Wantagh rebounds from tough loss

Warriors drop Lynbrook to .500

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A week after its offense was limited to just one trip to the end zone, Wantagh was running on all cylinders last Saturday night at Lynbrook with seniors Tom Von Bargen and Nick Teresky cranking the engine in a Nassau Conference III battle under the lights at Marion St Elementary.

Von Bargen totaled 147 yards and three touchdowns and Teresky added 148 yards and two scores as the Warriors rolled, 42-0, for their third victory in four games. It was the second shutout loss in as many home contests for the Owls (2-2), who recorded road wins at Roosevelt and Lawrence in September.

“We walked away from the second half of the Plainedge game knowing we can play with them and we played very well tonight,” Wantagh head coach Keith Sachs said. “Lynbrook likes to blitz and plays aggressive defense, so we ran some things we thought would work and the kids executed.”

Wantagh’s three-pronged ground attack — senior Michael Lombardi capped the first-half fireworks with a 24-yard touchdown run — and patented misdirection plays stung Lynbrook. Von Bargen’s 15-yard touchdown reception from senior quarterback Peter DelGais (4-for-4, 80 yards) finished off an impressive 82-yard opening drive for the visitors.

“They’re an excellent, well-coached team,” Owls head coach Steve LoCicero said of Wantagh. “Our guys played with great effort but we need to play better assignment football.”

Von Bargen ran for a 50-yard touchdown out of the wildcat formation and Wantagh’s lead was 14-0 after one quarter. His third score covered 21 yards less than a minute into the second. “He’s a highlight reel kid,” Sachs said. “He’s very elusive and makes defenders miss.”

Teresky, a physical runner who can rake between or outside the tackles, added a 2-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and set up Lombardi’s touchdown with a 26-yard gain on the previous play. Teresky’s 60-yard touchdown early in the third capped the scoring.

Defensively, Sachs said the Warriors were well aware of Lynbrook’s talented junior tailback Ethan Hoyte, who had 197 yards and two scores a week earlier in a blowout victory at Lawrence. “We don’t really focus on one kid unless a team is one-dimensional,” he said. “They can hit on some passes, so we just wanted to make stops on first down and make things tougher for them to move the ball.”

Senior kicker Michel Coney went 6-for-6 on extra points. His leg could come in handy this Friday night when Wantagh travels to face upstart South Side (4-0) in a rematch of last year’s playoff semifinal won by the Warriors. The Cyclones have scored at least 35 points in three of four games. “We’re taking a nice mental edge into next week,” Sachs said.

Lynbrook kicks off the second half of the regular season this Saturday at 2 p.m. at Hewlett, which also split its first four games. “Our schedule gets very tough,” said LoCicero, whose team visits South Side the following week. “We’re young but always play our best football late in the season.”