By STEVE SINISKI
to break a scoreless tie, and the Elmont defense did the rest, leading the fourth-seeded Spartans (7-2) to a rain-soaked 22-0 home win over No. 5 Calhoun (6-3) last Saturday in the first round of the Nassau Conference II football playoffs.
The victory sets up a rematch with top-seeded Carey, which the Spartans defeated 35-21 on Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for Saturday at Hofstra’s James M. Shuart Stadium at 5:30 p.m.
“Our conference is very well coached,” Elmont coach Jay Hegi said after his team’s sixth consecutive win following a 1-2 start to the season. “It’s one of those years where with the top six teams anything can happen.”
The first of two scoring runs by Mayers — he also capped a four-play, 22-yard drive in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown — was sealed by a block from senior Garrett Roland that knocked Colts senior linebacker Jacob Meier clear off his feet and out of bounds. “We’re big and physical with the best back in the conference and we have other weapons,” Hegi said.
Mayers finished with 95 yards on 18 carries but wasn’t the only playmaker for the Spartans. Junior quarterback Diashawn Miller played error-free football, completing 2 of 5 attempts for 49 yards and a touchdown despite the slick conditions, and landed a pair of fourth-quarter punts inside the Calhoun 5-yard line when the Colts were trying to gain field position and run some plays on the Spartans’ side of the field.
“He didn’t make one mistake and we made three,” Calhoun coach Joe Bianca said of Miller.
Senior James Myers had an impact on both sides of the field. He grabbed two passes for 49 yards and had a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch on a deep ball by Miller ruled out of bounds. His big catch was a 17-yard touchdown in the second quarter that opened up a 14-0 lead after Elmont had recovered a fumble at the Colts 32. The drive took just five plays and Mayers ran in the two-point conversion. Myers also had a pass breakup playing cornerback and ran in a two-point conversion on Mayers’ second touchdown run.
The defense came through with big plays at every level. Senior linebacker Anthony Walker had a pair of sacks on Colts quarterback Ryan Hastings, who completed just 3 of 8 attempts for 53 yards, and Calhoun never advanced beyond the Elmont 31. Senior Sebastian Clerge prevented a 99-yard score on a slant pattern by catching Calhoun’s No. 1 receiver, Travis Dwyer, from behind at the 30. He fought off a Dwyer stiff arm and dragged him down after a 35-yard gain. That Colts drive ended seven plays later at the Elmont 45.
“You can’t win if you can’t score and our defense played great,” Hegi said.
Comments about this story? TBellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
