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Smithtown East football downs Connetquot

by Bill Landon - March 22, 2021

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Fresh off their season opening 66-0 blowout over Copiague, Smithtown East was in the driver’s seat from the opening kickoff led by senior quarterback and co-captain Nick Karika who scored four touchdowns for the Bulls to win it 27-19 at home March 20.

Karika had touchdown runs of two yards, nine yards, 12 yards and his longest, a 49 yarder to put his team out front by 14 with six minutes left in the game. Connetquot managed to find the endzone with seconds remaining in the game.

The win lifts to Bulls to 2-0 for the top spot in League 3. They will hit the road March 27 where they’ll face Hills East. Game time is 1:30 p.m.

Wildcats blank Mustangs 28-0

by Bill Landon - March 20, 2021

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Shoreham-Wading River junior Max Barone breaks free and goes the distance in a road game against Mt. Sinai Mar. 19. Photo by Bill Landon

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Last season, which was a year-and-a-half ago, Mount Sinai dealt Shoreham-Wading River their only loss of the regular season and the Wildcats weren’t about to let that happen again, blanking the Mustangs 28-0 on the road March 19.

Senior Johnny Schwarz found the endzone on a 36-yard pass from senior quarterback Chris Visintin and punched in again from 8 yards out for a 14-0 lead. Visintin connected with Jake Wilson on a 10-yard pass play in the 3rd quarter and found Max Barone on a 22 yarder late in the game. Jake Ekert’s foot was perfect on the night splitting the uprights all four times.

The win lifts the Wildcats to 2-0 with 3 games remaining while Mount Sinai opens their season 0-1 after they were forced to postpone their season opener due to one or more players testing positive for COVID-19.

Shoreham-Wading River is back in action in another road game against Miller Place March 26 with a 6:30 start and the Mustangs hit the road the following day against Islip. Game time is 2:00 p.m. Photos by Bill Landon

Newfield Wolverines come up short at North Babylon

by TBR Staff - March 18, 2021

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newfield football — The Newfield Wolverines went against the North Babylon Bulldogs this week to kick off football season after a year-long hiatus. Photos by Andrew Zucker

By Andrew Zucker

It was not the opening day either team was hoping for, but once the Newfield kicker’s cleat made contact with the ball, the spring 2021 season was officially on.

For both the North Babylon Bulldogs and the Newfield Wolverines, the game on Saturday, March 13, was the first time both teams faced outside competition in over 480 days, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shutting down all high school sports last year.

The final score, a 26-20 North Babylon victory, is a tale of two halves, and then a little more.

For most of the first quarter, North Babylon controlled the game as they held the ball for over eight minutes, driving as far as the Wolverines 16-yard line. But the Bulldogs walked away from the opening drive empty-handed as quarterback Tyler Hovanec bobbled the snap on the field goal attempt and was forced to throw away the ball or risk being sacked.

Newfield scored its first points of the season on a 71-yard run by Joe Hackal with 1:05 remaining in the first quarter. The Wolverines had the extra point attempt blocked by North Babylon, putting them 6-0, a score that stood for another five minutes.

Malachi Hunter gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the day via a hard-fought 2-yard touchdown run less than four minutes into the second quarter.

“They [North Babylon] got down early, they stuck it out, they ground back,” North Babylon head coach Terry Manning said following the game. “That’s our offense. Grind and grind, ground and pound; that’s what our nickname is, and we just took the ball and kept doing that all day long.”

Just before the end of the first half, Newfield managed to grab hold of the lead, this time via a Matt Hirsh TD. Once again, they would miss the extra point.

Take Jackson looked to give North Babylon the lead on the ensuing kickoff, taking it over 50-yards to the end zone, but the TD was negated following a Bulldogs penalty. North Babylon would not capitalize on the field position, finding themselves down 12-7 at the half.

After halftime, everything changed — or so it seemed.

The Bulldogs scored the only points in the third quarter, a 15-yard TD by Hunter, and headed into the final frame up 14-12.

“I want my North Babylon kids to play, to be tough, to be aggressive, to never stop,” Manning said. “And to finish strong like that, which they did, so I was pretty proud of it.”

Hunter continued his impressive performance scoring a TD in the fourth quarter, his third of the game, putting the Bulldogs up 20-12. Newfield responded with a touchdown of their own with 3:25 remaining in the game and converted the two-point conversion, knotting it up at 20 apiece.

Starting with the ball on their 44-yard line and 3:19 remaining in the game, North Babylon found themselves in a position most kids dream about. Tie game, ball in your hands, final minutes of a back and forth contest. A game, within a game.

Hovanec led the Bulldogs down the field, making their way to the Newfield 7-yard-line, before spiking the ball to stop the clock with seven seconds remaining.

Jason Kolk missed the potential game-winning field goal with four seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, North Babylon forced a turnover on downs before DaiVon Lofton broke through the Wolverines defense for a 20-yard touchdown run to end the game.

“Middle Country is very excited about the full return of sports,” said Middle Country Director of Physical Education, Joseph Mercado. “We feel that interscholastic sports is an integral part of a student’s education. We are working very diligently to ensure the safe return for all our students, staff and spectators. With the return of athletics, we hope all our student-athletes and spectators will have a positive and safe experience.”

Newfield (0-1) once again finds itself as the road team, when the Wolverines head to Smithtown West on Friday, March 19. Kickoff is set for 6:00 The Bulldogs (1-0) square off at Bellport on Saturday, March 20 at 2 p.m.

Northport Tigers win opener against Connetquot

by TBR Staff - March 16, 2021

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By Steven Zaitz

They waited almost 500 days to play a football game. They are now going to wait longer than expected to play the next one.

The Northport Tigers opened their spring season this past Saturday by blanking the Connetquot
Thunderbirds, 26-0. However, two Tiger players tested positive for the coronavirus following the
game and the entire team will be quarantined until at least March 24, postponing this week’s
matchup against rivals Half Hollow Hills East.

The Tigers are trying to stay positive, enjoy the win and hope for the best during the 10 day in-
person shutdown of the program.

“It was a great win,” said an emotionally mixed Head Coach Pat Campbell. “I told the guys that
we have to celebrate this win and appreciate it because nobody knows what the future holds.”

Yes, the immediate future of the team has a large font-sized question mark above its collective
head, but the present says they have a record of 1-0 after their thumping of the Thunderbirds.
The Tigers are looking at this early season pause philosophically.

“I talked to the kids and the message is not to lose your faith, look out for each other and we’ll
get back out there in short order,” Campbell said. “We’re going to meet virtually, and I have a lot
of trust in this team. We’re going to stay ‘together’ apart.”

On this autumnal day in March, they did more than stay together. They obliterated Connetquot
starting right from the opening whistle. The Tigers played a stifling brand of defense, allowing
the T-Birds 84 total yards and zero trips into the red zone. Northport linebacker Anthony
Canales was a human game plan wrecker as he had 13 tackles and a quarterback sack.

“That was the first real sack of my career,” Canales said. “It felt great.”

The senior and future Alfred University Saxon, who also had a forced fumble and three tackles for
loss, admits he might have had an extra bit of motivation on this day. Newsday’s list of Top 100
High School Football Players on Long Island was published the day before the game and
Connetquot’s Will Immel and Vncent Canatia were both on the list. There were no Tigers on it.

“I guess they forgot us this year,” said the jovial Canales. “I feel like we have a few players on
this team who could have made that list, but it’s only a list. At the end of the day, who really
cares. It’s cool to prove people wrong.”

Coach Campbell joked that he’s going to start calling his players 101, 102, 103 and 104.

On offense, the Tigers used an inside-outside running game and racked up an eye-popping 377
yards rushing. Rafe Carner led the way with 102 on the ground, and Andrew Argyris had three
blunt force touchdowns from in close. Jack Sandrib steamrolled his way to 95 yards on only six
carries, and Rocco Stola had 94 yards on seven carries. Stola, who plays defense and special teams as
well (i.e., he never comes off the field) was able to use his speed to out-flank the T-Bird defense
on sweeps.

“I’ve got to give credit to the blocking upfront,” said the modest Stola. “We have been working
really hard, in drills and in meetings, even from last year when a lot of things didn’t go our way.
But today, our offensive line was great. Our defense was amazing. I think all phases today
showed that Northport is ready to make a difference after all this time away from football.”

In 2019, the Tigers were ravaged by injuries, had a 2-6 season and missed the playoffs for the
first time in a decade.

“Last year [2019] we had a different kind of epidemic and it was injuries,” lamented Campbell.
“We had 22 separate injuries, many of which were season ending. We went through five
quarterbacks and by the time we got to the last game of the year, we were on our sixth.”

This year’s signal caller, senior Conner Gallagher, had a quiet game, completing half of his eight
pass attempts for 40 yards, but Campbell felt he did a fine job leading the offense.

“Conner looked good on the tape I saw,” Campbell said. “He’s going to be called upon to make
some big throws for us this year. But today, we were able to run it effectively.”

Looking at tape and holding virtual meetings are what the team is relegated to for the next week
and a half, but the coach is already planning on how to make best use of that time as they still
plan to play Huntington on March 27.

“It’s going to be hard, but I think it’s important to keep the routine and schedule and devote the
time to football that we planned on,” Campbell said. “As far as staying in shape physically, that’s
up to each kid being accountable for himself. The kids are in charge of the culture on this team,
and we have many great leaders. I have confidence in our leaders to be able to rally them up and
we’ll step up to this challenge as a team.”

Just another 10-day challenge; for Northport football, they can add that to the five hundred that
came before.

Centereach Cougars fall to Clippers

by Bill Landon - March 15, 2021

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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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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.

After 470-day wait, football returns, but falls to No. 5 Nova

by Press Release - March 13, 2021

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SBU Sports Jadon Turner — Jadon Turner takes a handoff from Tyquell Fields during Saturday’s season opener against Villanova.

The Stony Brook football team waited 470 days to return to game action.

Unfortunately for the Seawolves, they fell to fifth-ranked Villanova, 16-13, in the opener to the six-game spring CAA Football season on Saturday, March 6 at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.

Trailing by nine points late in the fourth quarter, Stony Brook received life when Anthony Del Negro blocked a punt and Oniel Stanbury scooped it up, placing the Seawolves at the Villanova 13 with 3:29 remaining. Forty seconds later, Jayden Cook scored from two yards out to pull Stony Brook within three points.

Angelo Guglielmello then attempted an onside kick that Villanova’s Christian Benford caught and returned to the Stony Brook 15. Villanova ran out the clock from there.

Earlier, down 13-0, quarterback Tyquell Fields scampered in from seven yards out to move Stony Brook within a score in the third quarter.

Villanova had opened a 16-7 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 33-yard field goal from Cole Bunce that was set up by play that included a completion from Daniel Smith to TD Ayo-Durojaiye for 33 yards and a roughing-the-passer call that tacked on an additional 15 yards.

SBU Sports: Coach Priore ‘excited’ about Seawolves as football readies for spring season

by Press Release - January 28, 2021

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Chuck_3503 — SBU Coach Chuck Priore on right. Photo by Jim Harrison/Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook football team is set to play an untraditional season this spring. And head coach Chuck Priore is bullish on the Seawolves’ potential during a six-game CAA schedule that begins in March.

“Overall, as a team, I’m excited,” Priore said on a kickoff CAA Football conference call on Wednesday.

The Seawolves, who begin official practices Feb. 5, return a dozen starters from a 2019 squad that produced its signature win against fifth-ranked Villanova.

That includes quarterback Tyquell Fields, running back Ty Son Lawton, center Anthony Catapano and right guard Kyle Nunez on the offensive side.

Fields engineered three game-winning or game-tying fourth-quarter drives last season en route to one of the best seasons from a quarterback in school history. He recorded a program single-season-record 2,809 yards of total offense. His 2,471 passing yards ranked second most, trailing only T.J. Moriarty (2,495 in 2004). Fields also tossed 16 touchdowns and rushed for four more. He accumulated 338 rushing yards.

“The interesting thing was he had the opportunity all spring and summer to study himself. He got drill work when he was home from our quarterback coach to do,” Priore said. “The biggest thing ended up becoming his accuracy — and his improvement in that [area of the] game. His play-action game was lights out for us, his ability to throw the ball up the field, yards per reception. But he needed to become more accurate. And I think those are the things we worked on. We saw great improvement.

“He’s been part of the team now as a starter. He’s captain. And he knows he has the fall [2021 season too], which he is coming back for us. It’s a win for all of us.”

Lawton earned Freshman All-American honors from Phil Steele in 2019 after tallying 648 yards and seven touchdowns on 152 carries.

Nunez already has been tabbed a second-team Preseason All-American from HERO Sports and Stats Perform as well as first-team Preseason All-CAA Football by Phil Steele.

Catapano has been selected a co-captain after seeing action in all 12 games and making nine starts in 2019.

On the other side of the ball, defensive linemen Casey Williams, Sam Kamara and Brandon Lopez all are returning starters as well as linebacker Reidgee Dimanche and defensive backs Augie Contressa, Justin Burns and TJ Morrison.

Morrison actually is moving to free safety to anchor the defense because Priore felt the squad had great depth at the corner position.

On special teams, Aussie punter Mitchell Wright returns as the first-stringer.

Kamara was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA after suffering a season-ending injury five games into the 2019 schedule.

“We think he’s a next-level guy,” Priore said.

Kamara, Burns and Dimanche have been tabbed second-team Preseason All-CAA Football by Phil Steele.Contressa is first-team Preseason All-CAA Football by that same publication.

“Defensively we have six linebackers — two by transfer, two by freshmen getting older and two who were in the program last year,” Priore said. “We’re really excited about that position.”

The Seawolves also will be bolstered by tight end Tyler Devera (Maryland transfer) and wide receivers Hunter Hayek (Rutgers) and Malik Love (New Hampshire).

The season consists of six conference games, with the CAA split into North and South divisions.

“This has been a team that has attacked it with a passion for success,” Priore said. “I think it built great team morale when we got back here in the fall after being apart.”

State Says Football/Volleyball Will Miss Out on Fall 2020 Season

by Kyle Barr - August 28, 2020

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Mount-Sinai-Babylon-football-playoff-semi-final-111519-Matthew-LoMonaco-Landon-WJL_1307 — Mount Sinai senior running-back Matthew LoMonaco drags a Babylon defender out of the back field in the semi-final playoff round at home Nov. 15, 2019. Photo by Bill Landon

Players in Suffolk schools will be hitting the courts and fields come the start of the September sports season … well, some will be.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Aug. 24 that certain sports are allowed to start up Sept. 21, though all leagues must stay in their home region until Oct. 19.

Sports have been divided into what are considered low or high risk. Low risk sports include soccer, tennis, cross county, track, field hockey and swimming. High risk sports would be football, wrestling, rugby, hockey and volleyball. How the distinction between the two was made was up to the New York State Department of Health.

All those sports deemed high risk will be allowed to practice starting Sept. 21 but not to play against other teams until after Dec. 31.

There are still lingering questions about how some sports were determined to be high risk while others remain medium or low. The Department of Health guidance about sports details that a low risk sport is mostly individual activities like running, swimming or golf, or any sport that maintains little cross contamination of equipment. Medium risk sports have more but still manageable interaction between shared equipment (or the ability to clean between use) but with limited ability to maintain distance, which includes sports like baseball, soccer or even flag football. Games that need to have shared contact with equipment like volleyball or games that mandate close confines like wrestling are off the table, at least for the rest of this year.

Not every region will be participating in the fall. Nassau County school officials and Section VIII, which handles Nassau high school sports, have already made the decision this week to postpone all sports until the start of 2021. Meanwhile members of the Section XI board, which governs Suffolk sports, voted to host its sports season as described by the governor’s parameters.

What the exact guidelines for practices and games is still to be determined. Section XI wrote in a release Aug. 26 that the New York State Public High School Athletic Association has already met twice based on Cuomo’s Aug. 24 announcement. The association said it will come up with guidance for school districts to help them get started on their sports seasons.

“Over 200,000 students participate in the fall high school sports seasons and yesterday’s announcement was certainly a positive step for all those athletes,” said NYSPHSAA’s Executive Director Robert Zayas.

There will be several known restrictions for the start of the fall sports season. Indoor facilities can be at no more than 50% occupancy and districts must limit spectators to no more than two spectators per player. This is in addition to the normal masks and social distancing guidelines.

Coaches whose students will be left out of the chance for a fall sports season said it’s a hard pill to swallow. More so because of the vagaries still left for how the sports year will progress after December.

“I am in contact with the kids and I think all they want is a plan — something concrete — whether we play in the fall, or a condensed schedule starting in February,” said Mount Sinai High School Football Coach Vinnie Ammirato. “It would just be nice to get some clarity and a plan.”

Still, he understands why the decision was made.

“Everyone wants to play — with that said we need to keep the health and safety of all the players and coaches at the forefront.”

Wildcats Pummel Seaford 49-7 in LIC

by Bill Landon - December 2, 2019

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Xavier Arline breaks free for one of his 4 touchdowns in a Shoreham Wading River rout of Seaford in the Long Island Championship game Nov. 30. Bill Landon photo

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The Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River’s football team have been sprinting towards success for the past six years, and now this year’s Long Island Championship adds another tally to their streak.

SWR senior quarterback Xavier Arline did what he’s done all season long leading his team to victory where the Wildcats pummeled Seaford 49-7 in the D-IV championship game at Hofstra University’s James M. Shuart Stadium Nov. 30.

Arline ran for four touchdowns in the game with carries of six yards, 54 yards, 64 yards and 67 yards, while throwing a pair of touchdown passes to tight-end Jake Wilson and senior running-back Mike Casazza. Seaford managed to find the end-zone with 29 seconds left as the Wildcats claimed their 4th Long Island Championship trophy in six years.

Wildcats Win Div. IV Suffolk County Championship

by Bill Landon - November 25, 2019

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Shoreham-Wading-River-Mount-Sinai-football-county-final-112419-Joseph-Spallina-Landon-WJL_2608 — Mount Sinai sophomore Joseph Spallina powers his way out of the back field against the Wildcats in the D-IV county finals at Stony Brook Nov. 24, 2019. Bill Landon photo

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Shoreham-Wading River looked to avenge their only loss of the season back in week five to the Mustangs of Mount Sinai in the Suffolk County D-IV championship game Nov. 24. Avenge it they did, handing Mount Sinai their first and only loss of their season in a 35-14 victory at Stony Brook’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium to punch their way into the Long Island Championship round.

Despite leading 14-13 with two minutes left in the opening half an unsportsmanlike penalty extinguished the Mustang drive, and it was all SWR in the 2^nd half with Xavier Arline leading the way with 26 carries covering 195 yards.

It was the Wildcats fifth Suffolk County title, and the team will face Seaford Nov. 30 at Hofstra University at 12 p.m. for the Long Island crown.

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