Cyclones Win Thriller Against VS South, 21-18

In a Conference III matchup that featured an hour lightning delay, four lead changes and a fourth quarter, game-winning drive in the pouring rain, South Side beat Valley Stream South in a thriller under the lights at Mitchel Field last night, 21-18.

With South Side down 18-13 with about three minutes left in the game, senior quarterback James Howard conducted a 65-yard game-winning drive, highlighted by huge runs by sophomore Eric Willie and junior Zach Scaduto. Overall, Willie ran for 95 yards and Scaduto chipped in 58 yards with a rushing and receiving score.

"These guys showed a tremendous amount of character," coach Paul Mastronardi said of his players during the comeback win. "They believed that we would win."

South Side was down 12-0 early in the first quarter, as Valley Stream's Frank Accardi ran for a 4-yard score to put the Falcons up 6. South onside kicked on the ensuing kick-off, recovering it at South Side's 37-yard line. The Falcons proceeded to march into the end zone on four plays, capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by senior running back Ahmed Nasir, giving Valley Stream a 12-point lead. The Falcons, however, failed to convert its two-point conversion.

South Side started the second quarter with a 4th-and-4 at the 50-yard line, but executed a perfect direct snap on a fake punt, and Scaduto ran it to the Valley Stream 19-yard line. Five plays later, Howard ran for a 5-yard touchdown, cutting South's lead to 12-7.

"He was outstanding," Mastronardi said of Howard. "He's a tremendous leader. He's me on the field. He gets it."

On the Cyclones ensuing possession, Willie busted out a 55-yard run that ended at South's 20-yard line. Four plays later, Howard rolled out left on a bootleg and found Scaduto in the back of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass and 13-12 Cyclones lead at halftime.

Valley Stream stalled on its opening drive of the third quarter, but the Falcons recaptured the lead on its next possession, as Accardi broke several tackles en route to a 50-yard touchdown run. South missed another two-point conversion, but led 18-13 going into the fourth quarter.

The Falcons tried to put South Side away on its first fourth-quarter possession, driving 3o yards into South Side territory, but on a 4th-and-8 at the Cyclones' 30, Cyclones senior Matt Sollin stuffed South's A.J. Samuels on a sweep play, and the Falcons turned the ball over on downs. 

On South Side's final drive with three minutes remaining, Scaduto broke off a 20-yard run to the Valley Stream 40. On a 3rd-and-4 at South's 23, Howard scrambled out of the pocket for an 8-yard gain and a huge first down. Willie then rumbled for a 13-yard gain to South's 2-yard line, and on the next play, Scaduto bull rushed his way into the end zone for the go-ahead score with 30 seconds left, giving South Side a 21-18 win — its first victory of the year.

The Cyclones play again at Sewanhaka on Sept. 25 at 1:30 p.m.