One thing is for certain this week: teams will be tested.
Heading into the Suffolk County semifinals — all but one of which is being played on Friday — you can’t count any team out. With just one No. 5 seed making it, and the rest of the matchups playing out as predicted, there’s an exciting end to the week ahead.
Division I:
No. 2 Sachem East is hosting No. 3 Longwood Friday at 6 p.m. The Lions (7-2) will be looking to avenge a 7-0 loss to the Arrows back in Week 2. One of Sachem East’s top rushers in Adriel Robinson moved the ball 24 times for 122 yards in that game, and scored the lone touchdown. Ryan Paolella, another big ball mover for Sachem East, carried the ball 13 times for 101 yards. Let’s not forget Paolella’s big game against Ward Melville October 26, where he came up with two interceptions and a fumble recovery to secure a 14-7 win, and blocked a punt in a 30-17 win over then-previously-undefeated Patchogue-Medford. On defense, linebacker Jason Bruno, who had six tackles in the win over Longwood, came up with a team-high nine in the win over Pat-Med, where he returned Paolella’s blocked punt 27 yards into the end zone. But Longwood, which started the season at the No. 2 spot in the rankings behind No. 1 William Floyd and ahead of No. 3 Sachem East, which is how the season played out, was without three of its playmakers the first time around. This was including junior quarterback Noah Rattmer.
No. 1 Floyd, competing in the only Saturday game, hosts No. 4 Patchogue-Medford at 1 p.m. The Colonials are still 9-0 despite losing some key players to injuries, but the Raiders (7-2), who dominated time of possession in the first half of their loss to Sachem East back on October 12, boast defensive threats like Eric Suta, Jake LaMonica and Aidan McBride. McBride made 11 tackles in Week 1, and scored three touchdowns in Week 2, one of which was scored on his own blocked punt. LaMonica, who had a Week 2 interception, blocked a field goal attempt in a close Week 6 28-21 loss to Riverhead. Also in the team’s Week 2 win over Commack (3-6) Suda made three sacks. Tyree Jackson has completed 63 of his 127 pass attempts and still has thrown for 1,004 yards and 12 touchdowns, and rushed for another 331 yards and six scores. Moving the ball 177 times Angelo DeVita has carried the ball 1,112 yards and for 15 touchdowns. This Patchogue-Medford team is a completely new one from the 0-8 one that took to the field last season. These two teams also have not met yet this year.
Division II:
Top-seeded Lindenhurst may still be fired up as the defending county champions and going 9-0 so far this year, but No. 4 Centereach (6-3) will not just lie down. The Cougars have a quick defense as seen in last week’s 41-21 win over Connetquot, where Ryan Cahill and Alex Goldberg each made interceptions, and then there’s tight end and defensive back Matt Robbert, who scored four touchdowns in that win and made a sack. He also is the team’s kicker. In a 24-17 loss to West Islip, he followed his team’s opening touchdown of the game with a 22-yard field goal. He has 12 touchdown on the season, including a 33-yard catch-and-run from his younger brother Justin in a 28-21 loss to Lindenhurst back on October 12. In that game Jack Randazzo was 15-for-19 passing for 167 yards and a touchdown for Lindenhurst. Jack Winey, Jake Trovato and Jack Hogan scored, and Nick Passamonte and Hogan blocked punts.
No. 2 West Islip (7-2) will be looking to avenge its November 2 34-21 loss to No. 3 North Babylon (7-2) November 2. In that game Makhi Tolliver rushed for 142 yards and two scores on six carries and Dylan Diaz 78 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown for the Bulldogs. Diaz also received a 30-yard touchdown pass from Ross Tallarico, who forced a fumble and returned the ball 55 yards into the end zone. Michael Yearwood came up with an interception in that regular season finale, and Marvens Brutus a sack. Dominic Sagginario has carried the ball 59 times for 536 yards and eight Lions touchdowns this season, and Joe Costantino 44 for 582 yards and seven scores. Kyle Haff has three touchdowns this year, and while the team boasts a plethora of rushers, Tim Weber, who completed 15 of 22 passes this season for 251 yards and three touchdowns, has also made a run of things, moving the ball 228 yards on 24 carries. West Islip is also fresh off a monster 49-28 win over Newfield (5-4).
Division III:
No. 4 Kings Park will have its hands full its first time facing undefeated (9-0) No. 1 Sayville this season, but the Kingsmen are now 7-2 after a bounce-back win over No. 4 Half Hollow Hills West last week. Kings Park, the only No. 5 seed to win its qualifying round, had lost its November 2 regular season finale to the Colts 49-28. Nico Laviano had carried the ball 115 yards on 16 attempts and scored once in the Kingsmen’s loss, and quarterback Mike Ingraffia moved the ball 50 yards on 11 carries and scored twice. Ingraffia, who threw three interceptions that game, completed 13 of 22 attempts for 163 yards. In last Saturday’s win, he redeemed himself by going 21-for-30, passing for 200 yards and two touchdowns, and also made 12 tackles. His brother Mark Ingraffia had six receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns, and Laviano made a sack, but it was Dylan Squillacioti who stole the show. With the score knotted at 17 he blasted a 23-yard field goal attempt up the middle with three seconds remaining. Sayville’s quarterback Jack Cheshire, who didn’t even start the season at quarterback, has thrown for 2,639 and 36 touchdowns, leaving him four short of former Sayville star Jack Coan’s record 40. A junior, Cheshire tossed 17 touchdowns in the first three games as the field general, the most of any quarterback in Long Island history through their first three games. He racked up five in an overtime win over No. 2 Westhampton Beach September 20, which had not lost a regular season game since 2016. The game will be played at the Greeley Avenue complex.
Westhampton (8-1) will face No. 3 East Islip (7-2), which will be looking to redeem a 31-21 loss to the Hurricanes back on October 18. East Islip quarterback Brando Miller, who has completed 67 percent of his passes (104-for-170) has thrown just four interceptions this year, and tossed the ball for 1,622 yards and 23 touchdowns. Miller went 24-for-39 with 303 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Westhampton. He’s also rushed the ball 12 times this season for 79 yards and three touchdowns. Nick Baldino has caught seven of Miller’s touchdown passes, and Rob Kreush five. In a 63-14 win over Kings Park Kreush also returned an interception 43 yards for a score. Dylan Rigo ran in five touchdowns this season, and had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery in a 23-6 win over Islip; three receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown and 13 rushes for 46 yards to go along with eight tackles and a sack in a 44-14 win over Eastport-South Manor; and eight tackles in a 21-7 win over Comsewogue. The Redmen will have to try to run down Jaden AlfanoStJohn, whose covered 1,465 yards on 196 carries and scored 22 times this season. He also caught a touchdown this season, along with seven other receptions for a total 106 yards. He’s scored four touchdowns in two games this season, and three in two others. AlfanoStJohn has also come up with six interceptions and a fumble recovery. His twin brother Jesse had more than six tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery this season, and Shavar Coffey has over 50 tackles to go along with four sacks and an interception. Quarterback Christian Capuano has completed 76 of 105 passes for 797 yards and nine touchdowns.
Division IV:
No. 1 Mt. Sinai (9-0) hosts No. 4 Babylon (6-3) in a rematch of the opening game of the season, where the Mustangs came out on top 29-7. Brandon Ventarola did a little bit of everything that game. He completed 5-of-11 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown on eight carries and had a 30-yard interception return for a score. The Mustangs had 10 total sacks — two each from Joey Spallina, Ryan Jones, Gavin Takacs, Antonio Palmiotto and Jack Shirtzer. Jones also moved the ball 72 yards on 13 carries and Matt LoMonico had three receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. Spallina had eight tackles, Jones and Palmiotto had seven and Shirtzer added six tackles. Babylon ‘s Luke Lassen has thrown nine touchdowns this season and ran for four more. He has completed 28 of 55 attempts for 55 yards and rushed for 468 yards on 71 carries. Will Singleton has received two catches, totaling 28 yards, both for touchdowns, and ran for 394 yards and six scores on 52 carries. Joe Young has rushed for 104 yards on 16 carries and scored once, and threw for 102 yards on nine attempts and a touchdown.
No. 2 Shoreham-Wading River (8-1), which hosts No. 3 Bayport-Blue Point (6-3), boasts Suffolk County’s leading rusher in Xavier Arline. The senior quarterback has carried the ball 1,602 yards on 159 carries and scored 29 times. He’s also completed 59 of 96 passes for 901 yards and seven touchdowns. The Wildcats started the season with a 41-7 win over the Phantoms and were cruising until suffering their only loss of the season, 35-21 to Mt. Sinai, back on October 12. Arline moved the ball 146 yards on 25 carries and scored twice, one being a 40-yard dash, and Max Barone (34 yards on five rushes and has four touchdowns on the season) scored the other. Jake Wilson has recorded five sacks and an interception this season. Tyler Schwartz has made a sack and two interceptions. Bayport-Blue Point is led by Luke Schartner, who has completed 17 of 31 passes for 349 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 379 yards and nine scores. Fran Geraci has rushed for 327 yards and seven touchdowns this season, Zack Kroog 195 yards and two scores, Ethan Trotta 360 yards and two touchdowns, David Zagger 140 yards and a touchdown, and Jake Aiello 132 yards and a touchdown. The Phantoms haven’t faced the Wildcats this season, and were shut out by the Mustangs 21-0 November 1.
