Nassau County football: Week 5

The second half of the Nassau County football regular season kicks off Thursday, and only a few unbeatens remain.

One team still without a blemish is East Meadow, which has scored at will during a 4-0 start. The Jets, ranked No. 2 in the preseason in Conference I, are out to avenge last year's blowout loss at Oceanside. They host the Sailors (2-2) at 3:30 p.m.

Baldwin (3-1) rallied to stun Oceanside last Saturday and will look to keep the momentum going against Valley Stream Central. The Eagles (1-3) are going to have their hands full with Bruins tailback Javaun Tomlinson, who keyed last week's victory. Kickoff is 4:30 p.m. at Firemen's Field. Defending champion Freeport is unbeaten and visits Farmingdale for a 7 p.m. start.

In Conference II, the key showdowns have Elmont (3-1) visiting Garden City (4-0) at 4:15 p.m., and Wantagh traveling to Carey (3-1) for a 3:30 p.m. start.

In Conference III, Hewlett (3-1) and Lynbrook (3-1) renew their rivalry under the lights at Marion St. School at 7 p.m. The defending champion Owls were stunned by Floral Park last week, 7-0. At 3:30 p.m., Lawrence (3-1) looks to get by nemesis Plainedge, which has captured four of the last five meetings. South Side goes to unbeaten Bethpage for a 7 p.m. start.

In Conference IV, West Hempstead puts its perfect record on the line against Malverne (2-2) at 4:30 p.m. The Rams snuck past East Rockaway (2-2) last Saturday. The Rocks will look to rebound at Seaford (2-2) at 7 p.m. High-scoring Valley Stream North (3-1), which got four touchdowns from Evan Henry in last Saturday's win at Malverne, is home to Island Trees at 4 p.m.

Enter the Herald's Pigskin Picks contest for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to a local restaurant. This week's game is Elmont-Garden City. Pick the winning team and final score.