It will be a physical game.

Top seeded South Side will travel to Bethpage for a 1:30 p.m. encounter on Saturday in a Nassau  Conference  III showdown of unbeatens.

Both teams are 4-0 and play a physical style of football. As we head into the second half of the high school football season Conference III gets interesting with South Side, Bethpage, Wantagh (4-0) and Plainedge (3-1) all in the title mix.

“We all play each other the second half of the season,” South Side coach Phil Onesto said. “With the exception of the Plainedge–Wantagh game, which was already played, there’s a lot of the regular season left to determine playoff seeds.”

It’s a milestone season for South Side, playing in its 100th year of football.

“We are the preseason number one seed for the first time in our 100th year of football,” Onesto said. “That’s pretty cool.”

Prior to Garden City's undefeated streak of 42 games from 2016-2019, South Side owned Nassau’s longest unbeaten streak. The Cyclones earned a 37-0-7 record from 1944 through the second week of the 1950 season.

During that period, they claimed five consecutive league titles.

South Side has been to the Long Island championships twice, losing 42-19 in Class II to Bellport in 2001. They also lost 19-14 to East Islip in Class III in 2023.

Winning the school’s first LIC is the goal.

Bethpage will have something to say about who represents Conference III in the LIC. The Golden Eagles defeated South Side, 18-15, in the conference semifinal of 2025.

They are steeped in a winning tradition, capturing five of 10 LIC Class III or Class IV appearances, in 1993, 1994, 2000, 2002 and 2003.

“We’ll have to deal with the upfront guys and talented backs,” Onesto said. “I would be shocked if it’s a high scoring game. Both teams play great defense.”

NASSAU II

Calhoun (2-2) at Carey (4-0), Friday, 3 p.m.: There is a logjam in Conference II with four teams tied at 2-2 — Calhoun is one of them —- with a 24-13 loss to Garden City and a one-point crossover loss to Syosset. The Colts need to stop Carey halfback Justin DiPietro to have a chance at winning this one. Carey averages 34 points per game.

NASSAU III

Wantagh (4-0) at Manhasset (2-2), Friday, 6 p.m.: If Manhasset wants a shot at the conference title it’ll need to find the book on how to contain Thorp Award winner Luke Martini — and no one has figured that out for two years. The 'Set has lost two close games in a row. Martini leads Nassau in rushing with 775 yards, 13 yards per carry, and 12 touchdowns.

NASSAU IV

Floral Park (3-1) at Lynbrook (2-2), Friday, 6 p.m.: This game can shuffle the standings. Floral Park’s lone loss came in the non-league crossover to Wantagh. Lynbrook opened the season with an upset win over Seaford but has lost two in a row. The Owls need to rebound with a big win here.

NASSAU I

Oceanside (3-1) at Massapequa (4-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.: Two potent offenses get together for a tasty Conference I matchup. Massapequa quarterback Luke Garguilo directs an offense that can move the ball on the ground and through the air. Halfback Michael Castellano has been a steady performer: 55 carries, 442 yards, 8 TDs, and follows one of LI’s top lines. Oceanside will rely on Thorp Award candidate Chace Morris, who has run amok over opponents this season.

SUFFOLK I

Connetquot (2-2) at Brentwood (2-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: This could be an entertaining affair. Both quarterbacks have found success through the air. T-Birds QB Caleb Maugeri has completed 58 of 89 passes for 827 yards and 12 TDs. His go-to receiver is Jonas Mendez with 21 receptions for 319 yards and five TDs. Brentwood QB Julius Herrera has thrown for 360 yards and four TDs.

SUFFOLK II

Commack (4-0) at Huntington (2-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: Don’t be fooled by the records. Commack QB Lincoln Riggs has led the Cougars to four straight wins, throwing for 672 yards and five TDs. But they haven’t played anyone quite as good as Huntington, that has lost to the top two seeds in Half Hollow Hills East and North Babylon.

CHSFL AA-1

Kellenberg (3-2) at St. John the Baptist (3-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: These teams played each other in 2025 in a game which ended in controversial fashion. With 13 seconds, sophomore Jahmad Jackson, caught a pass at the 17-yard line, raced toward the pylon and dove into the end zone as time expired for what appeared to be the winning score. Instead, the official marked the ball just inside the 1 (no TD) and Kellenberg held on for the 14-10 win. A video of the play conclusively showed Jackson scored. Jackson now plays at Hills East.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.