Thursday, October 1, 2026
South Side football has opened its 100th season with a 3-0 record, with the most revealing game requiring the most work.
After convincing victories over Elmont and Clarke, which highlighted the school’s Homecoming Day, the Cyclones edged Seaford, 14-12, last Friday night in what Onesto described as a “slugfest.”
“We knew it was going to be a slugfest going against Seaford,” Onesto said. “They’ve got a long history of good football there. So, we’re happy to come out of that with a win.”
South Side has outscored its first three opponents 90-19, but the Seaford game was a significant departure from the offensive fireworks of the first two weeks. The Cyclones rushed for 80 yards and passed for 48, while Seaford totaled 205 rushing yards and 55 passing yards.
Strong winds made passing difficult and turned field position into a major factor.
“They were playing a lot of man defense along the box, trying to stop our run game, which has been our strength the past two weeks,” Onesto said. “They did a very good job of that.”
South Side still found enough offense, scoring on senior A.J. Magaraci’s 18-yard run and quarterback Rob Cesario Jr.’s 15-yard pass to junior Gavin D’Alessandro. Magaraci, Reagan Petrone and Ethan Johnson have combined for eight touchdowns on the ground through three games, giving the Cyclones plenty of weapons in the backfield.
“A.J. has been a three-year starter,” Onesto said. “Ethan is very difficult to bring down as a 200-pound running back. And Reagan is a type of kid that can turn a broken play into a touchdown.”
Cesario has tossed five touchdown passes overall without an interception, including two to senior Ryan Solomon.
The defense has been the team’s most consistent unit, allowing only 19 points while producing an interception in each game. Magaraci, junior Kieran Vetter and Solomon have each picked off a pass.
“Our secondary has done a really nice job with the interceptions,” Onesto said. “But I think the strength of our defense is up front.”
That includes seniors D’Andre Mullings-Newberry, Jalen Hurt, Jaylen Fletcher, Christian Harris and D’Alessandro along the defensive front. South Side also stopped Seaford’s two-point conversion attempt after its second touchdown, a play Onesto called the deciding moment of the game.
“The guys were resilient,” Onesto said. “That was the biggest thing we took out of that. They didn't shy away and they took care of business.”
Special teams also proved important. Junior Dylan Berenbroick converted both extra-point attempts, while Solomon averaged 33.2 yards on five punts, including a 46-yarder.
“He had two or three punts going into the wind,” Onesto said. “There was one where he was kicking from the back of the end zone and got the ball out to around the 50-yard line.”
Next up is Manhasset, which won its first two games by a combined 89-26 before falling 7-6 at Locust Valley last Friday. Onesto knows the Cyclones will face another challenge against Manhasset’s triple-option offense.
“Any time you go up against a triple option team like them, one bounce on defense can lead to a touchdown,” Onesto said. “We just got to get ready for what they’re going to be doing offensively.”
