West Hempstead reaches playoffs

Win and you’re in was the scenario facing both East Rockaway and West Hempstead as they prepared for their Conference IV football matchup on the final weekend of the regular season schedule. One team would earn the conference’s final playoff berth, while the other would be on the outside looking in.

On a swampy field that was better suited for slugs, worms, and ducks, West Hempstead’s Tommy Cannisi proved to be amphibious. The junior back carried the ball 10 times for 206 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Rams to a 41-12 road win. 

Junior Jaihari Creightney scored a pair of touchdowns in the opening quarter as West Hempstead took a 13-0 lead. The Rams advanced to the playoffs, where they will take on top-seeded Roosevelt.

West Hempstead head coach Dom Carre wasn’t surprised by Cannisi’s big day. “Tommy carried the load for us in the past when he had to step into a role that called for him to get more touches,” Carre said. “I couldn’t be happier for him. He’s one of those players who does what he’s asked to do all the time. He played very well on both sides of the ball.”

As expected, the frog-strangling rain led to sloppy play and a slew of fumbles. An East Rockaway turnover led to the game’s first score. On the first play after a Rocks fumble, Creightney took a handoff from Anthony Beaubrun and went 35 yards, virtually untouched, into the end zone on the north end of the field with 6:35 to play in the quarter. Junior Brendan Sheeler split the uprights to make it 7-0.

The Rams took over on downs at their own 31-yard line after stopping Dom DeRosa a yard short of a first down on a fake punt attempt on fourth and 15.  

The Rams were fortuitous on the ensuing drive, as they fumbled twice, but were able to retain possession each time. Creightney’s 29-yard touchdown scamper capped off the five-play, 65-yard drive with 12 seconds to play in the opening quarter.

The third quarter was all Cannisi.  On the second play from scrimmage in the second half, Cannisi scored the first of his three third quarter touchdowns, rumbling in from 33 yards out. Beaubrun called his own number for the two-point conversion and a 21-0 lead. 

Cannisi added touchdown runs of 29 and 63 yards as the Rams put the game away. Cannisi, Sheeler, Vincent Messina, and Hervin Gayle led the West Hempstead defense. DeRosa and Mike DelGais each scored for East Rockaway.

Despite losing, the Rams played Roosevelt tough in the opening week of the season, leading the defending county champions early in the fourth quarter. “I feel comfortable going into this game,” Carre said. “We were right there the first time we played Roosevelt. We’re both doing some things that we weren’t doing in Week 1.”