Fullback Tom Talenti's TD pass leads Locust Valley in semifinal
Locust Valley running back Tom Talenti rushes for a gain during a Nassau Conference IV semifinal against West Hempstead at Hofstra on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015. Credit: James Escher
There wasn't much variety to the Locust Valley offense in the first half. Unless you consider toss left instead of toss right a diverse attack.
But on the Falcons' first possession of the second half, trailing for one of the rare times this season and having thrown but a single pass, a wrinkle appeared and put a twinkle in coach Matt McFarland's eye.
"We called it single-wing wildcat,'' McFarland said of the alignment that put fullback Tom Talenti in the shotgun. "We showed it during the year, but we always ran out of it.''
Not this time.
"We kept this in our back pocket for a couple of months,'' McFarland said.
Talenti took the direct snap and tucked the ball as if he would run up the middle. But he abruptly stopped, stood up and delivered a perfect pass to a wide-open Nick Petralia in the end zone. The 12-yard throw gave Locust Valley a lead it expanded on the rest of the game, rolling to a 34-10 victory over West Hempstead Thursday night in a Nassau IV semifinal at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium.
The Falcons (10-0) will play for the Nassau IV championship next Thursday at 7 p.m. at Hofstra against Seaford.
"Coach had the confidence to call the play,'' said Talenti, who led the Falcons with 97 yards on 20 carries. "I knew they would bite on the run. I saw Petralia wide open and I just tried to get it there. It's my first touchdown pass since Pop Warner.''
The play gave the Falcons a 14-10 lead, and after they forced a punt on the next series, Owen Trepeta returned it 67 yards for a touchdown that broke it open. Talenti (3-yard run) and John Pedranghelu (8-yard sweep) each scored in the fourth quarter for Locust Valley.
Pedranghelu (79 yards on 18 carries, two TDs) increased his rushing total for the season to 1,230 yards. Both he and Talenti have 15 touchdowns, and they usually follow 6-4, 255-pound tackle Spencer Matthaei, who will play football at Yale next year. "He's a monster,'' McFarland said. "He's the guy we run behind.''
The Rams (6-3) took a 10-7 lead on the final play of the first half on Brendan Sheeler's 39-yard field goal.
"West Hempstead can grind you down with their offense,'' McFarland said of the run-oriented double-wing. "But we asserted ourselves more physically in the second half.''
And added some variety, too.
