East Rockaway battles to the end

In a season battered by injuries, the East Rockaway football team battled until the end to nearly earn a postseason spot. 

Needing a win in the season finale against unbeaten North Shore last Friday night at home to extend their season, the Rocks scored the first touchdown before the defending Conference IV champions seized control en route to a 48-21 win. The season-ending defeat left East Rockaway (3-5) one win short of reaching the eight-team playoffs for a second straight season.

The North Shore game was the first time since the third week of the season in a 31-27 win at Island Trees that East Rockaway had an entirely healthy starting lineup. 

“When you're taking two way starters out of a team in Conference IV it really affects your season,” said 28th-year East Rockaway football head coach Russel Pajer. “Only three out of our eight games did we have everyone healthy.” 

East Rockaway set itself up with a chance to secure a postseason in the season finale with a dominant 42-13 Friday night home win against Oyster Bay on Oct. 21 where nearly all starters were back from injury. Senior running back John Giannotti had a big evening with 194 yards and four rushing touchdowns as well as a 76-yard receiving score from quarterback Tyler Hyland. 

Giannotti led Conference IV in touchdowns this season with 19 and amassed more than 1,000 rushing yards despite missing one game due to injury when the Rocks fell to Seaford 32-12 on Oct. 1. A big reason for his success out of the backfield was the strong play of senior lineman Chris Becker.

“He really paved the way for us,” said Pajer of the 6-3, 275-pound Becker.

Becker and Giannoti, who are captains along with Colin Sharkey and Tyler Hyland, are among 19 seniors Pajer will lose to graduation. The Rocks will have some talented returners next season like sophomore Anthony Grimaldi and Lucas Cortazer, who both shined at running back and on defense. 

Pajer is optimistic about the future of his program after the junior varsity team had a strong season and even more proud of the strong character the players are building through community volunteering, something he has always taken pride in. His long tenure included coaching Tommy Barone, the first Long Islander to play varsity football with a physical disability in the early 2000s, who captured New York State’s Riddell 12th Man award as a senior and was a longtime assistant coach with the East Rockaway Junior High team until this year.

“We’re really big in trying to say that when you do things you not only are doing it for your own name and your family, you're doing it for the school, the team, the community and you represent everybody in East Rockaway,” Prajer said. “Football is one aspect but trying to develop people for their futures is the other aspect of coaching and that is even more important than a football game.”