Thursday, October 1, 2026
North Shore football has a new head coach but the same ground-and-pound offense of years past.
Bill Madigan, promoted to head coach in the offseason after being North Shore’s offensive coordinator since 2009, still is calling the plays like he used to. And the Vikings offense harkened back to their successful past under former longtime head coach Dan Agovino, who resigned last spring.
The Vikings’ run-dominant offense sparkled in last Saturday’s Homecoming – a 27-8 victory over visiting East Rockaway.
Sophomore quarterback Joey Cristofari rushed for 98 yards on 15 attempts and tailback Casey Gates amassed 96 yards on 11 attempts and a touchdown.
The clincher, though, came on defense - a 54-yard interception return by cornerback Liam Ricco late in the contest as North Shore moved to 2-4.
East Rockaway which rallied from a 13-0 deficit to make it 13-8 midway through the fourth quarter, also is 2-4.
“I really like this offense,’’ said Cristofari, who starred on the JV last season. “We run the ball, pound the rock and get in the end zone. When we need to throw it, we throw it.’’
Cristofari threw the ball just five times last Saturday and had some success. Receiver Junior Tommy Curran notched 55 receiving yards.
North Shore’s previous win came against Lawrence, so this win along the shores of Hempstead Harbor before its loud band meant something extra in the post-Agovino era.
“A good day overall for the boys,’’ Madigan said.
“We had guys coming back from injuries and were a big part of the win,’’ Cristofari said. “We faced adversity all year. Getting this win was a big comeback to get our mojo back. We’ve been talking about it since Day 1. We need to play hard and physical. That’s what we did.’’
Madigan was left with a young team that has just 11 seniors. The first-year head coach, a former Georgia Tech offensive lineman, starts seven sophomores. “We’re very young,’’ Madigan said.
Starting a sophomore quarterback isn’t always ideal but Madigan made that decision late in training camp last season, North Shore lost its junior quarterback, James Camaradella, to an ACL tear. He wasn’t ready until a few weeks ago and was put at defensive end and tight end.
Cristofari and Gates battled for QB1, but Madigan felt it was best for the program to have Gates at running back. Against East Rockaway, Gates broke for a 55-yard run that gave North Shore a 13-0 halftime lead.
”It’s tough being a sophomore because I’m so young,’’ Cristofari said. “I’ve tried to lead this team as best I can. I was working hard (in camp), trying to show coaches I was the right guy for that position. But Casey is a great player.’’
Madigan is glad he tabbed Cristofari. “He’s getting more comfortable with the speed of the game at varsity,’’ Madigan said. “I’ve seen him develop leadership even as a sophomore. He runs the ball very hard for a 10th grader.’’
The North Shore defense did its job against East Rockaway’s longstanding ground attack. Senior linebackers Angelo Anibole and Matt Marinello each had 8 tackles. North Shore forced two turnovers, including junior Ty Fichtl recovering a fumble off a strip by sophomore Sam Kosmidis, who had returned from injury. (Offensive lineman Canon Eveans also returned from the injured list and excelled).
“The defense was a big part of the win,’’ Cristofari said.
Madigan even credited kicker Christopher Zilinski for an onside kick that started the second half.
With two games left, against West Hempstead and Lynbrook, North Shore still has a shot at the playoffs – one game out of the 8th and final seed.
“It’s been a good experience,’’ Madigan said of his first year. “A great group of guys. On the field, it hasn’t been what we always wanted but they’re working hard. It’s more time management and dealing with other things on the outside.’’
East Rockaway head coach Russ Pajer didn’t think the score reflected the tight game and was content to rally from 13 points down. Jethro Jacquet scored on an 8-yard, third-quarter run.
With 6 minutes left, trailing 13-8, East Rockaway had the ball first-and-10 at the North Shore 14 before the Rocks were hit with four straight penalties.
“I think it was a very competitive game but a lot of penalties on both sides,’’ Pajer said.
East Rockaway, which also defeated Lawrence and has a win over Oyster Bay as well, visits Locust Valley this Saturday at 2 p.m.
