Locust Valley tops Seaford for title

Seaford held Locust Valley’s potent rushing attack largely in check for the first 24 minutes of the Nassau Conference IV football title game before the Falcons broke through for some big plays to clinch the school’s first county title in nearly three decades on Nov. 19.

The top-seeded Falcons ran for 166 rushing yards in the second half to turn a one-point halftime lead into a 20-6 win for their first county championship since 1987. The game played in a driving rainstorm at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium ended the Vikings’ bid to capture their first county crown since 2010.

“It’s nice to get over that hump,” Locust Valley head coach Matt McFarland said. “This is a special group.”

Seaford (9-2) was the closest to knocking off unbeaten Locust Valley this season, falling 33-20 on Oct. 16 after trailing by four points entering the fourth quarter. On the championship stage Seaford was once again competitive, trailing only 7-6 at halftime and out-gaining the Falcons 174 yards to 69 in the first half.

“I’m very proud of these kids,” Seaford head coach Rob Perpall said. “It was a great season.”

Locust Valley, which fell to Seaford in its last county title game appearance in 2009, was led by the running of senior Tom Talenti whose 46-yard touchdown burst early in the first quarter gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead. Talenti, who finished with 198 yards rushing, also scored on a 47-yard run to open the second half and extend the Falcons’ advantage to 14-6. A 2-yard touchdown plunge from Joe Pedranghelu midway through the third quarter made it 20-6.

“When you have two running backs as good as we do, it’s hard to stop both of them,” McFarland said. “They are unselfish and don’t care who gets the ball as long as we win the game.”

Seaford’s top runner, Danny Roell, gained 124 yards with nearly half that total coming on a 57-yard touchdown run with 3:14 left in the second quarter. The ensuing extra point was botched keeping the score 7-6.

“We mixed up our defenses a lot,” McFarland said. “If you play base defense on them, they will grind you out.”