Result
Nassau Community College football earned a 30-22 comeback victory over No. 4 nationally ranked Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday, October 24, at Mitchel Field. After falling behind 19-7 in the opening quarter, the Lions outscored the Vikings 23-3 over the final three quarters to avenge an earlier 19-11 loss to Hudson Valley this season.
Quarterback Elijah Outlaw led Nassau with 316 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Mekai Henderson added 96 rushing yards and a score, and Ruiz and Betz each contributed 99 receiving yards. The Lions finished with 419 yards of total offense and held the fourth-ranked Vikings scoreless in the second half to improve to 5-3.
How It Happened
Nassau opened the game with a bang as Joshua Hicks returned the opening kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown just 14 seconds into the contest. Matias Perez Herrera added the extra point to give the Lions an early 7-0 lead.
Hudson Valley responded with 19 unanswered points, scoring on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Ma'Kao Taylor to Michael Smith, a three-yard rushing touchdown from Myquan Rush-Esdaile, and a 43-yard touchdown pass from Taylor to Ahzeir Pagan. The Vikings held a 19-7 advantage after the opening quarter.
Nassau began its comeback in the second quarter with a 12-play, 84-yard scoring drive. Outlaw connected with Soloman Decoteau for a 40-yard gain before finding Antoine Blackman on fourth down to extend the possession. Henderson capped the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 19-14.
The Lions struck again on their next possession. After an 11-yard run from Henderson, Outlaw connected with Decoteau for a 40-yard touchdown pass to give Nassau a 20-19 lead with 2:27 remaining in the half. Hudson Valley answered with a 24-yard field goal from Samuel Lofaro to take a 22-20 advantage into halftime.
Nassau regained the lead early in the third quarter. Outlaw connected with Tito Ruiz for gains of 12 and 44 yards to move the Lions into scoring position before Perez Herrera converted a 29-yard field goal, putting Nassau ahead 23-22 with 10:29 remaining in the quarter.
The Lions extended their advantage in the fourth quarter with a 10-play scoring drive that consumed more than six minutes. Outlaw found Tyler Cabassa for an eight-yard gain on fourth down to keep the possession alive before connecting with Justin Betz for gains of 29 and eight yards. Outlaw capped the drive with a two-yard touchdown pass to Cabassa, extending Nassau's lead to 30-22 with 8:51 remaining.
Hudson Valley threatened late, advancing to Nassau's 25-yard line in the final two minutes. However, Tayvon Nelson intercepted Taylor's pass at the three-yard line and returned it 19 yards to end the Vikings' scoring opportunity. Henderson followed with a 17-yard run on third down, allowing Nassau to run out the clock and secure the victory.
Notes & Standout Performers
- Total Offense: Nassau 419 yards, Hudson Valley 320 yards
- Passing Yards: Nassau 316, Hudson Valley 223
- Rushing Yards: Nassau 103, Hudson Valley 97
- First Downs: Nassau 22, Hudson Valley 18
- Elijah Outlaw: 21-of-35 passing, 316 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
- Mekai Henderson: 22 carries, 96 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
- Tito Ruiz: 6 receptions, 99 yards
- Justin Betz: 6 receptions, 99 yards
- Soloman Decoteau: 2 receptions, 80 yards, 1 touchdown
- Tyler Cabassa: 3 receptions, 20 yards, 1 touchdown
- Antoine Blackman: 4 receptions, 18 yards
- Joshua Hicks: 82-yard kickoff return touchdown, 26-yard punt return
- Matias Perez Herrera: 29-yard field goal, 3 successful extra points
- Tayvon Nelson: 4 tackles, 1 interception, 19 return yards
- Frank Posillico Jr.: 6 tackles
- Hopeton James: 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss
- Evan Commodore: 5 tackles, 2 pass breakups
- Jacques Camille: 3 tackles, 1 sack for a 10-yard loss
- Jadan Barrett: 3 pass breakups
Up Next
Nassau travels to Virginia to face #2 Louisburg College on Saturday, October 31st before returning home for the final regular season game against Sussex County Community College on Saturday, November 7th at 1 PM.
Stay up to date with Nassau athletics with live streams and stats at nassaulions.com/watch. Follow the Lions on Instagram and X at @lionsncc.
