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Nicholas DePompeis had 140 yards rushing for New Hyde Park.

Nicholas DePompeis had 140 yards rushing for New Hyde Park. Credit: Pablo Garcia Corradi

As Dominic Fulgieri and his New Hyde Park teammates emphatically celebrated on the field postgame, it was evident that this was no ordinary regular season win.

This was a moment more than two decades in the making.

Fulgieri had eight carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns, as well as an interception, and James Asmus added five carries for 75 yards and a touchdown as visiting New Hyde Park defeated Carey, 21-0, in a Nassau Conference II football game on Saturday afternoon to earn the program’s first victory over the Seahawks in 22 years.

"I’m so excited right now," Fulgieri said. "Last year we came up short, but this year I knew we were going to win off the first possession of the game. Second drive I put it in the end zone and we were feeling great."

Fulgieri opened up the scoring for New Hyde Park (5-1) after taking a jet sweep 52 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown with 7:48 left in the first half. He also began the drive in impressive fashion two plays earlier, ripping down a contested 25-yard catch downfield.

New Hyde Park received another long rushing score when James Asmus broke loose from 48 yards out with 6:49 left in the third to stretch the lead to 13-0. Eric Orbon put the Gladiators in prime position two plays earlier by blocking a punt at the Carey 41-yard line.

Nicholas DePompeis led the ground attack for the Gladiators with 19 carries for 140 yards.

"This feels great," DePompeis said. "It’s a great feeling to be the first ones to do this in so long and hopefully we can continue to do it year in and year out. We worked so hard to be here."

Entering the game with two consecutive shutouts, the Gladiators held their opponent scoreless yet again with a strong collective effort.

As Carey threatened to score late in the third quarter, Fulgieri hauled in a diving interception off a tipped pass at the New Hyde Park 22 to maintain the momentum.

"My brother Mark is the defensive coordinator and he does a great job," New Hyde Park coach Colin Maier said. "He puts our kids in a great position week in and week out to make plays. They believe in our system and what he preaches and you see the results."

New Hyde Park #3 Dominic Fulgieri scores during the win...

New Hyde Park #3 Dominic Fulgieri scores during the win over Carey on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021.  Credit: Pablo Garcia Corradi

Fulgieri tacked on a 7-yard rushing touchdown with 7:14 left to play, which DePompeis followed up with a two-point conversion run to extend the Gladiator advantage to 21-0.

For this group, defeating the Seahawks (2-4) for the first time in 22 years was a theme that began well before opening week. Their excitement certainly showed as they celebrated.

"This was the game we were working toward before the season," DePompeis said. "We talked about it all week."

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