By:Tom Jordan
South Side football fans lined the bleachers and packed the sidelines on Oct. 20, pleading for reasons to cheer and, if possible, a Homecoming victory. The Cyclones (4-1) provided both. They had no choice with such a large crowd on hand.
"The place was loaded," coach Walter Denton said.
The improved Cyclones won 30-13, raising their record in Nassau County's Conference II to 4-1. They have a shot at the playoffs after narrowly missing the postseason last fall with a 5-3 record.
In a game of clutch plays for the home team, perhaps none was bigger than the one made by defensive back Jon Tavas in the middle of the third quarter. Visiting Hewlett (2-3) had a 13-12 lead and the ball, when Tavas intercepted a pass, setting up a scoring opportunity and sparking his team. Mike Ambort's 34-yard field goal moments later gave South Side a lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Bulldogs would not score again, but the Cyclones added a 15-yard touchdown run by Bryant Daniels and a 53-yard run by Mike Pouslon.
Bill Carey started the scoring in the first quarter when he hauled in a 75-yard pass from Phil Onesto. Hewlett kicked a field goal to close to 6-3 before Daniels struck again on the next play, racing 63 yards for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs took the lead before halftime, before Tavas' big play swung the momentum back in South Side's favor.
"It was a very nice win for us," Denton said. "Our defense in the second half was the difference. We did a good job of stringing out their option, and the tackle got good pressure on their quarterback and created four turnovers. We didn't turn it over ourselves, and when you win in the giveaway column, usually you have a good chance to win the game."
Daniels did some things that gave South Side a chance to win the game, too, including romping for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Also a linebacker, he led the team with 15 tackles.
"He was all over the field again," Denton said.
Daniels has come up aces all season. On Oct. 13 he scored almost every time he touched the ball in a 43-12 win at Herricks. He finished the day with three touchdowns and 101 yards on five carries. His brother Robert scored on a 25-yard run in the same game.
Bryant scored three times the previous week as well, when he totaled 139 yards on seven carries in a 39-8 win over Bellmore-JFK.
As sensational as Daniels has been, Denton knows it takes a team to win games. "We're starting to gel on defense and we have a balanced offense. The whole game plan [against Hewlett] was put together very nicely. A lot of credit should go to the kids that don't play a lot, because the scout team gave us a great week of practice. We try to carry that effort right over to the games. You play like you practice and we've had great practices all season."
The Cyclones lone loss came at the hands of 5-0 Lawrence on Sept. 29 by a score of 29-7. They've reeled off three straight convincing wins since. Denton attributes the rebound to the team's ability to maintain its focus and its one-game-at-a-time attitude.
They'll focus now on their next opponent, Port Washington, who they play Oct. 27. They'll host Garden City at home on Nov. 3.
