Falcons fall to Rams in Homecoming match

After dropping 17 games in a row on the gridiron, West Hempstead has a streak to be proud of.

Sophomore Tayvon Hall rushed for 196 yards and four touchdowns last Saturday as the Rams spoiled Valley Stream South’s Homecoming and won their second straight matchup in Nassau Conference III, 41-20.

Senior Kyle Garrett and junior Justin Boatwright added rushing touchdowns for West Hempstead (2-2), which scored 28 unanswered points in the second half to erase a 20-13 deficit. Sophomore Ousmane Camara led the defense with 12 tackles.

“It’s the first winning bus ride we’ll have back to our place in a long time,” Rams first-year coach Dominick Carre said. “It’s pretty exciting. Everyone’s enjoying the success we’ve had the past two weeks, especially the seniors.” 

The Falcons, who held a lead for a third straight game, slipped to 0-4. They got rushing and passing touchdowns from junior quarterback Thomas Meaney and a kickoff return for a score from senior Ahmed Nasr.

“All year we’ve been a much better team in the first half,” VSS coach Lance Griffin said. “They wore us down.

“You try to replicate the amount of energy kids are going to use in games as best as you can in practice, but it’s not the same,” he added.

South struck first in a wild opening quarter that saw each team score twice. A botched snap on West Hempstead’s first offensive play resulted in a turnover, as sophomore Phil Crisci pounced on a fumble inside the Rams’ 10-yard line. Two plays later, Meaney faked a handoff to Nasr and scored on a keeper from eight yards out. Senior Anthony Romano’s extra point gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead.

The remaining 7:46 of the quarter was all about big plays. Hall, who led West Hempstead’s 20-7 victory over Great Neck North in Week 3 with three touchdowns, each covering at least 56 yards, broke loose on a 77-yard touchdown run to cap a 98-yard drive that made it 7-7 after junior quarterback Bruno DeVito’s extra point. On third-and-five from his own 23, Hall spun away from one defender and outraced two others to the end zone.