Wantagh surges past Mepham

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Last Saturday’s Nassau Conference II football quarterfinal between Wantagh and Mepham was tied late in the first half before the Warriors took over the game in a crucial stretch to end the second quarter and open the third quarter en route to a 48-21 win.

Quarterback Robert Tucker found Dylan Beckwith for a 36-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds of the second quarter to give fourth-seeded Wantagh the lead for good to cap a two-minute drive. The Warriors then received the second half kickoff and a 49-yard touchdown run by Kyle Sliwak extended the lead to 28-14. Wantagh then recovered a the ensuing kickoff on a squib kick at midfield and took advantage with Bruno Surace reaching the end zone for the second time on a 1-yard plunge.

Mepham’s offense, which had produced big plays in the first half, was kept on the sidelines during this critical 11-minute portion of the game that saw Wantagh seize control with 21 unanswered points to punch its ticket to the county semifinals against top-seeded Garden City.

“That sequence was huge,” Mepham head coach Anthony Cracco said. “We didn’t touch the ball until late in the third quarter.”

Said Wantagh head coach Keith Sachs, “It was a tremendous momentum turn.”

Prior to Wantagh keeping Mepham’s offense off the field for nearly a quarter, Pirates quarterback Michael Proios led two scoring drives. Proios scored on an 8-yard run midway through the second quarter to tie the score at 14-14 and reached the end zone on a 2-yard quarterback keeper to cap Mepham’s opening drive for a 7-0 lead. The sophomore signal caller finished the day with 92 yards rushing.

Wantagh’s explosive offense was a balanced attack that featured 154 yards rushing from Sliwak and three touchdown passes from Tucker. Beckwith caught two of those touchdowns, including the game-winner late in the second quarter and a 53-yarder in the first quarter to answer Mepham’s opening score.

Both Tucker and Beckwith credited the work of their offensive line for the many big plays. “The line did a great job protecting and Robert knows how to make those throws,” Beckwith said.

“The offensive line did an amazing job,” Tucker added. “It was just a great day.”

Mepham finished the season at 5-4 after earning the No. 5 playoff seed. The Pirates were seeking their first trip to semifinal round since 2010. “It was a great group of kids,” said Cracco. “This was a tough way to end it.”

Wantagh (7-2) will face Garden City at Hofstra for the seventh straight year at 4 p.m. this Friday. The Trojans defeated Wantagh, 28-18, on Oct. 17 in a game where the Warriors were plagued by turnovers.

“We did not play well the first time,” said Sachs of the regular season meeting with Garden City, in which Wantagh fell behind 28-6 before scoring two touchdowns late in the game. “If we play well, I think we will be OK.”