Elmont drops hard-fought semifinal

Engaged in a defensive struggle with Wantagh in last Friday’s Nassau Conference II playoff semifinal at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium, Elmont squandered numerous second-half possessions that originated in enemy territory and saw its season end with a hard-fought 14-6 loss.

The third-seeded Spartans, who fell behind for the first time all night when Warriors running back Brian VonBargen plowed into the end zone from six yards out on the opening play of the fourth quarter, had their last three offensive series start on Wantagh’s side of the field but couldn’t execute.

“We played really hard and it could’ve gone either way,” Elmont head coach Jay Hegi said. “It’s disappointing because we came out and took the lead and our defense played great. We had some individual breakdowns on a couple of plays, and that’s the difference in a close game like this.”

All but four of No. 2 Wantagh’s 132 yards from scrimmage came on the ground, and on the winning 12-play, 76-yard drive that began with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter VonBargen carried six times for 48 yards and Balzano four times for 17 yards. Joe Gardinia had two interceptions in the fourth for the Warriors, who advanced to face top-seeded Garden City in the title game.

Like it did in its 21-8 loss to Wantagh in the regular-season finale Oct. 29, Elmont (6-4) struck first when senior Qusarn Caldwell busted loose for a 51-yard touchdown run with 10:33 to go in the first half. Senior linemen Nikai Carter and Christopher Henry gave Caldwell (123 yards on 22 carries) the initial hole and he outraced several members of the secondary to make it 6-0. The Spartans, who last attempted an extra-point try Sept. 24, had their two-point conversion try denied.

Late in the second quarter, after Elmont’s defense forced Wantagh to punt on its fifth straight possession the Spartans took over at their own 24 but couldn’t move the chains. But their fourth punt of the night turned disaster when Christian Labengerg blocked and recovered it for the Warriors at the 3. Three plays later, VonBargen tied it with a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:28 left in the half.