Centereach wide receiver Gennaro Esposito bolts to the outside eluding two Bellport defenders in the Cougar’s season opener Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
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Senior wide receiver Billy Whelan goes deep for Centereach in the Cougars season opener on the road against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Senior wide receiver Billy Whelan after the catch for Centereach in the Cougars season opener on the road against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach senior running back Chris Crane cuts inside in the Cougars season opener on the road against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach senior running back Chris Crane finds a hole in the Cougars season opener on the road against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach senior running back Chris Crane finds an opening in the Cougars season opener on the road against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach senior running back Chris Crane goes over the top for the Cougars in their season opener against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach senior runningback Chris Crane cuts to the outside for the Cougars in their season opener against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach wide receiver Gennaro Esposito hauls in a pass against Bellport in the Cougar’s season opener Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach wide receiver Gennaro Esposito bolts to the outside eluding two Bellport defenders in the Cougar’s season opener Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach junior Justin Robbert drops back to pass in a Division III matchup on the road against Bellport. Bill Landon photo
Centereach junior Justin Robbert scrambles out of the pocket in a road game against Bellport Mar. 13. Bill Landon photo
Centereach junior Justin Robbert fires downfield in a Division III matchup on the road against Bellport. Bill Landon photo
Home "crowd" socially distanced
Centereach senior wide receiver Logan Munoz lays out for a pass in the Cougars season opener Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach junior Marcus Figueroa spurts out the back field for the Cougars on the road against Bellport Mar. 13. Bill Landon photo
Marcus Figueroa takes off up-field for Centereach in the Cougars season opener on the road against Bellport Mar. 13. Photo by Bill Landon
Centereach junior Marcus Figueroa sees an opening for the Cougars in a road game against Bellport Mar. 13. Bill Landon photo
The Cougars of Centereach couldn’t get traction in their season opener on the road against Bellport where the Clippers struck on a 53-yard throw to Ka’Shaun Parrish who found the endzone for the early lead. The Cougars struggled to move the chains and was unable to answer when Bellport struck again in the second quarter on a Parrish 9-yard run for a 14-0 lead that held up the rest of the way.
Centereach will look to put a “W” in the win column March 20 when they’ll take on West Islip in this Covid abbreviated five game-season at home. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
Mount Sinai’s girls’ soccer team celebrates its Suffolk County title win. File photo by Desirée Keegan
Success isn’t given, it’s earned, and our North Shore teams this fall have earned it.
Our student-athletes aren’t just building character through lessons of teamwork, or gaining strength and endurance, or learning about winning and losing — they’re leaving legacies.
Port Jefferson’s varsity girls’ soccer team celebrates a second consecutive state championship. Photo from Port Jefferson school district
Some teams may have seen their losses as failures, but we can’t forget the history that was made this season. Centereach’s football team made the postseason for the first time since 2002; Ward Melville’s field hockey faced off in the state finals for the second straight season; and Mount Sinai’s girls’ soccer team made it to the Long Island championship after claiming the program’s first county crown.
Newfield’s soccer team also made big moves this season. The boys played in the county finals for the first time, and the girls, who were part of a developmental league in 2012 — designed for weaker teams to play competitive games without the possibility of postseason play — won 11 games this season and made it to the Suffolk quarterfinals. Smithtown East’s girls’ volleyball team had a near-perfect season. They lost just one game heading into the Suffolk finals. Northport made it back to the girls’ soccer county finals after two seasons, getting over the semifinal hump. And Ward Melville’s football team will be playing in the county finals for the first time in three decades this weekend, after upsetting No. 1-seed and previously undefeated Lindenhurst last week.
And then there was total dominance by teams like the Port Jefferson’s girls’ soccer team, which brought home back-to-back state titles after its third-straight almost perfect season. Kings Park’s girls’ volleyball team cruised to its sixth straight county and Long Island titles, and plays in the state finals this weekend, and Smithtown West’s boys’ volleyball team, which brought home the school’s first county and Long Island titles this year, will also play in the state tournament this weekend.
We have fully enjoyed covering our sports teams this season and are proud of their success. Of course it’s fun to watch and write about victory, but it’s also gratifying to see the student-athletes in our coverage areas working hard to make their communities proud.
We also would like to commend all of the hardworking coaches — who are volunteers, in some cases — for their dedication to bettering our youth. With so many opportunities available for kids to stray down the wrong path, it is a breath of fresh air to see our athletes thrive.
Smithtown High School West’s varsity cheerleaders entertained the crowd during homecoming on Sept. 26. Photo from the Smithtown Central School District
Smithtown West junior running back James Caddigan Jr. rushes with the ball. The Bulls went on to win their homecoming game over Centereach on Sept. 26, 48-28. Photo by Joe Galotti
Smithtown West junior fullback Brandon Spiciarich punts the ball while Centereach junior defensive back Anthony Mazza reaches for the block. The Bulls went on to win their homecoming game on Sept. 26, 48-28. Photo by Joe Galotti
Band members from Smithtown West played before for community members during the parade and entertained the crowd during the homecoming game on Sept. 26. Photo from the Smithtown Central School District
Michael Alfano and Gabriella Carucci were named Smithtown High School West’s homecoming king and queen during the Sept. 26 parade and game. The Bulls topped Centereach 48-28. Photo from the Smithtown Central School District
Smithtown West senior quarterback Daniel Coroussos rushes downfield on a quarterback keep. The Bulls went on to win their homecoming game against Centereach on Sept. 26, 48-28. Photo by Joe Galotti
Smithtown West senior linebacker Daniel Varello takes the ball into the end zone. The Bulls went on to win their homecoming game against Centereach on Sept. 26, 48-28. Photo by Joe Galotti
The Smithtown West kickline team kept the crowd entertained during their halftime performance on Sept. 26. The Bulls won their homecoming game over Centereach, 48-28. Photo from the Smithtown Central School District
By Joe Galotti
On Saturday afternoon, the Smithtown West football team found the end zone a half dozen times before halftime, and put an exclamation mark on the school’s homecoming weekend festivities with a 48-28 victory over Centereach. The Bulls improved to 3-0 on the season, and were able to celebrate Smithtown’s 350th anniversary in style.
“This was just another step in the right direction,” Smithtown West head coach Pete Cerullo said. “The offense and defense executed the way they were supposed to. It was a great win, and I’m proud of our team.”
Senior quarterback Daniel Caroussos led the Bulls’ offensive assault in the game, doing plenty of damage with both his arm and his legs. The senior threw for a touchdowns and 163 yards, and ran for 74 yards and three touchdowns.
“This week of practice we prepared well,” Caroussos said. “The scout team gave us a great look. We knew what they were going to come out with.”
Centereach senior quarterback Nick Juvelier also put together a memorable day. He completed 24 of 40 passes, and threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
“I got to give credit to my receivers, really,” Juvelier said. “I just got a lot of playmakers around me.”
Centereach senior wide receivers Justin Eck and Mark Pirollo, and junior wide receiver Rob Montgomery all finished with touchdown receptions for Cougars on the day. Even though the team found success through the air, it was Smithtown West that was in control, from nearly start to finish.
Junior running back James Caddigan Jr. opened the scoring for the Bulls with a 7-yard touchdown run just 3:53 into the game. With 1:40 remaining in the opening quarter, Caddigan Jr. struck again, this time, with a 12-yard rushing touchdown.
Before the end of the first, Caroussos broke the game open for Smithtown West with a 25-yard rushing touchdown on a keeper play, which gave the Bulls a 21-0 advantage.
In the second quarter, Caroussos threw and ran for a touchdown. Smithtown West also scored on an interception by senior linebacker Daniel Varello, which he returned 25 yards to the end zone. The Bulls took a healthy 34-point lead into halftime.
The Cougars did manage to show signs of life in the second half, outscoring their opponent 21-7 in the game’s final 24 minutes. Despite the final score, Centereach head coach Adam Barrett still has of faith in his team moving forward.
“We were 2-0 before we came into this game, and we know what it takes to win,” Barrett said. “Now we got to get back on track.”
The Cougars will look for a bounce-back performance, when they host Half Hollows Hill East this Saturday at 2 p.m. Meanwhile, red-hot Smithtown West will be back at Robert W. Pratt Field this Friday night, when they welcome No. 2-seeded Riverhead. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and Caroussos said his team will be ready for the challenge.
“This game was a huge confidence booster for us, especially going into next week,” he said. “That’s going to be a great competition for us. We’re expecting that to be a great game.”
