Valley Stream Central Eagles

V.S. CENTRAL

Eagles relying on defense, ground attack

By TONY BELLISSIMO

After Valley Stream Central fumbled away its chance to be a semifi nal playoff team for a second straight season, dropping its must-win fi nale to Elmont, the Eagles are out to prove they can run with the big dogs in Nassau Conference II despite some unexpected summer departures. “We’re rocking and rolling with the kids we’ve got,” head coach Michael Rubino said. “We’re going to look a lot like the 2019 team that made it to the semifi nals. We’ll be big up front, we’ll look to play tough defense and slam the ball with our running game.” The Eagles, who went 3-2 in a condensed season this past spring, still have close to 20 returning varsity players and a young quarterback with lots of potential. They’re seeded fourth in the 14-team conference and open the campaign at home against Elmont. An unforgiving schedule also includes matchups against four-time defending county champion Garden City and perennial title contenders MacArthur and Carey. “We seriously have our work cut out,” Rubino said. “The guys realize how important the offseason work is if we want to be successful. We’re scrimmaging Syosset from Conference I to help us prepare for Elmont and everyone else.” Rubino said they’ll take it slow with freshman signal-caller Omarre Gantt, who was the JV starter last season and has a solid grasp of the position. “He has a long way to go but he’s a smart kid and an extremely hard worker,” Rubino said. “He’s a dual threat who can run and throw, but we’re not throwing the kitchen sink at him right away.” Gantt has the benefi t on a sizable and experienced offensive front and a talented backfi eld consisting of senior Jason Dalis and junior Joshua Rogers. Dalis is a third-year varsity player who started every game at linebacker as a junior and got an occasional carry in a pass-fi rst offense. “We didn’t run too much, but Jason is a strong kid who excels in the weight room and also has speed,” Rubino said. Rogers missed last season with a foot injury but is explosive and physical, the coach noted. He was a standout at the JV level in 2019 and also plays linebacker. “Josh tore it up on JV when he was a freshman and is really going to help us,” Rubino added. The offensive front is anchored by senior center Hamza Choudry, a thee-year starter who’s one of the schools premier wrestlers as well. “He’s a tough kid with a wrestling mentality and brings it every game,” Rubino said. “He communicates well and makes accurate snaps in the shotgun.” The Eagles also return both starting tackles with junior Showayne Lumsden (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) on the left side and junior Jerome Nembhard (6-0, 200) on the right. Both are key pieces of the defensive line as well. “Showayne has great feet and he’s still growing,” Rubino said. “And Jerome is a hard-nosed kid who just loves football.” Another returning two-way starter and a talented three-sport athlete, junior Mohammad Daffalla tops the depth chart at receiver and is a reliable cornerback. Junior Anthony Castro brings some varsity experience to the receiver group and secondary as well. A handful of seniors could play prominent roles on one or both sides of the ball. Ingel Jones has the ability to serve as a shutdown cornerback when opponents air it out. Charles Pierre-Louis is the team’s top tight end and also a defensive end opposite Nembhard, while

Antonio Padilla is a linebacker who could fumbled away its chance land a startto be a semifi nal playoff ing nod on team for a second straight season, offense as well. dropping its must-win fi nale to Elmont, the Eagles are out to prove they can run with the big dogs in Nassau Conference II despite some unexpected summer departures. “We’re rocking and rolling with the kids we’ve got,” head coach Michael Rubino said. “We’re going to look a lot like the 2019 team that made it to the semifi nals. We’ll be big up front, we’ll look to play tough defense and slam the ball with our running game.” The Eagles, who went 3-2 in a condensed season this past spring, still have close to 20 returning varsity players and a young quarterback with lots of potential. They’re seeded fourth in the 14-team conference and open the campaign at home against Elmont. An unforgiving schedule also includes matchups against four-time defending county champion Garden City and perennial title contenders MacArthur and “We seriously have our work cut out,” Rubino said. “The guys realize how important the offseason work is if we want to be successful. We’re scrimmaging Syosset from Conference I to help us prepare for Elmont and everyone else.” Rubino said they’ll take it slow with freshman signal-caller Omarre Gantt, who was the JV starter last season and has a solid grasp of the position. “He has a long way to go but he’s a smart kid and an extremely hard worker,” Rubino said. “He’s a dual threat who can run and throw, but we’re not throwing the kitchen sink at him right away.” Gantt has the benefi t on a sizable and experienced offensive front and a talented backfi eld consisting of senior Jason Dalis and junior Joshua Rogers. Dalis is a third-year varsity player who started every game at linebacker as a junior and got an occasional carry in a pass-fi rst offense. “We didn’t run too much, but Jason is a strong kid who excels in the weight room and also has speed,” Rubino said. Rogers missed last season with a foot injury but is explosive and physical, the coach noted. He was a standout at the JV level in 2019 and also plays linebacker. “Josh tore it up on JV when he was a freshman and is really going to help us,” Rubino added. The offensive front is anchored by senior center Hamza Choudry, a thee-year starter who’s one of the schools premier wrestlers as well. “He’s a tough kid with a wrestling mentality and brings it every game,” Rubino said. “He communicates well and makes accurate snaps in the shotgun.” The Eagles also return both starting tackles with junior Showayne Lumsden (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) on the left side and junior Jerome Nembhard (6-0, 200) on the right. Both are key pieces of the defensive line as well. “Showayne has great feet and he’s still growing,” Rubino said. “And Jerome is a hard-nosed kid who just loves football.” Another returning two-way starter and a talented three-sport athlete, junior Mohammad Daffalla tops the depth chart at receiver and is a reliable cornerback. Junior Anthony Castro brings some varsity experience to the receiver group and secondary as well. A handful of seniors could play prominent roles on one or both sides of the ball. Ingel Jones has the ability to serve as a shutdown cornerback when opponents air it out. Charles Pierre-Louis is the team’s top tight end and also a defensive end opposite Nembhard, while Antonio Padilla is a linebacker who could land a starting nod on offense as well.

MOHAMMAD DAFFALLA

Joshua Rogers

JEROME NEMBHARD

Schedule

September 11 Elmont 2:00 p.m. 18 MacArthur 2:00 p.m. 25 @ Sewanhaka 7:00 p.m. October 2 New Hyde Park 3:00 p.m. 9 @ Garden City 2:00 p.m. 16 @ Herricks 2:00 p.m. 23 Long Beach 2:00 p.m. 30 @ Carey 2:00 p.m.

RUTGERS CUP

Rutgers Cup History

The Rutgers Cup is presented annually by the Rutgers Club of Long Island to the most outstanding football team in Nassau County. Manhasset was last season’s recipient. The Indians won the Nassau Conference III championship. A list of the winners:

2020 MANHASSET 2019 PLAINEDGE 2018 FREEPORT 2017 GARDEN CITY 2016 GARDEN CITY 2015 FARMINGDALE 2014 CAREY 2013 CAREY 2012 LAWRENCE 2011 EAST MEADOW 2010 FREEPORT 2009 GARDEN CITY 2008 FREEPORT 2007 FARMINGDALE 2006 LAWRENCE 2005 GARDEN CITY 2004 ROOSEVELT 2003 FREEPORT 2002 BETHPAGE 2001 WANTAGH 2000 FREEPORT 1999 ROOSEVELT 1998 GARDEN CITY 1997 FREEPORT 1996 DIVISION 1995 BETHPAGE 1994 MASSAPEQUA 1993 BETHPAGE 1992 GARDEN CITY 1991 FARMINGDALE 1990 MALVERNE 1989 MASSAPEQUA 1988 HEMPSTEAD 1987 SEWANHAKA 1986 HEMPSTEAD 1985 HEMPSTEAD 1984 HEMPSTEAD 1983 NEW HYDE PARK 1982 DIVISION 1981 DIVISION 1980 MASSAPEQUA 1979 SEWANHAKA 1978 FARMINGDALE 1977 NEW HYDE PARK 1976 FARMINGDALE 1975 FARMINGDALE 1974 CAREY 1973 SYOSSET 1972 FARMINGDALE 1971 FARMINGDALE 1970 SYOSSET 1969 FREEPORT 1968 MASSAPEQUA 1967 MINEOLA 1966 HICKSVILLE 1965 MASSAPEQUA 1964 EAST MEADOW 1963 FREEPORT 1962 HEMPSTEAD 1961 LAWRENCE 1960 MINEOLA 1959 FREEPORT 1958 FREEPORT 1957 MANHASSET 1956 FREEPORT 1955 LAWRENCE 1954 MINEOLA 1953 BALDWIN 1952 MEPHAM 1951 HEMPSTEAD 1950 MEPHAM 1949 GLEN COVE 1948 BALDWIN 1947 HEMPSTEAD 1946 HEMPSTEAD 1945 MINEOLA 1944 BAY SHORE 1943 GLEN COVE 1942 FREEPORT 1941 HEMPSTEAD 1940 LAWRENCE 1939 HEMPSTEAD 1938 OCEANSIDE 1937 LAWRENCE