66.0°,
Overcast and Breezy East Rockaway grad coaches against alma mater
Dom Carre's Ram take game
The faceoff between East Rockaway and West Hempstead, a pair of evenly matched football teams that run very similar offensive attacks, was highly anticipated for a number of reasons. The Rocks were looking to knock off one of the teams to beat in Conference IV, while the Rams were looking to stay undefeated.
However, another sports storyline was standing on the West Hempstead sideline, as Ram’s head coach Dom Carre returned to face his alma mater for the first time. A 1999 East Rockaway graduate, Carre was a four-year varsity player for the Rocks.
Carre had mixed emotions about the game. “I tried to tell myself that it’s just another game, but it’s very different from every other game,” he said. “There’s so much anxiety and emotion. I played for Russ Pajer and Dan Vito at East Rockaway, and was Bill Petry’s teammate. Bill and I still speak every day. It’s really not a lot of fun, because I don’t want to see either team lose.”
Carre hasn’t had to watch his team lose at all in 2011. The Rams are 4-0, including a 28-20 victory over Seaford in Week 2 that snapped the county’s longest winning streak at 44 games.
Watching the fiery Carre on the sideline leaves no doubt that East Rockaway’s offensive coordinator had a big impact on him. “Dan Vito is my coaching mentor,” Carre said. “We’re both maniacs on the sideline, and both just love football. I learned a lot about preparing for games from both Russ and Dan.”
Pajer, in his 17th season as head coach at East Rockaway, is happy to see one of his players doing well. “Dom was such a passionate football player when he was playing for us,” Pajer said. “He was one of those players who would do everything asked of him and left it all on the field. I’m proud of him. I’m not surprised he’s doing well as a coach.”
After West Hempstead’s 22-14 victory, Carre was relieved that the game was behind him. “Honestly, this wasn’t one bit enjoyable,” he said. “I know most of the boys on East Rockaway’s team, and to see the looks on their faces really hurts. They’re great kids, and I want to see them succeed. I’m glad it’s over.”
