By Karenlyn Barone and Brian T. Dessart
In front of an appreciative crowd of alumni, family and friends, the Rocks were aggressive and confident. The team combined efforts to keep Valley Stream North at bay and scoreless. The Rocks improved to a 3 - 0 with an impressive 27- 0 victory over the stunned Spartans.
"This is my last year here and my last homecoming," said senior captain James Duffy. "Homecoming is always our biggest crowd of the year and it pumps you up."
The first touchdown scored on a 35-yard pass from junior quarterback Michael LaRocca, when he connected to Anthony Morreale. The extra point attempt by senior Matt Cooney was good and the Rocks took an early lead, 7 - 0. Try as they might, the Spartans would never recover.
Second-half action included two more touchdowns for the Rocks in the third quarter The first was an 11-yard pass from LaRocca to Cooney. The ensuing kick failed, making the score to 13 - 0. The second blast into the end zone was a nine-yard run by junior Ryan Ostrosky. Cooney kicked the extra point and the score at the end of the third quarter was 20 - 0.
"As a team, we practiced harder in the off-season," said Cooney. "I knew I would have a more important role this year and I am just trying to step up to the plate for my team."
The Spartans rallied in the fourth quarter with some solid passes and good runs, but the Rocks held the Spartans back and kept them scoreless. In the fourth quarter, on the Spartan's one-yard line, senior quarterback Nick Gandolfo dove into the end zone. Cooney stepped up and scored the extra point, bringing the score to 27 - 0.
A fitting finale to the game was the annual presentation of the Louis Cosenza Outstanding Player Award, named in memory of a former East Rockaway High School teacher. This year's offensive award was given to quarterback Michael LaRocca and senior James Duffy for defensive play, after he racked up nine game tackles.
"It's an honor," said LaRocca after receiving his plaque. "But this is not about me. This is really all about the team."
Coach Dan Vito, an East Rockaway 1989 alumni, said of the Rock's homecoming victory, "We're on line to be where we want to be. Our goal from the beginning is to get to the playoffs at Hofstra and we are in the right spot for that."
