Calhoun surges past South Side

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With Conference II football playoff seeding implications on the line, Calhoun used a potent rushing attack to knock off South Side in the regular-season finale and head into the postseason with momentum at its back.

The Colts amassed more than 200 yards on the ground in a 27-7 win before a large crowd at South Side’s Homecoming celebration. The road win assured a second straight winning season for Calhoun (5-3) and the sixth seed for the playoffs with a first-round game at MacArthur. Despite the loss, South Side (4-4) earned the seven seed and will open the postseason at Mepham.

“Calhoun came to play,” South Side head coach Phil Onesto said. “They took it to us.”

Calhoun jumped out to a 27-7 lead at halftime paced by two touchdowns by junior quarterback Nick Turrini, who finished with 88 yards, and one touchdown from Ariel DeJesus. The Colts’ explosive option offense also featured 101 yards from Thomas Casiamano, who also had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown that made it 27-0.

“We want to put the ball in the hands of guys who can make plays,” Calhoun head coach Brian Moeller said of his multiple backfield weapons. “They all bring something else to the table.”

South Side receiver Pierce Fine gave the homecoming crowd something to cheer about with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Trent Davis just before halftime, but the Cyclones would get no closer with neither team scoring in the second half. Onesto said he hopes the blowout loss serves as a wake-up call for the first round of the playoffs against a strong Mepham team that finished 6-2. The Cyclones cemented a second straight postseason berth with a 28-21 win against Carey the previous game on Oct. 20.

“This was not the way we wanted to go into the playoffs so hopefully we can take this as a learning experience,” said Onesto, who has guided the Cyclones to its first postseason berth since 2008 last year. “We have to have short memories about what happened this past weekend and bounce back.”

A stout defense also led the way for Calhoun against South Side with defensive back Dan Marcello bringing an interception back 43 yards to set up the Colts in strong field position. Calhoun leads Nassau County with 22 forced turnovers and received strong defensive pressure Saturday by Noorali Soomorohad, Keith Rosales, Jack Annibale, Jack Appello, Dean Paolillo, Paul Mamay and DeJesus.

“Our defense is playing lights out,” Moeller said. “They are really playing well.”

Calhoun next travels to Levittown for a first round playoff game at third-seeded MacArthur, a team the Colts edged 29-26 on Oct. 20. With Calhoun now in the playoffs for the third time in four years, Moeller hopes his team can take another step and win a postseason game to set the program up to compete at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium for the first time in two decades.

“They will be well prepared for us,” Moeller said of MacArthur.