Friday, November 7, 2025
West Hempstead senior running back/cornerback Kevin Rivera scribed “I believe” on his eye-black tape prior to Saturday’s game and proved the biggest reason why the Rams celebrated homecoming with another victory.
Rivera had 90 yards and two touchdowns and senior quarterback Jonathan Houston added a pair of scores as West Hempstead (3-2) upped its winning streak to three with a 28-12 win over Lawrence in a Nassau Conference IV football matchup.
“I hadn’t scored yet this season so it felt great,” Rivera said. “We’re starting to build some momentum. We started 0-2 but now we’re right in the playoff race.”
The Golden Tornadoes (0-4) dropped their 24th consecutive game dating back to midseason 2022 but didn’t go down without a fight and had plenty of bright spots. Junior quarterback Khalil Brassell had passing and rushing touchdowns in a hard-fought defeat head coach Akym Land can take some positives into next Saturday’s game against Oyster Bay.
“Khalil is the heart of this team and the best athlete we put on the field,” Land said of Brassell, who connected with sophomore Dillon Harris for a 21-yard touchdown in the third quarter and added a 6-yard score on the ground in the fourth. “He’s become a leader and keeps all the guys motivated. He’s the most vocal and wants to win in the worst way.”
Lawrence’s storied program is one win away from 550 all-time. “That’s been our rallying cry, ‘Mission 550,’” said Land, a former Golden Tornadoes quarterback and 2017 graduate. “I couldn’t be happier with our attendance at practice this week and how we executed today in the second half. It’ll give us some confidence going into next game.”
Rivera had touchdowns in each half as the Rams, coming off back-to-back victories over Malverne and Island Trees, stayed hot on an unseasonably warm fall afternoon. He set up Houston’s first touchdown, from a yard out midway through the opening quarter, with a 40-yard burst down the sideline.
West Hempstead led 6-0 after the opening quarter and went ahead two scores on Rivera’s 1-yard touchdown run and junior Dandre Bailey’s two-point conversion just two minutes into the second. Bailey helped lead the defense with 7 tackles.
Then, after Lawrence faked a punt deep in its own territory, the Rams took possession inside the red zone and needed just three plays to return to the end zone. Houston’s 4-yard score and senior Jayden Higginson’s extra point allowed West Hempstead to build a 21-0 halftime cushion.
“Defensively we’ve been doing a nice job all year,” Rams head coach Dom Carre said. “Our back seven is flying around and we’ve been controlling the ball pretty well on offense.”
It was 28-0 after Rivera followed key blocks from senior Joe Suarez and junior Rodrigo Quijada for a 30-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. “I couldn’t do anything without my guys up front,” Rivera said of Suarez, Quijada, Dom D’Agosto, Kevin Tator and Ethan Bonilla.
Lawrence engineered scoring drives of 55 and 44 yards in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Junior Dajahn Harris’ 30-yard reception set up Brassell’s touchdown run with 3:03 left to cap the scoring. Senior Michael Abarca and junior Michael Merritt both had sacks.
