Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Trailing by 10 points at halftime, Tyler Villalta went into the visitors' locker room at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium Saturday night realizing his stellar high school football career could have just 24 minutes left.
The Massapequa running back wasn’t ready to hang up his pads.
Villalta went into beast mode in the second half, rushing for three touchdowns to lead the third-seeded Chiefs to a 41-24 victory over No. 2 Oceanside in the Nassau Conference I semifinals.
Massapequa (9-1) advances to the championship game against top-seeded Farmingdale Saturday at Hofstra at 4 p.m.
“Obviously there’s a little more of an edge today with the season on the line, but I just did what I do and ran the ball, honestly,” Villalta said. “I can’t do anything without the O-line. I want to give a shoutout to those guys because they really opened it up for me and let me run the ball.”
Villalta had 23 carries for 160 yards and three touchdowns, operating out of a Wildcat set the Chiefs debuted in the semifinal. His 1-yard touchdown run with 8:19 left in the third quarter sparked a 20-0 third quarter that turned the tables in Massapequa’s favor.
Villalta followed with a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Chiefs their first lead of the game at 20-17 with 6:49 left in the third. The senior now has rushed for 1,086 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season.
“It’s really special, it’s great. I’ve been playing with the kid since we were eight years old and there’s no one I’d rather do it with,” said Massapequa quarterback Joey Diesso, who was 8-of-15 for 147 yards and two touchdowns. “He’s just a beast, best player on the Island.”
After Villalta suffered an ankle injury in the second half, Massapequa head coach Kevin Shippos kept the star running back sidelined, challenging his squad to fill that void.
“That’s when Andrew Pedalino, a junior and a quiet kid who works extremely hard, that’s when it was his time to shine,” Shippos said. “Tyler, he does everything for us, but it's time for these guys to return the favor.”
Pedalino had eight carries for 86 yards and three receptions for 67 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown reception that extended the Chiefs’ lead to 27-17 with 1:18 left in the third quarter. He also had an interception.
Alex Chillemi and Kenny Gein led the way defensively with 10 tackles apiece, Anthony DiNello had nine tackles and a sack and also added an 8-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
Much of Oceanside’s second-half struggles were the result of self-inflicted wounds as the Sailors fumbled four times and had four turnovers.
The lone bright spot of the second half for Oceanside (8-2) was a sensational one-handed grab by Dillon Tveter for a 65-yard touchdown.
“I’m proud of this three-year group of seniors who got us back on track,” Oceanside head coach Rob Blount said. “We had a tough night to have an off night. Hats off to Massapequa for making the right adjustments and plays in big situations.”
Back at Hofstra, Massapequa will look to win a 10th county title in a sixth all-time meeting with Farmingdale.
“Nothing better than that,” Villalta said.
