Nick La Rosa, Daniel Quigley lead North Shore past Clarke to win in season opener
Nicholas La Rosa of North Shore finds an opening and runs for a 12-yard touchdown during the fourth quarter of a Nassau Conference IV football game against host Clarke on Saturday. Credit: James Escher
When North Shore was anointed as the top-seeded football team in Nassau Conference IV, it also was outfitted with a bull's-eye on its back. One week into the season, the Vikings are wearing it well.
North Shore unveiled a stable of ball carriers – each who can do damage in his own way – as it topped host Clarke, 28-8, Saturday in the season opener for both teams.
Slippery running back Nick La Rosa rushed for 55 yards on eight carries and scored a pair of 12-yard touchdowns. Pounding running back Mark Russo gained 36 yards on five carries and had a 5-yard touchdown run. Jet-quick slot receiver Nick Livoti carried nine times for a team-high 85 yards, most on the sweep. And do-everything quarterback Daniel Quigley added 61 rushing yards and a 1-yard touchdown plunge behind a block from Anthony Santoro.
The Vikings (1-0) actually wanted to wear the target this season after losing to Wantagh in last season’s county championship game. If there is anything unfortunate about being anointed top dog, it’s that they will not have a chance to redeem themselves for that loss; Wantagh’s enrollment dictates it play in Nassau III this season.
"It hurt watching them (celebrate) in the middle of our field," Livoti said. "We’re not going to get a shot at revenge, so we’re going to have to take it out on every other team."
"With our mindset and our aggression, I don’t think anyone will be able to come close to us," Quigley said. "People only got a glimpse of how good we could be today. We’ll get better and better."
So clearly, there is no lack of confidence on the North Shore roster.
But what might be most lethal is the depth and versatility. As coach Dan Agovino explained "with the variety of runners we have and their different styles, we expect to have something other teams won’t."
"I don’t want to say we’re the hunted, but we showed something by playing as well as we did against a good Clarke team that’s the No. 3 seed," he added. "They’ll be heard from."
Rams quarterback Nicholas Giardino ran for 43 yards, including an 11-yard score, and was 6-for-11 passing for 78 yards. Tyler Benowitz also had a fumble recovery.
The Vikings capped their first two possessions with Russo’s touchdown and La Rosa’s first score, respectively. Quigley’s touchdown just before halftime made it 21-0 and to that point the Rams (0-1) had only 54 total yards of offense.
"Their defensive line outplayed our offensive line and we weren’t able to establish any kind of run," Clarke first-year coach Kevin O’Hagan said. "We had one drive inside the red zone that we didn’t convert and that hurt."
La Rosa made two big plays to snuff that third-quarter drive, breaking up a pass into the end zone and halting Giordano on a fourth-and-12 sweep.
"Scoring is great, but I like making the defensive plays just as much," La Rosa said. "We’re still angry after how last season ended, so we’re going to play angry every game. Expect more of the same as today."
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.
