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high school sports

By Bill Landon

It was a battle of the unbeatens Thursday afternoon, Sept. 19, between defending Long Island champions Port Jefferson Royals and Center Moriches Red Devils.

Although losing several key seniors to graduation from their 2023 Long Island championship season, it didn’t seem to matter when the Royals attacked with vicious serves and several monster digs. There were 34 kills at the net to sweep the match, 25-19, 25-18, 25-14. 

Sophomore Ava Reilly was the cornerstone of the offense with 28 assists, nine digs a kill and an ace. McKayla Pollard notched 15 kills to go with six digs, along with sophomores Thea Mangels who killed six, had a dig and a service ace and Lina DeLeo who had seven digs, two aces and five kills at the net. The quartet was a potent combination throughout in dominating the play at the net. 

The win lifted the Royals to the top of the League VII leaderboard. 

The team continued its impressive form with 3-0 victories over Greenport/Southold, Sept. 21, and Shelter Island, Sept. 23, for a 7-0 record to date. 

— Photos by Bill Landon 

By Steve Zaitz

Northport running back Luke Loiacono rushed for all four Tiger touchdowns — one in each quarter — Northport’s 28-14 win at West Islip, on Friday Night.

The junior Loiacono, who is also a prolific scorer for the Tiger lacrosse team, finished with 168 yards on only 13 carries, as Northport improved to 2-0. West Islip falls to 0-2.

On the Tigers’ second offensive possession, Loiacono ran around left end for a 20-yard score that gave Northport a 7-0 lead. Loiacono and the Tiger rushing attack continued to exploit left-side runs for the entire game, amassing 314 yards on the ground. Senior Asher Levine had 92 yards on 8 carries, as Northport averaged 8.3 yards per rushing attempt.

Loiacono’s second touchdown was a 12-yarder in which he broke a tackle at the five-yard line, ran to the right sideline, and waltzed into the end zone with just under two minutes to go in the first half.

Northport’s defense also had a strong game as they limited the Lions to 194 yards of total offense. Eighty-one of those yards came in semi-garbage time when West Islip wide receiver Nils Haugen caught a short pass from quarterback T.J. Sonnenberg in the right flat, spun out of a tackle and raced 82 yards to make the score 28-14 with ten minutes remaining in the game.

The Lions recovered a Loiacono fumble with six minutes left, but the Tiger defense got a turnover on downs when Sonnenberg threw an incompletion on 4th down and 5 with four minutes remaining.  The Lions never possessed the ball again.

Northport meets their old friend, Bellport, next Saturday, September 28. The Clippers are 1-1 after their 20-15 loss to highly-ranked North Babylon. Northport and Bellport met at Stony Brook in the 2022 Suffolk County Championship, with Bellport winning 35-14.

— Photos by Steve Zaitz

By Bill Landon

With both teams with three games under their belt, the Bulls of Smithtown West hosted the Centereach Cougars Thursday afternoon, Sept. 12, in a league matchup where a single goal would be the difference.

With three minutes left in the opening half, Smithtown West senior Jake Hutter dished off the ball to sophomore Tony Garcia who drilled the ball into the back of the net to edge ahead 1-0, a score that would make the final buzzer. 

Both goalies Jerry Nagosky (Bulls) and Thomas Zwirblis (Cougars) had two saves apiece.

The Bulls had another 1-0 victory — at East Islip — Monday, Sept. 16, taking them to 5-0 atop League V. On the same day, the Cougars won 3-1 at West Islip for a 2-1-2 league start.

— Photos by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

The Comsewogue girls soccer squad, having won their last three games, looked to make it four in a row Saturday morning, Sept. 14, when the Warriors hosted Amityville, and did just that, by trouncing their opponents in an 8-0 blowout.

It was a team effort, with seven different players finding the net in the League VI contest. Mikaela Knot found the back of the net twice, and teammates Emma Cross, Kaiya Dent, Madison Maher, Kailey Wiggins, Madison Moccio and Jayla Callender each scored a goal apiece.

Goalies Lila Capra and Payton Coyle each had two stops.

The Warriors attempted to make it five in a row, with a road game against Harborfields, on Tuesday, but fell 3-1.

— Photos by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

For the Miller Place softball team, the road to the NYS Class A championship title game involved consistent winning play that led them to their second-ever Suffolk County title with a 4-1 victory over Islip, May 25. Facing Seaford a week later in the Long Island championship round, Miller Place defeated the Nassau County title holder 7-4 to capture their first LIC title in program history. 

Pitching ace Ava Zicchinelli, who was an eighth grader when the Panthers won their last county title back in 2021, was lights out from the circle. With the bat of Emily Lopez, they made for a potent combination. Both are juniors.

The NYS softball championship finals were held June 7-8 in North Bellport at the Martha Avenue Recreation Park sports complex. On the Friday, the Panthers defeated Section V finalist Pittsford Sutherland 4-1 to punch their ticket to the final round the following day.

On the Saturday, Section IX finalist Marlboro jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before Miller Place freshman Delaney Schleider drove in sophomore Laney Vomero on a standup double to trail 2-1 bottom of the third.

The Marlboro team stretched their legs in scoring two more runs in the fourth inning to which the Panthers had no answer. 

Miller Place without a single senior on its roster finished their 2024 campaign with an impressive 21-5 record and will likely return with its starting lineup intact for next season.

By Bill Landon

Without a single senior listed on their roster Miller Place softball team, fresh off their Suffolk County championship victory, demonstrated that this Panther squad will be a powerhouse to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.

After three-and-a-half scoreless innings against Nassau champions, Seaford, Ava Zicchinelli’s bat spoke first with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth. Laney Vomero stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded, and drove in two more runs to put the Panthers ahead 3-0 at the end of four. 

Seaford capitalized in the top of the sixth inning on a Miller Place throwing error, plating two runners then drove in two more to take the lead 4-3.

After going 0-3 at bat, Miller Place junior Emily Lopez drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead at 5-4. With two outs, the Panthers plated two more runs on a Seaford error to surge ahead 7-4. Leading by three, Zicchinelli did what she’s done all season and kept Seaford on its heels for the final three outs to claim the first Long Island Class A championship title in Miller Place history.

The Panthers will now enter uncharted territory when they return to the Martha Avenue Recreation Park sports complex in North Bellport Friday, June 7, for the NYS semifinal round where they will face Pittsford Sutherland. First pitch is slated for 9 a.m.Tickets can be purchased at: nysphsaa.org/sports/softballtickets.

By Steven Zaitz

Start the buses!

The Commack Cougars captured their second straight Class AAA Long Island championship on Saturday, getting another brilliant pitching performance from senior right-hander Evan Kay.

Kay, who will pitch for Stony Brook next spring, allowed no earned runs, three hits, no walks, and struck out 11 against Nassau champion Farmingdale to earn a 2-1 victory. This win sends Commack back to Binghamton, where they lost in the final round last year, to play in the New York State championship tournament this weekend.

It was the second time this week Kay was at the bottom of a celebratory pile of teammates at the Middle Country Athletic Complex in Selden, as he pitched a similarly spectacular game on May 26 against Sachem North to bag a fourth consecutive Suffolk County crown for the Commack varsity baseball program.

“Being on the bottom of that pile is rough, I gotta admit, but there is no place I’d rather be,” Kay said after handcuffing the mighty Dalers, who had averaged six runs a game in their Section VIII playoff march.

But it was Kay who had the recipe to serve up a giant bowl of goose egg soup to Farmingdale, mixing mostly off-speed and breaking pitches in the first few frames and then blowing fastballs by them in the middle and later innings. Kay struck out the side on only 12 pitches in the first inning and although it got a little dicey later on in the game, it was a harbinger of how the night would unfold for him and the Cougars.

Kay worked quickly, threw strikes, and had Daler hitters muttering under their breath as they walked back to the dugout. Kay faced only 24 batters in seven innings – only three over the minimum.

“It might have been the best I’ve ever thrown in a high school game,” said Kay. “I live for big moments like this.”

Commack head coach Matthew Salmon has now presided over two straight Long Island Championships. He has watched Kay evolve from a kid who just a few years ago couldn’t crack 60 mph on a radar gun into the equivalent of the Long Island Cy Young.

“The bigger the situation is, Evan gets a little bit stronger and a little bit tougher and that’s just the way he is built,” Salmon said. “He’s pitched in big spots his whole career and has been successful in every one of those spots, and I think a case can be made for Evan as being one of the best pitchers in the history of Long Island High School baseball.”

A bold statement, and that list might include major leaguers like Frank Viola, Marcus Stroman, Steven Matz, and Commack alum Pete Harnisch – all of whom pitched, or are still pitching, in the major leagues. But the numbers back Salmon’s case.

Kay holds the Long Island record for consecutive scoreless innings with 60. Twenty-eight of those innings were pitched in the 2023 postseason against stiff competition such as Pat-Med and Massapequa. He has won two Suffolk County championship-clinching games, two Long Island championship-clinching games, and he beat Shenendehowa in the New York State semifinals last year. 

All five of these wins were complete games and three of them were shutouts.

His lifetime record is 16-2, has 147 strikeouts and his WHIP, walks and hits per inning, is a microscopic 0.59.

“His résumé speaks for itself,” Salmon said.

Another bullet point on Kay’s résumé is his ability to snuff out rallies before they become multi-run innings.

In last week’s win against Sachem North, he got a huge strikeout with the tying run on third with one out in the seventh inning and stranded the potential tying and winning runs on base to win Suffolk County. Against the Dalers, he pinned a two-out base runner at second with a strikeout in the fifth to maintain a 1-0 lead. After Commack added a run in the fifth for a 2-0 lead, Kay worked around an error in the sixth and retired the heart of Farmingdale’s lineup, surrendering only an unearned run on a foul ball sacrifice fly by starting pitcher Jordan Welsh. Commack kept its lead.

The Cougars scored in the first inning on a two-out RBI single by right fielder Dean Vincent and added another in the fifth when pinch hitter Matt Shovelson singled and came around to score on catcher Robbie Mascia’s single to center.

It was in Kay’s capable hands entering the final frame. As is his wont, Kay looked out to centerfield and took a deep breath before stepping on the rubber to begin the inning. In this case, he took two deep breaths.

“Before that last inning I took an extra second to think about how big the moment was and I really wanted to lock in to get those last three outs,” Kay said.

In fine style, Kay struck out the side in order in the seventh on only 11 pitches. Upon strike three to his final victim, Farmingdale left fielder Patrick Sebber, Kay thrust both of his arms into the air, did a half-pirouette on the mound, and threw his glove into the dusty, orange Selden sky before being snowed under by his raucous teammates. The trophy party in left field with friends and family lasted well past dark.

Now the Cougars return to Mirabito Stadium to face Fairport, a suburb of Rochester, on Saturday in the New York State semifinal game. The pitching rotation has not been set and it will be either Kay or Ryan Krzemienski to pitch that game. If the Cougars win, they will face the winner of Shenendehowa [Section II] and reigning state champs Ketchum [Section I], who beat Commack 2-1 last year in the finals despite three Cougar pitchers other than Kay, who pitched the previous game, combining for a no-hitter.

With all the gaudy stats, accomplishments, and accolades that Kay has accumulated in his Commack career, he still has a gaping space for one more.

“I want to win the New York State championship. Then I’m good.”

Shoreham-Wading River midfielder Liam Gregorek battles at “X” in the Suffolk Class C championship final. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bi

ll Landon

It was a collision course anticipated from midseason between top-seeded Bayport-Blue Point and the Wildcats of Shoreham-Wading River (No. 2) for the Suffolk Class C championship final Thursday night at the Martha Avenue sports complex in North Bellport May 23.

Having lost to the Phantoms 10-5 back on May 9, the Wildcats gave away three unanswered goals before midfielder Alex Kershis broke the ice for the Wildcats to trail 3-1 with two minutes left in the opening quarter. Kershis struck again with two minutes left in the half with his hat trick to tie the game thanks to an assist by Andrew Cimino, making the score 5-5.

Bayport scored twice more in the third quarter for which the Wildcats had no answer until the opening minute of the fourth when Liam Gregorek buried his shot followed by his younger brother Noah to make it a new game at 7-7. Kershis dished the ball off to Noah who split the pipes to retake the lead at 8-7 but Bayport scored with 10 minutes left in regulation. Bayport showed their patience with a four-minute-plus possession in the waning minutes when the Phantoms split the pipes at the 1:18 mark for the go-ahead goal at 9-8 that would make the final buzzer, and with it punched their ticket to the Long Island championship round. 

The other Wildcat scorers were Cimino and Liam Kershis. Shoreham-Wading River concluded their 2024 season with a 10-4 Division II record, 11-7 overall.

With the victory, Bayport-Blue Point took on Nassau County Class C title holder, Wantagh, at Longwood High School Wednesday, May 29, but the result was unavailable by press time.

2024 Suffolk County Class A Champions. Photo by Bill Landon

By Bill Landon

It was the bat of Emily Lopez bat that sparked the Miller Place (No. 3) offense with a two-run homer in the opening inning coupled with some lights-out pitching from Ava Zicchinelli that kept Islip (No. 2) at bay in the Suffolk County Class A championship final Saturday, May 25. Islip answered in the top of the third, but the Panthers plated two more insurance runs to protect a 4-1 lead after six innings of play. 

With Islip’s backs against the wall and down to the last three outs, Zicchinelli kept the Buccaneers on their heels and fanned the final batter for the win at the Martha Avenue sports complex in North Bellport. 

The Panthers will return to Martha Avenue Thursday, May 30, to contest the Long Island championship round where they’ll face the winner of the Wantagh/Seaford game. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at: gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI. 

Wildcats WIN! Bill Landon photo

By Bill Landon

Shoreham-Wading River Wildcats (No. 2) struck first and never trailed in the Suffolk Class C boys lacrosse semifinals against Kings Park (No. 3) at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field, Friday, May 17. 

The Gregorek brothers set the tone with senior Liam Gregorek notching his hat trick midway through the 3rd quarter as did his younger brother Noah, an eighth grader, to put the Wildcats ahead by six goals at 9-3. The senior quartet of Brendan Meskill along with twin brothers Liam and Alex Kershis answered the call with two goals apiece, and Andrew Cimino found the back of the net in the Wildcat 13-5 victory.

Senior goalie Jaden Galfano stopped 13 between the pipes.

Jack Salva had two goals for Kings Park and teammates Luke Griffin, John Flynn and Billy Berhalter each scored.

Kings Park concludes the 2024 campaign with a 10-6 record.

The Wildcats advance to the championship round where they’ll face top-seeded Bayport-Blue Point at Longwood High School Thursday, May 23. Game time is slated for 8 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at: gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI.