JAMES

ESCH

ER

He’s Grrrreat!Tigers look to explosive Meadors for rush to playoffs

Hempstead’s bidto return to theplayoffs is fueledby DashawnMeadors, whoscored 19 TDsand averaged 16yards per carryas a junior lastseason.

Hempstead’s hopes arefueled by Dashawn Meadors,who scored 19 TDs andaveraged 16 yards per carryas a junior last season.

JAMES

ESCH

ER

N/C

BOBHERZOGBYbob.herzog@newsday.com

About the only thing that canslow down Hempstead tailbackDashawn Meadors is the high,thick grass on his team’s homefield. It will be cut in time for thehome opener next Saturdayagainst Long Beach, but giventhe 6-3, 225-pound senior’s explo-siveness, teams that don’t haveturf might just consider givingtheir landscapers the week offwhen the Tigers come to town.

“Sometimes we draw it up oneway but he finds an opening andtakes it another way,” coachSylas Pratt said. “He’s hard totackle, hard to deal with. I’m a de-fensive-minded coach and evenif he was the best guy on offense,I’d want him on defense. Butnow, every time I see him carrythe ball, it’s not a fluke what he’sdoing.”

WhatMeadors did in his break-out junior season was rush for1,384 yards, averaging 16 yardsper carry, score 19 touchdownsplus make 96 tackles from hismiddle linebacker position, in-cluding 11 sacks. Hempstead fin-ished 4-4 for a second straightseason, just missing the playoffsonce again. Though it’s a big im-provement from Meadors’ fresh-man season when the Tigerswere 0-8 a year before Pratt tookover, Meadors is not satisfied. Es-pecially since Hempstead lost acouple of heartbreakers last yearthat cost them a postseasonberth.

“It would be a big achievementto get Hempstead into the play-offs again. That would be greatfor our school and our commu-nity,” said Meadors. “It’s beennine years. But this is a new year.The rebuilding process is overand we want to keep moving for-ward.”

The same can be said forMeadors, who has gone from rel-

ative obscurity to the radarscreens of several Division I col-leges. He said he has scholarshipoffers from Temple, Rutgers andStony Brook but expects othersand won’t decide until after theseason. “I don’t want to go toofar away. I want to be as close tohome as possible so my familycan see my games,” saidMeadors. “We’re very close andall the boys in my family haveplayed football, frommy grandfa-ther to my youngest brother.”

Meadors may occupy his ownbranch on the family tree. Heshowcased his defensive and of-fensive skills at Temple’s sum-mer camp and with an 85 aver-age and sufficient SAT scores toqualify for Division I football ac-cording to Pratt, the only ques-tion is whether the 16-year-oldwinds up on offense or defensein college.

“I really want to play offense,but wherever the coaches putme, it doesn’t matter. As long as Iplay,” Meadors said. “Collegesseem to be looking at me as a de-fensive end/outside linebackerto use my quickness to get to theperson who has the ball.”

That’s what Pratt envisions aswell. “He’s a linebacker now buthe’s still growing. I project thatin college he’ll have his hand inthe dirt,” Pratt said, referencingthe stance of a defensive end.“That’s a great athlete on the de-fensive line. I imagine him grow-ing another two-to-three inchesand becoming a big-time edgerusher. But a couple of schoolssaid they like him as a tailback soit could go either way.”

His versatility and athleticismoffer a tantalizing offensive pack-age to college coaches. “I thinkof myself as a balanced back,”Meadors said. “If I get to theopen field, I’ll use my speed.When I’m inside, I’ll use mystrength and power.

“But it’s not just me,” he was

quick to point out. “We haveother weapons, like Javon An-drews and Tylique Walker. Wecan spread defenses out and geteverybody the ball. Defensescan’t just focus on me.”

That team-first attitude de-lights his coach. “That’s the bestthing about him. He doesn’t actlike a star. He’s the same kid hewas as a 10thgrader,” Pratt said.

“He’s just a little bit bigger, a lit-tle bit stronger and a little bitfaster. He’s consistent. Every dayhe’s the first one in the lockerroom and the first one in theweight room. And his teacherssay he’s a pleasure to have inclass. Success hasn’t gone to hishead. He’s hungry. He wantsmore.”

Including a nice, fast track.

1. OCEANSIDE (4-5)The Sailors could score often with quarterbackTommy Heuer, pictured, leading a talented offense.Oceanside has an experienced offensive line thatcould be the difference in Nassau Conference I.

2. FREEPORT (11-1)The Red Devils are the defending LI Class I champi-ons, after winning their fifth title. Team speed will be ahuge plus,and the defense is led by senior linebackerRobert Fitzsimmons.

3.GARDENCITY (12-0)There never seems to be a rebuilding year at GardenCity. The Trojans are the defending LI Class II champi-ons after winning a record-tying sixth LIC. The Trojansrely on stingy defense. Newsday’s All-Long Island DEAndrew DeSantis is back.

4. FLOYD (10-2)The Colonials are coming off their 10th Suffolk title inthe last 16 years. Halfback Nick Silva gained over1,000 rushing yards last season, and his offensive lineis bigger and better.

5.HALFHOLLOWHILLSWEST (9-3)The Colts won the Suffolk Division II title last seasonand lost in the Class II championship to Garden City,13-6. The Colts moved to Division III and are loadedthis season. Junior Deyvon Wright rushed for 1,047yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

6.WANTAGH (12-0)Wantagh went undefeated and won the Class IIIcrown for the second time in school history. Senior re-turnees linebacker Gavin Casey and halfback TomRohan will lead this deep, experienced team.

7.EAST ISLIP (9-3)TheRedmenplayedin thecountyfinal innineof thelast11 years. Senior halfback Justin Taveras moved to QBthis season. He rushed for 1,023 yards as a junior half-back,andmissedpartsoffourgamesduetoinjury.

8.CAREY (8-2)The Seahawks have senior Frank Porcasi as the an-chor on both sides of their physical line.

9. LINDENHURST (9-1)Ohio State-bound Jeremy Ruckert (WR/LB) is a play-maker on both sides of the ball, and his goal is an LIC.

10.MASSAPEQUA (7-3)The Chiefs will ride an experienced offensive line tothe final four of Nassau Conference I.

11.BAYSHORE (4-5)The Marauders are trying to win a playoff game forthe first time since 1986. They have one of their big-gest offensive lines in their 90-year history, led byMatt Mirabito (6-7, 325 pounds).2016 records in parentheses

JAMES

ESCH

ER

MEADORS: THIS TIGERIS HUNGRY FOR MORE

DASHAWN MEADORS 2016

86CARRIES

1,384YARDS

16.1AVERAGE

19TOUCHDOWNS

11SACKS

96TACKLES

JAMES

ESCH

ER

MEADORS INMOTION

Watch video of Hempsteadrunning back DashawnMeadors at practice at

newsday.com/hs

GREGGSARRA’S

ELITE11

Senior tailback determined to leadHemsptead back to the playoffs

Hempstead’sDashawn Meadors

HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLPREVIEW

RICH

ARD

T.SLAT

TERY

B14 B15

NEW

SDAY

,SU

NDA

Y,SEPT

EMBER3,

2017

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m

BOBHERZOGBYbob.herzog@newsday.com

About the only thing that canslow down Hempstead tailbackDashawn Meadors is the high,thick grass on his team’s homefield. It will be cut in time for thehome opener next Saturdayagainst Long Beach, but giventhe 6-3, 225-pound senior’s explo-siveness, teams that don’t haveturf might just consider givingtheir landscapers the week offwhen the Tigers come to town.

“Sometimes we draw it up oneway but he finds an opening andtakes it another way,” coachSylas Pratt said. “He’s hard totackle, hard to deal with. I’m a de-fensive-minded coach and evenif he was the best guy on offense,I’d want him on defense. Butnow, every time I see him carrythe ball, it’s not a fluke what he’sdoing.”

WhatMeadors did in his break-out junior season was rush for1,384 yards, averaging 16 yardsper carry, score 19 touchdownsplus make 96 tackles from hismiddle linebacker position, in-cluding 11 sacks. Hempstead fin-ished 4-4 for a second straightseason, just missing the playoffsonce again. Though it’s a big im-provement from Meadors’ fresh-man season when the Tigerswere 0-8 a year before Pratt tookover, Meadors is not satisfied. Es-pecially since Hempstead lost acouple of heartbreakers last yearthat cost them a postseasonberth.

“It would be a big achievementto get Hempstead into the play-offs again. That would be greatfor our school and our commu-nity,” said Meadors. “It’s beennine years. But this is a new year.The rebuilding process is overand we want to keep moving for-ward.”

The same can be said forMeadors, who has gone from rel-

ative obscurity to the radarscreens of several Division I col-leges. He said he has scholarshipoffers from Temple, Rutgers andStony Brook but expects othersand won’t decide until after theseason. “I don’t want to go toofar away. I want to be as close tohome as possible so my familycan see my games,” saidMeadors. “We’re very close andall the boys in my family haveplayed football, frommy grandfa-ther to my youngest brother.”

Meadors may occupy his ownbranch on the family tree. Heshowcased his defensive and of-fensive skills at Temple’s sum-mer camp and with an 85 aver-age and sufficient SAT scores toqualify for Division I football ac-cording to Pratt, the only ques-tion is whether the 16-year-oldwinds up on offense or defensein college.

“I really want to play offense,but wherever the coaches putme, it doesn’t matter. As long as Iplay,” Meadors said. “Collegesseem to be looking at me as a de-fensive end/outside linebackerto use my quickness to get to theperson who has the ball.”

That’s what Pratt envisions aswell. “He’s a linebacker now buthe’s still growing. I project thatin college he’ll have his hand inthe dirt,” Pratt said, referencingthe stance of a defensive end.“That’s a great athlete on the de-fensive line. I imagine him grow-ing another two-to-three inchesand becoming a big-time edgerusher. But a couple of schoolssaid they like him as a tailback soit could go either way.”

His versatility and athleticismoffer a tantalizing offensive pack-age to college coaches. “I thinkof myself as a balanced back,”Meadors said. “If I get to theopen field, I’ll use my speed.When I’m inside, I’ll use mystrength and power.

“But it’s not just me,” he was

quick to point out. “We haveother weapons, like Javon An-drews and Tylique Walker. Wecan spread defenses out and geteverybody the ball. Defensescan’t just focus on me.”

That team-first attitude de-lights his coach. “That’s the bestthing about him. He doesn’t actlike a star. He’s the same kid hewas as a 10thgrader,” Pratt said.

“He’s just a little bit bigger, a lit-tle bit stronger and a little bitfaster. He’s consistent. Every dayhe’s the first one in the lockerroom and the first one in theweight room. And his teacherssay he’s a pleasure to have inclass. Success hasn’t gone to hishead. He’s hungry. He wantsmore.”

Including a nice, fast track.

1. OCEANSIDE (4-5)The Sailors could score often with quarterbackTommy Heuer, pictured, leading a talented offense.Oceanside has an experienced offensive line thatcould be the difference in Nassau Conference I.

2. FREEPORT (11-1)The Red Devils are the defending LI Class I champi-ons, after winning their fifth title. Team speed will be ahuge plus,and the defense is led by senior linebackerRobert Fitzsimmons.

3.GARDENCITY (12-0)There never seems to be a rebuilding year at GardenCity. The Trojans are the defending LI Class II champi-ons after winning a record-tying sixth LIC. The Trojansrely on stingy defense. Newsday’s All-Long Island DEAndrew DeSantis is back.

4. FLOYD (10-2)The Colonials are coming off their 10th Suffolk title inthe last 16 years. Halfback Nick Silva gained over1,000 rushing yards last season, and his offensive lineis bigger and better.

5.HALFHOLLOWHILLSWEST (9-3)The Colts won the Suffolk Division II title last seasonand lost in the Class II championship to Garden City,13-6. The Colts moved to Division III and are loadedthis season. Junior Deyvon Wright rushed for 1,047yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

6.WANTAGH (12-0)Wantagh went undefeated and won the Class IIIcrown for the second time in school history. Senior re-turnees linebacker Gavin Casey and halfback TomRohan will lead this deep, experienced team.

7.EAST ISLIP (9-3)TheRedmenplayedin thecountyfinal innineof thelast11 years. Senior halfback Justin Taveras moved to QBthis season. He rushed for 1,023 yards as a junior half-back,andmissedpartsoffourgamesduetoinjury.

8.CAREY (8-2)The Seahawks have senior Frank Porcasi as the an-chor on both sides of their physical line.

9. LINDENHURST (9-1)Ohio State-bound Jeremy Ruckert (WR/LB) is a play-maker on both sides of the ball, and his goal is an LIC.

10.MASSAPEQUA (7-3)The Chiefs will ride an experienced offensive line tothe final four of Nassau Conference I.

11.BAYSHORE (4-5)The Marauders are trying to win a playoff game forthe first time since 1986. They have one of their big-gest offensive lines in their 90-year history, led byMatt Mirabito (6-7, 325 pounds).2016 records in parentheses

JAMES

ESCH

ER

MEADORS: THIS TIGERIS HUNGRY FOR MORE

DASHAWN MEADORS 2016

86CARRIES

1,384YARDS

16.1AVERAGE

19TOUCHDOWNS

11SACKS

96TACKLES

JAMES

ESCH

ER

MEADORS INMOTION

Watch video of Hempsteadrunning back DashawnMeadors at practice at

newsday.com/hs

GREGGSARRA’S

ELITE11

Senior tailback determined to leadHemsptead back to the playoffs

Hempstead’sDashawn Meadors

HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLPREVIEW

RICH

ARD

T.SLAT

TERY

B14 B15

NEW

SDAY

,SU

NDA

Y,SEPT

EMBER3,

2017

newsday.co

m