By Anthony Bosco and Dylan Butler
The Bayside High School vasrity football team once again showed it could play with the city’s top teams, but once again failed to knock off an elite squad, falling to Wagner 20-0 Saturday in Staten Island.
“We expect to win every week,” said Bayside coach Joe Capuana. “We really feel we are capable of winning every game. We’re taking it one game at a time.”
The Commodores failed to capitalize when James Dixon recovered an attempted onside kick by the host team to start the game, going three-and-out. After a short punt, Wagner marched straight down the field — aided by a pass interference call on fourth-and-11 — capping the 60-yard drive with the first of three touchdowns from quarterback William Long to wide receiver Adrian Rondinelli. The two-point conversion made the score 8-0.
Bayside quarterback/defensive back Zanu Simpson stopped Wagner’s next drive deep in Bayside territory, but was picked off himself on the ensuing possession after the Commodores had sailed into Wagner territory.
The Falcons would not be stopped again, moving the ball on the ground into Bayside territory and again converting on fourth-and-long to set up another Long-to-Rondinelli touchdown pass with just more than four minutes to play in the half.
Simpson again brought Bayside into Wagner territory, including a 35-yard run down to the Falcons’ 25. But on third-and-one from the 15, Simpson was intercepted in the end zone .
Bayside failed to score again in the third quarter when Dixon sacked Long and forced a fumble, recovered by Bayside’s Vincent Rey at the Commodores’ 41. Simpson hit Jarrett Perry for two completions for 45 yards on the drive, which had Bayside down at the Wagner 12.
But on second-and-four, running back Lawrence Florentine, running the halfback option, was picked off at the Wagner one-yard line.
The Falcons scored once more in the fourth — the third Long-to-Rondinelli TD pass — before Bayside got the ball one last time and was driving deep in Wagner territory when the game ended.
“We just ran out of time,” Capuana said. “We got in the red zone quite a bit. It was mistakes.”
Simpson was 8-for-21 for 114 yards, throwing and grabbing two interceptions. Drew Williams led the Bayside ground attack with 71 yards of 12 carries. Dixon finished with a forced fumble and two sacks.
Bayside, now 1-1 in league play and 1-2 overall, will travel to take on Clinton Saturday at noon. Clinton, 0-2, was blown out by Curtis this past weekend, 40-0.
Campus Magnet 21, Far Rockaway 6. Courtney Jones ran for two touchdowns and Ian Odom added a 60-yard run for Magnet (1-1). The Bulldogs host Boys & Girls (1-1) Saturday at noon.
Lehman 26, August Martin 14. The Falcons dropped their third straight game as Lehman was led by Courtney Mitchell, who ran for 166 yards on 14 carries with one touchdown. Sammy Casillas threw two touchdown passes to Lynell Suggs, who had four catches for 97 yards and Eddie Brown had seven tackles for Lehman (3-0, 2-0 PSAL). Martin (0-3, 0-2 PSAL) hosts Port Richmond (2-1, 1-1 PSAL) Saturday at noon.
Grand Street Campus 24, Springfield Gardens 6. Jason Sistrunk scored 22 of Grand Street’s 24 points, running in three touchdowns and two conversions. He finished with a game-high 179 yards on 19 carries. Chris Basile added 13 tackles and a blocked punt for Grand Street (3-0, 2-0). Springfield, which fell to 1-2, plays its first home game in two years Saturday at noon when it hosts George Washington (2-0) in the front end of a home-and-home series.
Riverdale 21, John Adams 8. Nate Siegal had 176 yards on 20 carries and Peter Tessler added seven tackles and an interception for Riverdale (2-0) in a non-league win Saturday. Adams, which plays at Grand Street Saturday at noon, falls to 1-2.
