For the first time, East Rockaway and West Hempstead will join forces on the football field this fall, creating a new team with players from both programs.
The merger came together after West Hempstead faced low roster numbers. Only 10 players from last year’s Rams playoff team are on this year’s roster.
“When the merger came up, West Hempstead approached me,” Pajer said. “Dom Carre is a graduate of East Rockaway. He played for me. He coached with me before he went to West Hempstead. So, he said, ‘Listen, we’re having a problem with numbers. What do you think about merging?”
Pajer said the transition has gone smoothly.
“The kids are getting along really well,” Pajer said. “Everything’s been very smooth so far. They’re enjoying playing. They laugh. They have a good time. I think all that stuff kind of puts things together and makes teams successful.”
Carre, who coached West Hempstead for 16 seasons, is now Pajer’s defensive coordinator.
The team will practice at East Rockaway. Its Sept. 26 game against Elmont will be played at West Hempstead for Homecoming. East Rockaway’s Homecoming is Oct. 9 against North Shore. The team does not have a nickname.
West Hempstead finished 4-4 during the regular season before losing to eventual Conference IV champion Seaford in the first round. East Rockaway went 2-6 last season, but Pajer believes the record does not fully reflect how competitive the team was. The team lost quarterback Mike Tizio early in the season and struggled with depth.
“We were 2-6, but we lost our quarterback in Week 3,” Pajer said. “We were down 14-0 in the Seaford game at halftime, and we lost our quarterback for the rest of the year. He was our quarterback and one of our middle linebackers. So, records can be deceiving when you play.”
The merger has given Pajer more depth and options. If Tizio goes down again, junior Rohan Mathai provides a strong backup.
“When Tizio got hurt, we had a running back convert to quarterback,” Pajer said. “We’ve got two legit quarterbacks right now. Right now, Tizio’s the guy. He can do a lot of things. Tizio has some different athletic abilities, and Rohan has some different abilities.”
The backfield includes Tristen Rose, Jayden Romeo, Steven James and Merge Pesnatez. Frank Monteleone and Javon Campbell give the team options at fullback. At tight end, Pajer expects Yency Duran and Maurice Knight to contribute.
The offensive line includes Terry Hayes, Evan Gulino, with John Rios and West Hempstead lineman Ethan Bonilla also in the mix. Tristan Mathai is the expected center.
Hayes also anchors the defensive line. Pajer said the senior was one of the team’s most dominant players last season.
“Terry Hayes, an All-County player last year, was a dominant force,” Pajer said. “Ten sacks, I think 15 tackles for losses. He did a phenomenal job last year.”
Duran and Knight are also defensive-end options. The linebackers include Monteleone, Rose and Tizio, with Dominic Martinez providing depth. In the secondary, Pajer mentioned James, Romeo and Jack Elliott at safety, with Rohan Mathai also able to play there. Shawn Barrett, Dadley Derosiers and Pesnatez are among the cornerbacks.
East Rockaway-West Hempstead enters the season as the preseason No. 5 seed in Conference IV. The schedule includes tough defending county champion Seaford, newcomers Floral Park and Valley Stream North, Elmont in a crossover game, and North Shore.
“We’ve got a tough schedule,” Pajer said. “I don’t think we have any easy games.”
Pajer believes the team has enough depth to withstand the demands of the schedule and compete with the conference’s top teams.
“I think we can compete with everybody,” he said. “I’m very optimistic on the year. I think we have a good core. We have depth.”
Pajer has set an ambitious goal.
“I think we can contend for the county championship,” he said. “I think we’re definitely one of the top four teams in our conference, but you’ve got to play the game.”
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