VSN celebrates win on new field

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Valley Stream North’s much-anticipated first football game on its brand new turf field was a successful one last Saturday as the Spartans worked their way past Nassau Conference III rival Division, 22-13, before a spirited Homecoming crowd.

Sophomore Ethan Ramnarian caught a first-quarter touchdown pass from senior quarterback Tim McGrath and sealed North’s second victory in three games under rookie head coach Chris Wagner with an interception around midfield with two minutes remaining. McGrath’s 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter provided the Spartans with some breathing room.

“The vibe was very positive,” Wagner said. “We had a big week at school leading up to the game and we played well enough to win.”

North fell behind early for a third consecutive game and trailed 7-0 when Ramnarian’s 23-yard touchdown grab and McGrath’s two-point conversion run erased the deficit for good. The hosts led 8-7 after one quarter and extended the lead in the second on junior fullback Noah Etane’s 3-yard touchdown run. Senior kicker Felipe Ramirez booted the extra point and the Spartans held a 15-7 lead at halftime.

“We made some early adjustments and held the lead,” Wagner said.

The Dragons edged closer in the third quarter on Charles Cook’s second 1-yard touchdown run of the day, however, the potential game-tying two-point attempt failed, and North’s defense held its ground in crunch time. Junior Karl Josil led the unit with six tackles. Senior Timothy Hutchinson (72 yards on 19 carries) keyed the fourth-quarter scoring drive with some tough yards, Wagner said. Ramirez’s PAT following McGrath’s touchdown made it a two-score game.

“Tim had a great day running and throwing,” Wagner said of McGrath.

The Spartans, who split a pair of road games to kick off the campaign, are home again this Saturday at 3 p.m. against upstart South Side, which stands at 3-0. In Week 2, North rebounded from a season-opening defeat at Wantagh to outlast Glen Cove in a wild one, 38-34.

Both teams scored three touchdowns and combined for 39 points in the first quarter, but the next 24 minutes produced only a single score. The fireworks returned in the fourth quarter when the teams traded touchdowns twice, including Etane’s eventual game-winning 40-yard scoring reception.

With the Big Red knocking on the door late, Ramirez sealed North’s win with an interception in the end zone. Hutchinson was unstoppable throughout and finished with 361 yards and three touchdowns (65, 24 and 59) on 20 carries, while Glen Cove’s quarterback-receiver combination of Devon Christopher and Peter Rodriguez hooked up six times for 201 yards and three scores. Christopher also had 95 yards on the ground and two touchdowns.

“It was an exhausting game that was back-and-forth,” Wagner said.

Trailing 20-19 after the first quarter, the Spartans took a 25-20 lead in the second on McGrath’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Ramnarian. The score held all the way to the fourth when Christopher regained the lead for the Big Red at 28-25 with a 4-yard touchdown and two-point conversion. All told, the game featured seven lead changes.