Thursday, October 1, 2026
After nearly 10 inches of snow fell across Rockville Centre, two dozen or so South Side High School football and lacrosse players spent the following day shoveling driveways and walkways for neighbors instead of sleeping in and lazing around.
The effort, dubbed South Side Shovels, was organized by former South Side player Griffin Condon, a 2015 graduate who owns Centre Station Bar & Grill in the village and employs several of the athletes. Condon posted the offer on the RVC Network Facebook page on Jan. 21, four days before the storm, asking residents to text his phone number for service.
He expected a modest response, but instead received roughly 120 calls and messages requesting help. Residents were charged a flat rate of $60, and Condon included $20 gift cards to his restaurant at no extra cost.
The athletes were eager to help.
“It does not surprise me one bit,” Condon said. “I know a great deal of these kids just through the games that I’ve gone to and being a player myself, and just knowing them and seeing them through training camp. So it’s not surprising at all that they’re willing to go out in conditions like this.”
The players worked from 7 a.m. until about 7 p.m. and raised just over $7,000 by day’s end, which they divided among themselves.
“It showed me how much the community comes together when people are in need,” said South Side junior Ryan Madden, who plays football and lacrosse. “The community really bonded through these hard times, like that snowstorm. I thought everyone was super grateful.”
Madden and his teammates met at Centre Station on Monday morning to collect shovels and gift cards before dispersing into seven “zones” across the village. Teams of three worked on houses within walking distance of their own.
Madden shoveled with multi-sport athletes Brendan and Kieran Vetter. Other football players who took part included senior Colin Kenny and juniors Leonard Budden, Will Durdaller, Jaylen Fletcher and D’Andre Mullings-Newberry.
Junior running back and safety A.J. Magaraci, who underwent shoulder surgery last November after playing much of the football season with a torn labrum, coordinated assignments and logistics for the teams.
“We just made groups [based] on where the houses were the closest for everyone, because most of us couldn’t get a car out and go drive,” Magaraci explained. “I made the groups like that so everyone was able to walk to the places that they were going. It was pretty easy from there because everyone gets along, so no one was having trouble.”
Madden and his group cleared about 12 houses, and he acknowledged that fatigue set in just past the seventh home. Magaraci’s parents helped refuel the players with pizza and hot chocolate.
“We had one long driveway, we had a pizza box, and we were laying in the snow just eating the pizza,” Madden recounted. “It was, like, our seventh house, and we were dying, and we were just, like, oh my God, it’s gonna be a long day.”
Magaraci said the experience reinforced the importance of community responsibility for young athletes. “This town is great for all the sports, not just football,” he said. “So whenever we get the chance, we all love to go out and help them out in any way they can, like they do for us.”
For South Side football coach Phil Onesto, the effort highlighted leadership and character development beyond the field.
“When you put on a football uniform, you’re representing your school and your family and your community,” Onesto said. “It’s not an individual thing, and it even expands much farther than just the football program itself. You're representing South Side High School.”
The initiative dates back to 2021, when a major snowstorm at the height of the coronavirus pandemic first inspired athletes to volunteer.
“The kids were very eager to get out,” Onesto recalled. “We had a team meeting, and we were, like, ‘Look, there’s going to be a big snowstorm coming up. We want to open up and help.’ It was a really big success.”
Residents were overwhelmingly appreciative, offering the shovelers tips, snacks and drinks. The experience also gave players some perspective on their role in the community.
“It’s nice sitting around on a snow day, relaxing,” Madden said, “but it’s even better just helping out your community, doing what you can and having fun with your friends.”
Magaraci said the effort could help change perceptions of high school athletes. “I feel like some people might think they’re not the type of people to go out and go help the community,” he said, “but this will definitely help change their perspective on that.”
Condon and the players hope to repeat the effort in future storms, with the goal of making South Side Shovels an ongoing tradition.
“We’re ready to do it again whenever the community needs us,” Madden said.
