Sports

Rocks win big on Homecoming

East Rockaway 43-16 victory over Mineola

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A week removed from its first loss of the season, East Rockaway rebounded in a big way by rolling to a 43-16 Homecoming victory over Mineola last Saturday afternoon. James Tierney ran for a team-high 128 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries to lead the offensive fireworks.

With the win, East Rockaway improved to 3-1 in Nassau Conference IV. Tierney, who had over 100 yards rushing in the opening quarter, was solid on both sides of the ball. The senior captain registered 12 tackles on defense. Senior Danny Fusco had 81 yards on three carries and scored a touchdown as the Rocks amassed 400 yards on the ground.

While Tierney put up some gaudy numbers, head coach Russ Pajer attributed the team’s success to the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. “We preach all the time that it’s not about one player making plays, but rather about everyone doing their job, allowing someone to make a play,” Pajer said. “It was a real team effort. The guys are playing well, and we’re coming together as a team.”

It didn’t take long for Mineola to find out that it would be in for a long day. The Rocks went 60 yards in seven plays on the opening drive with Tierney getting the scoring started with a four-yard run. Josh Alvarez ran it in for the two-point conversion to give East Rockaway an 8-0 lead at the 9:08 mark.

The Mustangs looked like they would answer with a score of their own, but a fumble deep inside East Rockaway territory was recovered by Rocks senior cornerback Mike Delgais.

As it did for the entire first half, East Rockaway ran the ball at will on the ensuing drive. Tierney capped off a 93-yard drive when he went 22 yards around right end for his second score of the day. Andrew Schwarzman’s PAT made it 15-0. Five of the seven plays on the drive, all on the ground, went for 12 yards or more. 

After Mineola got on the board when quarterback Matthew Kosowski went 65 yards down the right sideline, the Rocks answered on the very next play. Fusco got free around left end, put on the afterburners, and went 64 yards for the score and a commanding 22-8 lead.

East Rockaway’s defense was stellar all day long. Nick Monteleone, Nick Ippolito, and Colin Barnes all had big hits in the opening half. Alvarez, Augie Buffolino, and Scott Ovental added touchdown runs for the Rocks.

With a big matchup with West Hempstead next up on the schedule, Pajer knows there’s a lot at stake. “This game will mean a lot in terms of playoff positioning,” Pajer said. “They do a lot of the same things we do. They’re a tough, athletic team. We can’t turn the ball over or make mental errors. It should be a good game.”

This Saturday’s home game against West Hempstead with kick off at 2 p.m.