Valley Stream Central football plays with heavy heart in season-opening win over Baldwin
Valley Stream Central quarterback Evan Nelson runs into the end zone against host Baldwin during a Nassau Conference II football game on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
When the preseason seeds came out for Nassau II football, Valley Stream Central was near the south end of the listing, ranked 11th out of the 12 teams.
“I thought that was disrespectful, but that boosted me up for sure,” Evan Nelson said.
The senior quarterback/safety and his teammates came out for the opener Thursday at Baldwin and took a step toward earning more respect. Nelson ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns, threw for 83 yards and a TD and made an interception en route to a 35-6 victory.
But there was something else driving the Eagles. It was the memory of 2026 grad Ryan Icart, a three-year varsity lineman who died from a blood clot in August.
“We were inspired by the soul of Ryan Icart, the player that we lost a few weeks ago, and the confidence that we have from the hard work that we put in since December,” coach Tom Schiavo said.
On the other side, this was a hard hit to take in Week 1 for a young Baldwin team.
“It’s very tough,” coach Mike Robinson said, adding that after going through all the preparation, to “lay an egg, it’s not good.”
“I think this is our development season,” he added. “I’ve been saying that from the beginning. We’re trying to develop the program, bring us back. I think a couple of years, we’ll be OK.”
After recovering a fumble on the first offensive play of the game, the Eagles took over on the Bruins’ 32. After losing 8 yards, Nelson ran 38 to the 2, then powered in on the next play.
Nelson’s touchdown throw came early in the second quarter, a 30-yard strike to Dylan Esson on a post pattern. By halftime, it was 28-6. The Bruins’ points came on a 32-yard connection from Raphael Bourdeau to Martin Miranda.
In the third, Nelson looked trapped in the backfield on fourth-and-4 from the Baldwin 29, but somehow burst free and scored.
“We played for Ryan Icart,” Nelson said. “We all want to play to make the playoffs just for him. Everything’s for him.”
