North Shore edges West Hempstead

A much-anticipated matchup between the only two unbeaten teams in Nassau Conference IV football lived up to all the hype on a picture-perfect fall afternoon on Saturday.

West Hempstead, which won its first five games for the first time since 2011, put up quite a fight against visiting North Shore in front of a packed crowd for both sides but fell short against the defending county and Long Island champions, 14-7.

All the scoring came in the first half of a gritty, hard-hitting defensive struggle. Vikings senior quarterback Peter Liotta provided the difference with 1:48 remaining in the second quarter when he raced 72 yards, with half of West Hempstead’s defense in pursuit, for a touchdown.

“It was a designed run,” Liotta said. “I was able to break outside, saw a lot of green in front of me and kicked into second gear. We needed the momentum back. It was a really tough and fun game. We prepared well all week and did our thing.”

Liotta’s eventual winning score came 47 seconds after the Rams pulled even on senior Jurrel Hall’s 55-yard touchdown catch on a beautifully thrown ball by senior quarterback Corey Pierre.

“That’s a play we practice a lot and were able to hit on,” West Hempstead head coach Dom Carre said. “I think the difference was we didn’t get the kind of push we needed in the run game and made too many mistakes.”

West Hempstead had a touchdown called back on a holding penalty early in the second quarter on a drive that eventually stalled at the North Shore 16. A pair of flags also hurt the Rams on their final possession, which began at their own 6 after the defense, led by junior Daniel Guillen and senior Brendan Close, stopped Liotta on 4th-and-inches with 8:57 to go.

“It was a big test and a matchup that lived up to all the billing,” North Shore head coach Dan Agovino said. “West Hempstead runs a unique offense and is very talented and athletic. I think there’s a good chance we’ll see them again in the playoffs.”

Liotta rushed for 102 yards on 11 carries. Senior Nicholas La Rosa added 79 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to open the scoring. Senior Michael Fleming connected on both extra-point tries.

Pierre and senior Jonathan Balthazard had 64 yards rushing apiece for the Rams, who defeated Seaford, Oyster Bay, Lawrence, Cold Spring Harbor and Locust Valley for their best start in more than a decade.

“Both teams played so tough,” Carre said. “It was the first time all season we couldn’t play power football. North Shore is strong up front.”

Daniel Sotiryadis had two sacks and fellow senior Ryan Freund a key forced fumble and recovery for the Vikings (6-0), who host Cold Spring Harbor this Saturday at 2 p.m. in a rematch of last fall’s county title game won by North Shore, 21-14.

West Hempstead travels to Malverne on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff.