Wantagh rallies past Elmont

After forcing eight turnovers to spark a victory over Elmont during the regular season, Wantagh’s defense came through again with big plays down the stretch to secure a come-from-behind 24-21 win in a Nassau Conference II first-round playoff game last Saturday.

With the visiting Spartans on the move just shy of midfield late in the fourth quarter, linebacker Ralph Sommer cemented the third-seeded Warriors’ trip to the semifinals with an interception with 1:24 remaining. Cornerback Nick Rodin picked off a pass at Wantagh’s 35-yard line to end No. 6 Elmont’s previous possession.

“It was a heck of a battle,” Wantagh head coach Keith Sachs said. “We really had to work and earn it. And if they would’ve won, they would’ve earned it.

“We made a couple of defensive adjustments in the second half and took away their favorite plays,” he added. “We got those big interceptions and held them off.”

Peter Brasile’s 40-yard touchdown burst up the middle — his third rushing score of the day — with 6:58 remaining put the Warriors (7-2) ahead to stay. They advanced to face nemesis and four-time defending county champion Garden City, the No. 2 seed, in the semifinals this Friday at Hofstra at 7:30 p.m.

The win was Wantagh’s fifth over Elmont in three years, and second in six weeks after the Warriors took a sloppy 14-7 affair on Sept. 28. The Spartans (4-5) were led by Kevon Chambers’ six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown.

“We always play great games against these guys,” Elmont head coach Jay Hegi said. “It’s a shame we didn’t beat them because we finally got off to a good start. Last year they jumped on us 21-0 after six minutes, and this year it was 14-0 after two minutes. Today we were in the lead or close all the way.”

The Spartans held the biggest advantage for either team — 12 points — late in the second quarter but Wantagh got within 15-10 at halftime on Brasile’s 1-yard touchdown plunge with 19 seconds to go in the half. “That was huge because it meant we didn’t need a big comeback in the second half,” Sachs said. “It really helped being down only one score going into the locker room.”

Both defenses came up with a turnover that led to a touchdown in the third quarter. An interception by Wantagh’s Vinny Vasheo in the opening minute put the offense in business at the Elmont 17, and Brasile made it 16-15 with a 1-yard run. The Spartans returned the favor with a fumble recovery by Lahens Vassor that led to quarterback Simon Kalu’s 1-yard touchdown run and a 21-16 lead.

In the first half, Kalu (11-for-26, 181 yards) hooked up with Chambers for a 25-yard passing play and found Kendall St. Louis downfield for a 70-yard touchdown as Elmont built a 15-3 lead.

“It was a great high school football game,” Hegi said. “We couldn’t run the ball...it’s that simple. We threw it really well in the first half, but we didn’t have the same success in the second half.”