Nick La Rosa paces North Shore to second straight Nassau IV crown
Nicholas La Rosa #36 of North Shore runs for a 22-yard touchdown during the third quarter of the Nassau football Conference IV final against West Hempstead at Shuart Stadium on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. Credit: James Escher
North Shore has been wearing a target on its back through this entire football season, but once again, it was the Vikings who hit the bull’s-eye in the big game. Nick La Rosa made certain of it.
North Shore made virtually every big play on Friday evening to earn a hard-fought 20-6 victory over West Hempstead in the Nassau Conference IV championship game at Hofstra’s Shuart Field.
La Rosa, a senior running back and linebacker, scored both of his rushing touchdowns and made a key fumble recovery in the second half.
“In the big moments, a guy like La Rosa comes through because he’s a real tough kid with big-game experience,” North Shore coach Dan Agovino said. “He gets things done.”
North Shore (11-0) is the county champion for a second straight year and third time overall. The Vikings ended a 45-year drought to win their second county title a year ago.
North Shore is riding a 19-game winning streak and will be going for a second straight Long Island championship when it faces undefeated Bayport-Blue Point in the Long Island Class IV title game on Friday at Hofstra.
“We’ve been getting everyone’s best shot all season because we’re the defending champions and we dug deep into our hearts to get the job done,” senior Nick Livoti said. “We still have our eyes on the prize. We want another [Long Island championship].”
Two words made up the construct for the Vikings’ week leading up to Friday night, and Agovino scrawled them on an index card that he placed in his pocket before the game and glanced at occasionally. They were “grit” and “perseverance.” North Shore had both aplenty in getting past the Rams (9-2).
La Rosa had the three big second-half plays, but the other Vikings made a bunch that dotted the entirety of the win.
They grabbed a 7-0 lead when a bobbled snap on a Rams punt from their own end zone gave Michael Granelli an opening to block the kick. Pat Godfrey pounced on it for a touchdown.
“I got the good jump and laid out to block it,” Granelli said.
Godfrey said, “When I saw that ball rolling, nothing was going to get in my way.”
North Shore fumbled the second-half kickoff, but three plays later, Garret Gates came up with an interception. That set up La Rosa’s 22-yard touchdown run for a 13-0 lead.
West Hempstead drew within 13-6 on Corey Pierre’s 1-yard touchdown run and was driving for a potential tie early in the fourth quarter, but on fourth-and-4, Ryan Freund and Daniel Roper stopped Jonathan Balthazard a yard short to get the ball back.
La Rosa played the role of closer in the ensuing drive by carrying on six of the seven plays, capping it with a 10-yard touchdown run.
La Rosa recovered a fumble two plays later and carried the ball on the final six Vikings plays to run out the clock.
He finished with 117 rushing yards on 20 carries and credited the line play of Justin Rosen, Isaac Bratter, Godfrey, Andrew Fabilli and Danny Sotiryadis for making it possible.
“I like being that guy they count on to keep going back to, but it’s me and the line working hand in hand to make it happen,” La Rosa said. “When they are playing as [well] as they did tonight, we don’t take a step backward.”
A’Lorenz Chatman rushed for 97 yards on 12 carries for West Hempstead, but the Rams hurt themselves with illegal-motion penalties in the first half. One came on a third-and-10 from their own 34, another on fourth-and-1 at their 15 and a third on fourth-and-3 at the Vikings’ 27.
The wait was shorter but the road harder this time.
“There is a pressure that comes with being a defending champion — everyone is gunning for you,” Agovino said. “Our guys never wavered in their belief we would get here again and they never lost their focus.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
