47 tackles. “He was a 10th-grader last year and played varsity,’’ Guastafeste said.
With Jack missing from the offensive line, guard Aaron Daniels will be the keystone. He plays both offense and defensive line.
“That’s where it all starts,’’ Guastafeste said. “He’s now our best lineman. He steps into the limelight. We pull our guards (in the Wing T) so he will be one of our main players.’’
At least Casey will have one experienced receiver in senior Jayshaun Woodard, who caught 24 balls for 542 yards in 2023. He was one of Conference IV’s top receivers for yardage. Woodard also is a big cog on defense at safety.
“He’s our second-best defensive player,’’ Guastafeste said. “He’s our defensive play caller.’’ Junior. Emmanuel Williams may also be a physical force at linebacker and running back. Senior Gerick Joseph may see time at running back and linebacker, too. He had six rushes last season for 42 yards and made 7 tackles.
“We have a lot of seniors coming back but not a lot of seniors with playing experience,’’ Guastafeste said. “I expect a lot of 11th graders to push them for playing time. ‘’
One of those is Junior Roberts, a 6-4, 277 pounder who will be a lineman on both sides. Roberts will be joined on the offensive line by Nasir Emmanual, a center who started three games there last season.
“All the offensive lineman have to step up and open holes and protect our quarterback,’’ Guastafeste said.
This marks Guastafeste’s
10th season as Falcons’ head coach.
the playoffs but it’s returning,’’ Guastafeste said. “The speed at which
be more physical on both sides of the ball. It’s a ers
“Our goal is always to make the playoffs but it’s going to be a little bit different than last year when we had a lot of kids returning,’’ Guastafeste said. “The speed at which we moved was a little quicker than I anticipate this year. But we want to be more physical on both sides of the ball. It’s a young group with players that have to prove themselves.’’
Oyster Bay 2:00 p.m.
David Brooks
EMMANUEL WILLIAMS
DANIEL CASEY
GERICK JOSEPH
Photos by Donovan Berthoud
By TONY BELLISSIMO
TWANTAGH
Warriors battling in Conference IV
he last time Wantagh’s football program played in Nassau Conference IV, things went fairly well.
The Warriors won the county championship in the spring of 2021 after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the previous fall’s season to start six months later. Now, after returning to their familiar stomping grounds in Conference III and going 8-2 last season, they’re back in IV.
“We had good, competitive games that season we won Conference IV and the top part of our schedule is still going to be very tough,” head coach Keith Sachs said. “We always expect to be in the mix and make a run for the title. Plainedge moved down with us and Seaford is the defending champs with maybe an even better roster. People are also saying good things about Locust Valley and Cold Spring Harbor.”
Wantagh, which has reached the semifinals in 24 of the past 25 seasons, is sandwiched between top-ranked Seaford and No. 3 Plainedge in the 14-team conference and opens at home versus Malverne.
Opponents will have to gameplan against senior Dylan Martini, who a year ago was runner up for the Thorp Award, given to Nassau County’s most outstanding player. The All-Long Island tailback/safety who is headed to Albany to play lacrosse amassed 1,700 yards from scrimmage, including 1,400 rushing, 18 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He averaged 11 yards per touch. “He’s the total package as a student-athlete and a person,” Sachs said. “He’s a human highlight reel. We’ll keep an eye on his workload and we have plenty of good kids around him.”
Next in line for carries behind the dynamic Martini are John
Gendels, a senior and All-County lacrosse player and returning starting linebacker, and junior Joe Nicholson, who was the only sophomore on the varsity roster in 2023. Both can serve as fullbacks, and if its Gendels then Sachs will utilize Nicholson as a wing or receiver. Senior Oliver Iacobazzi and junior Devin Paccione will serve as additional wideout threats.
Sachs is excited about the return of three starting two-way senior linemen with size, strength, talent and leadership qualities. Shareef McMillan is a three-sport athlete (wrestling, track) coming off an All-Conference campaign at guard/defensive tackle. “He’s built like a brick and is also fast, he’s a sideline to sideline defensive lineman which is rare,” Sachs said. Tackle Andrew Perez is a standout in the weight room and also a skilled wrestler, while Chris Romano handles the snaps from center and helps key the D-line.
Stepping into the tight end role is standout senior linebacker Cole Spinelli, who led the Warriors in tackles last season. “He’s one of our biggest impact players and a stud on defense,” Sachs said. “He’ll block to help the running game and can catch the ball any time we ask him to.”
After serving as the backup quarterback last fall and enjoying an exceptional offseason, Sachs said, senior Ryan Conigliaro could take over the reigns with junior Carter Loughman as an intriguing option. Loughman is 6-foot-4 and was the JV starter. “Ryan knows the offense inside and out and took some snaps last year,” Sachs said. “Carter has great size and a great arm. Both can move well. It’s a good situation.”
Conigliaro is also an integral part of a secondary anchored by Martini. Nicholson and Iacobazzi could join Spinelli and Gandels as starting linebackers, and senior
Tommy Wunderlich could assist and also help cover units. Both the kicker and punter positions were up for grabs heading into camp. “We work hard on special teams, so I’m not too worried,” Sachs said. “I just want us to get to the point where extra points are almost automatic.”
Both the kicker and up for grabs heading Sachs said. “I just want us to get to the point where extra points are almost
@ C.S. Harbor 7:00 p.m.
Shareef McMillan
ANDREW PEREZ
COLE SPINELLI
CHRIS ROMANO
Photos by Karen Millindorf
Rams rely on ground and pound
By TONY BELLISSIMO
West Hempstead graduated the majority of its 2022 roster that played in the Nassau Conference IV championship game and the result was a 2-6 record and no playoffs.
The Rams will need to outperform their preseason ranking of 11 to qualify for the playoffs this fall in a conference that added perennial title contenders Plainedge and Wantagh. Third-ranked Plainedge is the home opener in Week 2, but West Hempstead will not face Wantagh or top-ranked defending county champion Seaford.
“We’re seeded where we should be and it’s the lowest since my first year as head coach 14 years ago, but there are many winnable games if we play well,” head coach Dom Carre said, noting the Rams’ matchups with Valley Stream South, Lawrence and Oyster Bay, the 12, 14 and 10 seeds. “We have to limit our turnovers and limit big plays against us,” he added. “If we’re not clicking on offense, we might be in for a long day. That’s our strength.”
There’s typically no secret when it comes to trying to defend Carre’s team, which runs a double-wing offense (spread and Wing-T) and looks to ground and pound its way downfield and to the end zone.
“Everyone knows what we like to do,” Carre said. “We’re old school. We’ll change formations to show different looks, but we typically throw the ball 6 to 10 times per game unless it’s out of necessity. Our offensive line is big and experienced, so we’re going to come right at defenses and make them stop us.”
Three of the returning starters are offensive linemen. Senior
Jayden Bonilla and junior Joe Suarez enter their third varsity campaigns among the starting five, and senior Will Cruz moves from center to guard. Suarez, 5-foot-11 and 260 pounds, has started every game in each of the past two seasons at guard. Bonilla is a strong 5-11, 300-pound tackle, and along with Suarez anchors the right side where lead back Christian Dildy will do the majority of his running.
The remaining two spots on the O-line should be filled by a combination of senior Walker Stern, junior Kevin Tator and sophomore Ethan Bonilla. Stern will play center or join senior Riley Leddick at tight end. Bonilla was a key part of last year’s successful JV team and is a lead candidate for the tackle spot opposite his older brother.
Dildy (5-9, 155) isn’t large in stature but is expected to be big for the Rams on the stat sheet.
“He’s a great kid who’s fast and shifty with good hands,” Carre said. “He’s a little undersized, but he goes hard and it usually takes more than one defender to bring him down.”
Backing up Dildy and expected to get some opportunities carrying the ball is junior Kevin Rivera, a varsity newcomer with a strong work ethic.
Senior Bryan Tator takes over the starting quarterback role after playing fullback a year ago. He has some experience at the position from his JV days but hasn’t taken a snap in a varsity game. “Bryan put in a lot of work during the offseason and I’m confident he’ll play well,” Carre said. “He’s built for our system. He’s quick and mobile and throws well on the run.”
Tator, who is backed up by senior Jayden Threewitts, a starting cornerback, is also a key on the defensive side at linebacker. Leddick, who could handle
WEST HEMPSTEAD
backer who’ll be counted
some kicking duties, is another starting linebacker who’ll be counted on to produce.
The defensive line will look have no shortage of linemen,
The defensive line will look similar to that of the offense with Jayden Bonilla, Suarez and Cruz as the anchors. “We have no shortage of linemen, so hopefully we can give some of the two-way guys breathers here and there,” Carre said.
Christian Dildy
RILEY LEDDICK
BRIAN TATOR
JOE SUAREZ
Photos by Sue Grieco
With the most Castle Connolly Top Doctors® of any orthopedic practice on Long Island, Orlin & Cohen’s specialists are recognized among the best in the nation by their peers. Their experience and expertise can help you feel better, faster.
Over 75 in-network orthopedists, featuring fellowship-trained specialists in sports medicine, elbow, knee, shoulder, hip, joint replacement, foot and ankle, spine, and hand
In-house MRI and digital X-ray, weightbearing CT scan, pain management, and physical therapy
The resources of the only orthopedic practice that spans from Southampton to Staten Island
