SSHS Grad To Lead Cyclones Football Program

After a disappointing 1-7 season, the district decided it needed a fresh face to lead its football program.

Athletic Director Carol Roseto interviewed a bevy of candidates to find a coach who could lead the program back to where it was in 2001, when they won the county championship. The last time South Side hoisted that trophy, Phil Onesto was a team captain, and that's who will lead the program this September. 

"When I found out, I was extremely excited," Onesto said, who graduated in 2002. "It took a few days to sink in. Some of the guys I'm friends with couldn't believe it."

Onesto, 26, played both sides of the ball during the team's 2001 county championship run, and was an assistant on the high school's junior varsity team this year. Onesto was also a varsity coach during the three prior years.

He said that though RVC does not have a youth football program — a key ingredient to building a championship-caliber team — he wants to show players that it's dedication and passion that will lead to winning. "I want to show them that if they put in the work and are dedicated, stay eligible with their grades, anything is possible," he said. 

Onesto said that some may say his 2001 championship team was littered with talent, which made it easy to win, but he disagreed with that assessment. "We had an exceptional team, but we put a lot of work in to get to that point," he said. "It's not just going to happen. We had to put that extra time in and develop chemistry."

The 2002 South Side graduate will replace Paul Mastronardi, who went 1-7 last year as head coach. Onesto credited Mastronardi with teaching him a lot about the game, and what it takes to be a head coach. Though Onesto worked with the JV team, Mastronardi always included the JV coaches in his team meetings, he said.

"Paul taught me how to break down game tape and work on the defense," he said. "I was more of an offensive guy, but Paul was all defense, and I learned a lot from him."

Though Onesto was facing competition for the job from more seasoned head coaches, he said he had something other candidates didn't. "In my heart, I knew I was the best person for the job at South Side," he said. "The fact that I played here, my dedication to South Side, I want to see every sport do well, not just football. I care about the Rockville Centre community and not just the football program."

Changing the football culture at South Side will be Onesto's first challenge. The team has struggled since its championship season in 2001, and Onesto said he has one goal in mind to change that losing mentality. "The biggest thing for me is to have the kids love football again," he said. "For whatever reason, towards the end of the season, it was hard for the kids to stay excited. Besides getting wins, I want to keep the kids in it, which I think will trickle down to the lower grades."

To help do that, Onesto will bring in some teammates from his 2001 team to coach, including the team's starting quarterback, Mike Ambort.

The official appointment of the Onesto by the Board of Education will not happen until May when all of the 2011-2012 coaching appointments are made.

Football camps for the 2011 season breaks in the third week of August.