Running Back Bryan Eason opened the scoring when he retuned a punt 80 yards down the left sideline to put South Side on the board, the extra point was missed and the Cyclones led 6-0 with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.
After a defensive stand near midfield including a stop of 4th and inches Eason scored again on a 1-yard run with 8:51 remaining in the second quarter, again the point after was missed. The score now was South Side 12, Kennedy- Bellmore 0.
Ben Whelan, the quarterback for Kennedy-Bellmore, gave hope to the opposition as he ran for a 35-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. The two-point conversion tightened the game to 12-8.
Eason gave the Cyclone fans something to cheer about on their next possession as he scored for the third time in the first half on a beautiful 45-yard run. The Cyclones led 18-8. After a Kennedy-Bellmore turnover, South Side had the chance to extend their lead going into the half, but an interception by Whalen kept the score 18-8 going to halftime.
As the weather grew worse the pace of the game slowed and the second half was even as each team scored only once.
Eason scored for the fourth time in the game, this time on a 44 yard run early in the fourth quarter. Kennedy-Bellmore closed the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Whalen to Evan Rothstein.
South Side made the most of their limited home exposure giving their fans, who braved the elements, a strong effort from their offensive line as they sprung running back Eason to game high 145 yards rushing and their total team defense in keeping to the opposition to just 14 points. Final score South Side 25, Kennedy-Bellmore 14.
Alan Freeman also contributed to this story.
