by Jerry Burke
The problem was that the team's scheduled opponent, the Pirates of Mepham High School, were already done for the year. The result: Carey was the only idle high school on Long Island last Saturday. "It feels strange to be the only team on Long Island not playing Saturday," said Ed Quinlan, Carey's athletic director.
Carey, a strong and experienced squad expected to make a playoff run, joins Elmont Memorial, New Hyde Park, Herricks, Garden City, Westbury, MacArthur and Bellmore JFK in having its eight-game schedule reduced by one due to the Bellmore-Merrick Board of Education's decision to cancel Mepham's football season because of the alleged sexual abuse of three players by teammates. It marked the first time a Long Island high school canceled a season since 1978, when Levittown shut down programs due to a teacher's strike.
After Nassau County's Section VIII, which oversees all inter-school competition, reviewed other contingency plans, including counting the games as forfeits and rearranging Conference II games, the final decision was to drop the Pirates from the schedule. The Nassau football bylaws require that games with a school that drops its football season after Sept. 1 count as "no contest." The 13-team Conference II, with the top four teams making the playoffs, will have to make due with some teams playing only seven games.
The formula used to rank teams will now make each win worth more to the eight teams affected by the cancellation. Carey opens up its season at Garden City Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The No. 6-ranked Elmont Memorial Spartans, who were set for an away game at Mepham on Oct. 4, lost their opener to Garden City, 41-12. Quarterback George Santiago completed 10 of 16 passes for 182 yards, including a 74-yard TD pass to wideout Casey Mack in the third quarter. Junior linebacker James Barnes ran a Garden City fumble back 68 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. The Spartans host New Hyde Park this Saturday at 4 p.m.
Conference III contender West Hempstead got a measure of revenge against Floral Park, winning its home opener 29-12. Senior tailback Obozua "Bo" Ehikioya led the No. 2-ranked Rams with two touchdowns. Fullback Brent Richburg added 50 yards and a 1-yard TD run, as well as 10 tackles on the defensive side. West Hempstead is at Wantagh this Saturday at 4 p.m.
Being seeded No. 10 in Conference III apparently didn't sit well with the Sewanhaka Indians, and they took it out on Roslyn at home, 31-0. Jack-of-all-positions Greg Steward had two interceptions, returning one 70 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter. Tailback Dayan Worrell added 75 rushing yards and two touchdowns on eight carries, and then went on the defensive with eight tackles. The Indians play Floral Park at 4 p.m. this Saturday.
Valley Stream North didn't fare as well against Manhasset, falling 42-12 at home. The Spartans will try to rebound Saturday against Friends Academy at 4 p.m.
