By TONY BELLISSIMO
The Falcons, who have yet to pass for a touchdown this season, again relied on a ground attack led by senior Jeff Lopez to improve to 5-1. Lopez rushed for a career-high 213 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries.
³Whenever we play against North, regardless of the records or the seeds, the game turns out to be real close,² VSS Coach Lance Griffin said. ³They¹ve got an athletic team and they¹re young. It was a hard-fought win. The kids have a lot of respect for each other, and it was great to see them huddling together after the game.²
Lopez scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter, a 10-yard run in the third and a 10-yard run in the fourth. It was his fifth 100-yard game this fall, and he has rushed for 755 yards rushing heading into Saturday¹s regular-season finale at Roosevelt at 2 p.m.
³Jeff is a hard-nosed runner and he finds holes,² Griffin said. ³He and Matt [Schreiner] aren¹t big at all, but I think their lack of size helps in a way. Our offensive line is so big that they¹re able to sneak through at times.²
Bookend tackles Sean Clement and Tom Trella are 315 and 290 pounds, respectively. Trella, a junior, is the only non-senior starter up front. Brian Kelly is a three-year starter at center, and Omar Sofizada and Kenny Horan returned at guard. Running the ball behind the group takes priority, but the coach hinted that the Falcons could open things up down the stretch and in the playoffs.
³Our game is controlling the ball and the clock, but we want to be a little more diverse,² said Griffin. ³We have a quarterback² -- senior Frank DeSola -- ³with a good arm, but we haven¹t had to throw much.²
DeSola also contributes on defense and special teams. He forced a fumble on a punt return against Valley Stream North that was recovered by Kelly and set up Lopez¹s third TD, and he also added five tackles.
With 116.67 power rating points, the Falcons sit in third place in the 14-team conference with one game to go. They have already clinched a playoff berth, but whether they will play a first-round game at home or away is up in the air. ³It¹s hard to say what¹s going to happen,² Griffin said. ³We¹re just focusing on Roosevelt and letting the chips fall. The kids have really performed well. I don¹t think too many people thought we¹d be fighting for first place this late in the season.²
The Spartans, coached by Tom Schiavo, are clinging to playoff hopes after falling to 2-4. They sit in 10th place, but a victory over Oyster Bay coupled with losses by two teams ahead of them could bring them the eighth and final playoff spot.
