by Jerry Burke
West Hempstead's two touchdowns against Valley Stream South Saturday came within minutes of each other in the third quarter. Senior Don Topping's 44-yard running score was followed soon after by a 5-yard dash to the end zone by senior Cody Marra. The Falcons' only score came in the third as well, a 15-yard run by running back Chris Wells.
With the loss, Valley Stream South has the unenviable task of facing Conference III juggernaut Bethpage (8-0), winners of 19 straight, at 1:30 p.m. at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium this Saturday. The Rams play the early game, with a 10 a.m. kickoff.
Meanwhile, in Conference II, the Elmont Memorial Spartans put up a good fight against powerhouse MacArthur but fell just short of securing a playoff spot with a 28-15 home loss.
MacArthur running back Nick Tintle proved too tough to handle for the home team, scoring three touchdowns and racking up 170 yards on 28 caries. Spartan quarterback George Santiago connected with Dominick Dixon for a 9-yard scoring pass in the second quarter and Andre Forbes took one into the end zone in the final minutes. Elmont finished the season with a 4-3 record.
Also finishing up with a winning record was 4-3-1 Sewanhaka, which disposed of winless Jericho 28-6. Running back Greg Steward capped his outstanding season with a pair of touchdowns and a two-point conversion. The play of the game, however, went to special teamer Chris Parra, who put the game away in the first quarter by blocking a Jericho punt and returning it 23 yards for a score.
After a 7-1 showing last year, Carey seemed locked and loaded for another playoff run. It was not to be, however, as the 2-5 Seahawks were blown away by playoff-bound Hewlett, 37-7. Carey's lone score came in the third quarter, a 45-yard hookup between quarterback T.J. Lopez and split end Ron Pickett.
In a low-scoring affair, Valley Stream North (2-6) fell to Cold Spring Harbor 8-6 after a last-minute scoring drive fell short. Quarterback Jake Tauber got the touchdown, but the two-point try failed.
