Oceanside football's Chace Morris rushes for 200 yards, 2 TDs in win over Farmingdale
Chace Morris of Oceanside races for a first down in the third quarter of a Nassau Conference I matchup against Farmingdale on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026 in Oceanside. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Oceanside quarterback/running back Dylan Parker looked fantastic against Farmingdale, scoring two touchdowns with 87 all-purpose yards in the first half.
But just three plays into the third quarter, Parker suffered an ankle injury that led him to be carted away from the medical tent.
Someone needed to pick up Oceanside, and coach Rob Blount put it best when describing his running back Chace Morris.
“We lost lightning,” Blount said, “but we still had thunder.”
Morris ran 34 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns as Oceanside defeated Farmingdale, 37-29, Friday night in the Sailors’ home opener in Nassau’s Conference I.
“He runs hard,” Blount said. “He just gives you the eyes, and when it comes time for a big moment, he gets it done.”
The first half had no shortage of explosive plays. Farmingdale’s Patrick Videau had a 64-yard punt return touchdown in the first quarter before Parker ripped off a 10-yard rushing score on the next possession.
Farmingdale needed just one play to respond as Nicholas Toto threw to Jack Watrous in the flat. Watrous then burst down the left sideline for a 68-yard score. Oceanside didn’t need an offensive play to counter, however, as Peter Palotti flashed his athleticism with a 90-yard kick return touchdown with excellent downfield blocking.
Yet the best of the half was still to come as Palotti came in motion from the left as Parker handed the ball off to Palotti to run right for the final play of the half.
Only Palotti didn’t run; instead turning back toward Parker, who had rolled out to the left, to complete a 27-yard touchdown pass.
“It’s kind of funky; we did something like that last year,” Blount said. “Dylan made a great play, and that saved the game right there. That changed the momentum of the game and allowed us to come out in the second half and play strong.”
The score gave Oceanside a 24-21 lead. Farmingdale struggled to run the ball in the second half, earning just one first down.
“We couldn’t stop the run,” Farmingdale coach Buddy Krumenacker said. “It really boils down to that. And we couldn’t move the football.”
Morris took 22 carries for 140 yards and scored both his touchdowns in the second half, despite taking direct snaps as a wildcat quarterback with Parker sidelined.
“It’s always the next man up,” Morris said. “I love Dylan. He did a great job, and he’s the reason that we even got to that position.”
Morris snagged an interception with 9:16 remaining, leading to his 11-yard rushing score on fourth down with 5:21 left to give Oceanside a 37-21 lead. A late score by the Dalers led to Palotti securing the ensuing onside kick to end the game.
“We’re a gritty team,” Morris said. “We might now have a lot of guys, but we got a lot of tough guys.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
