Eagles hope for second-half surge

Central High School football head coach Frank Chimenti said he knew it was going to be a challenge moving from Conference II to Conference I this year. So far, it’s been a struggle for the Eagles who have gotten out to a 1-3 start.

After Central won its opening game against Port Washington 48-35 at Firemen’s Field, it lost to powerhouse teams Massapequa, 51-18 at home, and East Meadow, 61-7 on the road. Last Saturday, the Eagles visited up-and-coming Hicksville, and lost to the Comets 35-6.

Injuries played a role as the Eagles struggled in the first half, though Chimenti said the players did not let that become an excuse. Central lost junior running back Laton Butler for the season, after he injured his clavicle on the second play of the Massapequa game. “It’s a tough loss,” Chimenti said of Butler, who he feels is good enough to play college football. “He’s our top player. We just want to make sure that he gets healthy.”

The Eagles also lost starting quarterback Kwesi Harrison for half of the Massapequa game, and the East Meadow game, with an ankle injury. Free safety and kicker Ricky Grosso filled in for him. Harrison returned against Hicksville and scored the lone touchdown for the Eagles.

Chimenti said as many as six starters have been out in single game, forcing him to juggle players. Even with the lack of depth, he has refused to call up players from the junior varsity team, which is 2-2.

Players have kept their heads up. Chimenti cited the leadership of team captains Grosso and Danny Napolionello. He also said senior Corey Brown has filled in nicely for Butler and sophomore Chris Robert and junior Francisco Montalvo have played solid defense.

The standout player on the team has been Brandon Wilder, Chimenti said. The coach, noting that Wilder had to be talked into playing football, called the junior running back his player of the game against Hicksville. Wilder had a few big catches, including one for 28 years. “He’s a dynamite player,” Chimenti said. “He has great hands. He runs good routes.”

Looking ahead to the second half of the season, Chimenti remains positive and said the playoffs remain a goal. The Eagles play Baldwin at home this Thursday night, then host Farmingdale for their Homecoming game on Oct. 15. Central finishes off the season with away games against Hempstead and Plainview.

Chimenti, in his second year coaching the Eagles, said the team needs to cut down on penalties and turnovers. While he would like to see the team at least match last year’s 4-4 record, he is taking it one game at a time. “I’m very optimistic about the second half of the season,” he said, “and the future of the program.”