Ryan Thier fires up Mepham to spark big victory over South Side
Nassau High School Conference II football game between Mepham and South Side at Mepham High School on Saturday October 22, 2022. Christopher Norris (WR/DE) of Mepham Pirates tries to evade tackle from South Side Cyclones player Michael Aiello (WR/LB). Credit: Tom Lambui
Mepham trailed South Side by four points at halftime when senior running back Ryan Thier stepped in front of his huddled team and told them what they needed to hear.
“He was screaming his head off trying to get everyone to buy in,” Mepham quarterback Dominick Novello said.
“I’m not usually a yeller,” Thier said, smiling. “But if you say it lightly or you hear it from a coach, kids don’t listen. But when they hear a teammate yelling, they know it’s the real deal.”
The Pirates (6-1) responded by scoring on all five of their second-half drives and pulled away for a 49-18 win over the Cyclones (4-3) at Mepham High School in a Nassau Conference II matchup on Saturday.
Novello had two rushing touchdowns and connected with Christopher Norris for two touchdown passes, one for 19 yards and another for 50.
Thier added two rushing scores, and Anthony DiSalvo broke off a 46-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
It was Mepham’s second consecutive victory after losing to No. 1 seed Garden City earlier this month. The Pirates will visit Sewanhaka next week in the final game of the regular season.
“Our kids made the adjustments," Mepham coach Matthew Moody said. "They settled down in the second half. We committed to the run knowing our guys up front could make some moves, and letting Thier and Novello run downhill and use their athletic ability.”
Trailing 18-14, Novello thrust Mepham into the lead on a 14-yard keeper with 8:48 left in the third quarter. The Pirates did not trail after that.
South Side quarterback Owen West tossed two touchdowns to Michael Melkonian in the first quarter and one to Michael Aiello in the second.
But Pirates defensive back Daniel Molloy intercepted West in the red zone on the Cyclones' first drive of the third quarter. Steven Mulqueen added an interception in the fourth quarter.
“The first half, we weren’t playing good defense," Molloy said. "It was mostly the tackling. We were just arm tackling. When we came into the second half we played them a lot more aggressive, a lot more physical.”
Both of Melkonian’s first-quarter touchdown receptions spanned over 50 yards, prompting Molloy and the Mepham defense to play tighter on the South Side wide receiver in the second half.
Novello credited his offensive line's play and said mixing long passes with an effective running game was the key to the second-half surge.
“We needed to keep the ball on the ground," Novello said, "definitely run a lot, then hit some deep shots."
