Tuesday, October 13, 2026
The Valley Stream Central football team opened the campaign with three straight wins and 101 points, but back-to-back losses have left the Eagles looking to rediscover their early-season form and keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Eagles fell to Mepham, 50-15, on Oct. 3, and Kennedy, 24-13, last Saturday for Homecoming, but Central will receive a forfeit victory against Jericho, which suspended the remainder of its football season on Oct. 1, bringing the Eagles’ record to 4-2.
“If you told us it would be 4-2 right now after this Jericho situation, we'd be very, happy,” VSC head coach Tom Schiavo said. “We'd like to take these last two weeks one at a time and go out with a couple of wins and make it into the playoffs and then see what happens from there.”
Instead, Central’s next game is against a slumping Roosevelt team on Oct. 24. The Rough Riders will carry a three-game losing streak into their game at Baldwin on Saturday, scoring just 12 points over that time.
The Eagles have scored just 28 points in the past two games after averaging nearly 34 during its 3-0 start. Schiavo said the competition was tougher in the loss to Mepham, while the Kennedy game came down to the team’s inability to finish five drives that stalled in the red zone.
“We moved the ball up and down the field, but the red zone killed us,” he said.
Senior quarterback Evan Nelson has been a dual threat, rushing for 501 yards and seven touchdowns and passing for 501 yards and four touchdowns through five games. Against Kennedy, he completed 14-of-26 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown, while rushing 19 times for 110 yards and another score.
Schiavo praised Nelson’s athleticism, strength and football intelligence, saying his ability to retain instruction helps keep Central in games.
“He is shifty, he’s strong, he spent a lot of time in the weight room. He’s super intelligent when it comes to football. His retention is off the charts. You could teach him something one time and he’ll know it.”
Senior Nickoli Friday has rushed for 406 yards and five touchdowns. His standout performance came against Herricks/Wheatley/Roslyn on Sept. 25, when he ran for 250 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries. Schiavo said Friday remained productive against Kennedy despite being limited to 38 yards on eight carries.
Schiavo said Central has six to eight players capable of scoring from anywhere on the field, including seniors Xavier Reinoso, Matthew Feaster and Dylan Esson. Feaster caught a 78-yard touchdown pass against Mepham and another in a 32-28 win over New Hyde Park on Sept. 19.
Esson caught a 24-yard touchdown pass against Kennedy that tied the game 7-7 in the second quarter.
Schiavo said the defense has played well outside of the Mepham game, highlighting junior Thomas Haye’s versatility at linebacker, cornerback and safety. Senior Nicholas Huerta has anchored the offensive and defensive lines.
“We have to get better at all the fundamentals, blocking and tackling to start with,” Schiavo said.
The offensive line that has been opening the holes for Nelson and Friday include senior center Chris Jarushewski, sophomore left tackle Mason Thompson, left guard Huerta, senior right guard Dhanesh Singh and senior right tackle Kyle McCray.
