Wantagh football wins Nassau Conference IV final over Plainedge as Dylan Martini runs for three touchdowns

It was no surprise that the two powers from Nassau Conference III that dropped down to Nassau IV before this school year rose up to play in Friday’s championship game in the rain at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium.

When Plainedge and Wantagh met in Week 5, they found themselves in an overtime struggle before the Red Devils emerged with a six-point victory.

This time, not so close.

Third-seeded Wantagh constructed a 20-point lead in the second quarter and went on to a 48-21 win over the top-seeded Red Devils, claiming its first county championship since it played football in Nassau IV in the spring of 2021.

“To win with these kids is awesome,” Wantagh coach Keith Sachs said. “They’re just the epitome of great kids on and off the field. They work so hard and they’re respectful.”

Next up is the Long Island Class IV championship game. Wantagh (10-1) will collide with Bayport-Blue Point (11-0) at noon on Friday on the Shuart turf. The Phantoms own a 34-game winning streak.

“Competition is great,” Wantagh senior running back Dylan Martini said after a brilliant 15-carry, 232-yard, three-touchdown effort. “Competition breeds winners. I wouldn’t want to go to battle with a [34-] game win streak team with anyone else but these boys.”

So what was different this time as opposed to last time, when Plainedge won, 33-27?

“We were different,” Sachs said. “We knew it. Last time was a good game. We’ve played Plainedge so many times. We figured it would come down to us and them again. We made a few adjustments, but we worried about how we play.

“All we kept saying was if we play our best game and it’s not good enough, then fine. Good luck to them. Our best game is going to be tough to handle.”

Martini sure was tough to handle.

“He’s the best running back on the Island,” fellow senior running back John Gendels said.

Gendels provided a nice complement, rushing 10 times for 108 yards and two scores. “When you’ve got to guard us two, it’s pretty hard in the backfield,” he said.

Gendels gave Wantagh its first touchdown, taking a pitch on the first snap of its second possession. After turning the left corner, he raced for a 48-yard score.

Dimitris Vardamaskos capped the next possession for the Red Devils with a 9-yard touchdown run, but Gendels ran the ensuing kickoff back 63 yards to the Plainedge 11.

“Every time when they kick it deep, I’m just trying to make a play,” he said.

It took Wantagh two plays to cash in. Ryan Conigliaro hit Cole Spinelli in the right side of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown and the lead.

Then Martini took a direct snap, broke through the line, bounced out to his left and finished off a 47-yard scoring run. It was 21-7 Wantagh with 3:38 gone in the second quarter.

Jaxson Torres, who threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns for the Red Devils (9-2), was picked off by Carter Loughman on the ensuing possession.

Conigliaro capped a six-play drive with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Oliver Iacobazzi for the 20-point advantage.

It was 27-13 at halftime.

“We had to make every play count, and we didn’t,” Plainedge coach Rob Shaver said.

Martini put a large dent in any comeback hopes by ripping off touchdown runs of 65 and 53 yards in the third quarter.

“The weather didn’t help us,” Shaver said. “We dropped a couple of passes. We fumbled a few snaps. We needed to be a little more skilled than we were able to be tonight.”