Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Valley Stream North against Valley Stream South was more than just a football game last Saturday. Cross-town rivals. Homecoming for South. A near 40-year friendship between two head coaches.
Going into the fourth quarter tied at 28 points apiece, junior running back Aiden Parris found the end zone with seven minutes left to win the Nassau Conference IV battle, 34-28 lead on a 5-yard scoring run. Parris finished with 212 yards rushing on 22 carries and three touchdowns.
“We knew we had to score,” VSS head coach Joe Guastafeste said. “We wanted to get the ball into our best player’s hands, behind our best linemen.”
Senior wide receiver Jace Thomas carried the ball efficiently as well, rushing for 163 yards and two touchdowns on 11 attempts, totaling 402 yards on the ground for South.
“Aiden is definitely my alpha male,” Guastafeste said of Parris. “We knew they were going to try to take away our buck sweep. If you’re going to overload the buck sweep side, I have somebody [Thomas] who can go the opposite way.”
Junior guard Hunter Rush, senior tackle Shehriyar Raza, junior guard Kendall Martin Jr., senior center Angel Cruz, senior tackle Christian Singh and tight end Lucas Villalba paved the way for the ground game to feast.
“My offensive line was tremendous,” Guastafeste said. “They were workmen in the trenches all day, making blocks and staying on them. That was really the difference.”
Parris’ first touchdown opened the scoring for the game, as South took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Later on, senior running back Mike Omojola found paydirt on a 1-yard rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 7-6.
Thomas ripped off a 25-yard rushing touchdown at the end of the quarter and Rush plowed through on the 2-point conversion, as South led 15-6 after the first frame.
“It was a huge game, with Homecoming and a crosstown rival,” Thomas said. “It really meant a lot to us, so we played our hearts out, tried to get the best outcome and we did.”
In the second quarter, Adebayo Kayode, North’s senior running back scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown, as it trailed 15-13. Kayode finished with 137 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Thomas scored his second touchdown of the day on a 19-yard run to take a 22-13 halftime lead.
North answered South’s second-half onside kick with a defensive stop, then Kayode broke an 84-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 22-19. He added the 2-point conversion to make it a one-point game. South’s special teams coordinator, the head coach’s son Joseph Jr., had spotted the onside-kick opportunity on film during the week.
Paris scored for the second time in the third, increasing South’s lead back up to seven points, 28-21. Before heading into the final frame, junior running back Justin Gangi tied the game with a 2-yard rushing touchdown, knotting the score at 28.
“We got some stops when we needed to, but they ended up scoring late,” VSN head coach Mike Paolillo said. “It was a well-played game. They made the plays they needed to make at the end.”
Omojola finished with six tackles and a fumble recovery. Senior Jerry Thomas had eight tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. His forced fumble came in the fourth quarter, but North wasn’t able to capitalize on the opportunity.
North’s senior nose guard Eddy Turcios clogged the middle, forcing South to run off-tackle, which it did efficiently. North’s senior wide receiver Luke Bascombe led the team in receiving with three receptions for 55 yards.
South’s senior defensive end Jeff Thimote eight tackles, two tackles for loss and three passes defended.
Both teams remain in playoff position. The Falcons (4-2) face Locust Valley this Saturday; North (4-2) takes on Lawrence.
