Four undefeated streaks are on the line this week — one in each of the four Suffolk County division finals matchups.
Division I:
No. 1 William Floyd (10-0) is facing No. 3 Longwood in the Suffolk County final for the first time since 2016. The Colonials haven’t lost to a Suffolk County opponent since 2017, suffering two losses to Lindenhurst that season, one in the championship-title game. Floyd is boasting some big returners in running back Tyshawn Lopez, who has improved on his nine touchdowns from last season to rack up 23 in the top slot. This year he’s moved the ball 1,690 yards on 166 carries. He’s scored three or more touchdowns in five game this season, including three in each of the Colonials’ last three contests. Floyd is fresh off a 48-6 annihilation of No. 4 Patchogue-Medford. Lopez rushed for 247 yards on 10 carries in that game alone, and touchdowns came from four other players including running back Jeyzad Hall (902 yards and 11 touchdowns on 90 carries) and quarterback Tommy Verga (355 yards rushing and 6 scores on 36 attempts, and 25-for-54 passing for 433 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception). On defense, Lopez racked up five tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble all in a win over Brenwood (3-6). He’s made four sacks on the season. Eddie Longo has made over 30 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble, Randy Russo more than 15 tackles, four sacks, a fumble recovery, forced fumble and blocked point-after attempt. Darius Arrington has over 15 tackles and three sacks this season, and Hall has racked up more than 15 tackles. Devin Brown made three interceptions nad Wayne Bristel one.
But Longwood (8-2) will be itching to redeem its 42-14 loss to Floyd on the road October 19. In that loss, quarterback Noah Rattmer was 7-for-15 passing for 123 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown pass to Kaisean Cobb. Anele Nwanyanwu rushed 10 times for 56 yards and a touchdown, and grabbed a 50-yard reception. Elijah Stokley was the only one to steal a Verga pass this season. Nwanyanwu is also a force to be reckoned with. He’s carried the ball 1,174 yards for 16 touchdowns on 122 carries. On the defensive side of the ball, he’s come up with more than 30 tackles and five sacks. Fernando Rodriguez recorded six tackles and one interception in one game, Mike Loughran three sacks in one, and Aaron Basar two in another. Tory Terry and Najee Shorter each came down with an interception. While it could be a ground-and-pound battle, both team’s field generals have also shown the ability to made some big passes. Rattmer made a 44-yard pass to Zach Soriano in the second quarter of last week’s 14-12 win over No. 2 Sachem East (7-3). This was after Nwanyanwu’s 80-yard run put the Lions up 7-0 in the first. He has a 70 percent completion rate — 47-for-67 — passing for 751 yards and eight touchdowns, and rushed for another 131 yards on 14 carries with three scores this season. The two teams will square off November 22 under the Friday night lights at Stony Brook University. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Division II:
No. 1 Lindenhurst (10-0) has gone averaged 27-7 against opponents this season, capping off this year’s current streak with a 23-0 shutout win over No. 4 Centereach (6-4) last week for the Bulldogs’ fifth blanking of 2019. Lindenhurst will be facing No. 2 West Islip (8-2) in the final, which the Bulldogs shut down 14-0 on the road October 19. Lindenhurst is led by middle linebacker Jack Winey, who finished the win over Centereach with 16 tackles. He’s also carried the ball 31 times for 279 yards and three touchdowns this season. Winey had an eight-tackle game to start the season, and had two team-high 15-tackle games this season, making a sack in one and two in the other. Two-way captain Will Ruckert has also dazzled, amassing over 40 tackles this season, 10 sacks, five fumble recoveries, and multiple forced fumbles. Running back Jaden Barber has moved the ball 737 yards for eight touchdowns on 100 carries and caught the ball eight times for 195 yards and a touchdown this season. Jack Hogan has rushed for 146 yards and four scores on 17 carries, and caught four passes for 70 yards. Quarterback Jack Randazzo has completed 63 of 111 passes for 1,002 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 185 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. He’s thrown three interceptions this season.
While West Islip quarterback Tim Weber has thrown much less this season, the two have comparable pass completion percentages, with Weber hitting receivers 16 of 25 times for 293 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He’s also moved the ball when needed, carrying it 228 yards on 24 attempts. Dominic Sagginaro has rushed 631 yards and for nine touchdowns on 77 carries, and received the ball five times for 71 yards and a score, and sharing the load is Joe Costantino, who has rushed for 697 yards and seven touchdowns on 58 carries, has received the ball twice for 14 yards, and even completed two of two passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Haff also added six scored on 20 rushing attempts that totaled 130 yards this year, and led the defense with more than 50 tackles, eight sacks — including a safety —an interception, and a fumble recovery. Donnie Ryan finished with more than 30 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery. Rowan Kelly made two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, Anthony Sagginaro stole two passes and made a sack this season, and Jack Herzlinger came up with an interception. The two teams will meet at Lindenhurst Middle School Saturday, November 23, at 1 p.m.
Division III:
No. 1 Sayville (10-0) is on a mission making its first Suffolk County final appearance in at least four seasons. The Golden Flashes had been taken out by Half Hollow Hills West in the semifinals the previous two seasons, and finished this year’s last home game with a 28-7 redemption win on their home turf. Stellar quarterback Jack Cheshire, who didn’t even start at the position this season, completed 14 of 22 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in that win over the Colts, while star all-arounder Brock Murtha tossed a 13-yarder for a score, and returned an interception 72 yards for another. He also received five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown to mark the first time he scored in three different ways in one game. Murtha, who starter at quarterback and was the team’s field general last season, completed four of six passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns this season, rushed for 115 on 22 carries for a score, and received the ball 53 times, totaling 945 yards and 18 touchdowns. Cheshire tossed 17 touchdowns in his first three games as quarterback, and has gone 178-for-260 with 2,795 yards and 39 touchdowns, one shy of Sayville great Jack Coan’s record. He’s also carried the ball 15 times for 82 yards and a score this season. Sayville’s defense has also been rocking. Across three players, Murtha included (8), the Golden Flashes game up with 28 tackles and a sack. Jason Gensch recorded three sacks in a 48-21 win over West Babylon (2-6) September 27, and Michael Corwin had five tackles and two sacks, including one for a safety in a 49-12 whopping win over Harborfields (1-7) October 19.
But Thursday’s game against No. 3 East Islip (8-2) could be close judging by the last time the two teams met. Sayville just came out on top in that one, 28-27, back on October 5. East Islip’s quarterback Brandon Miller tossed three touchdowns in that one, and Cheshire two, and Murtha rushed home the other ones. He scored his first on an 87-yard run. The Redmen and fueled from a 42-27 win over No. 2 Westhampton last week, where Dylan Rigo rushed for three touchdowns, Rob Kreush caught two, and Troy Burrell had an interception that led to Derek Burrell’s score. East Islip came out with a win over Sayville in 2016, 42-35, which ended Coan’s season early. He is Long Island’s all-time passing leader in yards (9,795) and touchdown passes (128). The Redmen came up short of a Long Island title that year, losing to Wantagh in a close 21-14 battle. Sayville and East Islip will face off at Stony Brook University Thursday, November 21 at 7 p.m.
Division IV:
In another game with redemption roots, No. 1 Mt. Sinai (10-0) will be looking to avenge its only loss of last season, a 28-21 heartbreaker to No. 3 Shoreham-Wading River (9-1) in the Suffolk County championship game. The Mustangs defense has let up an average eight points per game this season, shutting out opponent three times and giving up just six points in three games and seven in one this season. The most Mt. Sinai let up was 21, which happened to be in the Mustangs’ 35-21 win over the Wildcats October 12. Mt. Sinai quarterback Brandon Ventarola completed 10 of 14 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns that day. Two of them were to Matt LoMonaco, who has caught 19 passes for 409 yards and six scores this season, and rushed for 248 yards on 29 attempts with five more touchdowns. Ventarola rossed 11 touchdown and rushed for 13 others this season, carrying the ball 506 yards on 43 attempts and completed 48 of 84 passes for 824 yards. He’s also made two interceptions while tossing none this year. Joey Spallina rushed in a touchdown over Shoreham-Wading River. He’s moved the ball 319 yards on 47 attempts this season for four touchdowns, and received 12 passes for 131 yards and a score. Ryan Jones (863 yards) and Mike Trepeta (210 yards), Derek Takacs (178 yards) and Matt Graffeo (116 yards) have also moved the ball plenty. Mr. Sinai’s defense recorded 10 sacks in a 29-7 win over Babylon September 6. Spallina, Ryan Jones, Gavin Takacs, Antonio Palmiotto and Jack Shirtzer each recording two. Spallina had eight tackles, Jones had seven tackles, Palmiotto had seven tackles and Shirtzer added six tackles in the win. Spallina has actually finished the season with over 40 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Jones has more than 30 tackles, and Graffeo 15 and a forces fumble. Palmiotto and Matt Schreiber each had one sack, while Schirtzer added six tackles, two sacks and blocked a field goal in a 21-0 win over Bayport-Blue Point (7-4) November 10.
Shoreham-Wading River is led by quarterback Xavier Arline who has the most rushing yards in Suffolk County this season with 1,846 yards on 177 carries. Those gains have led to 34 touchdowns, and he’s also thrown eight others, going 66-for-111 while collecting 1,072 yards through the air. Tyler Schwartz received 13 of those passes for 256 yard and two touchdowns, while Max Barone received 14 for 139 yards and a touchdown. Barone also rushed the ball 307 yards on 51 attempts and three more scores, and Schwartz once, which ended up being a 45-yard touchdown run. His brother Johnny Schwartz caught 21 passes for 361 yards and a touchdown, David Tedesco moved the ball 356 yards on 37 carries and scored five times, Sean Miller rushed for 127 yards on 22 attempts and made two touchdowns, Chris Visintin carried the ball 121 yards on 15 carries for two touchdowns, and Robert McGee caught seven passes for 101 yards and a score. The Wildcats defense has averaged letting up almost 10 points per game, shutting out three opponents, letting up six against one and seven against two others. The most Shoreham-Wading River let up in a single game was against to Mt. Sinai (35). Jake Wilson recorded on average a sack a game, totaling 10 to this point and a fumble recovery, Jeff Lachemeyer made three sacks, and Mike Casazza two while also scooping up a fumble recovery. Dylan Blanco and Matt Zahn each made two sacks this season, and Schwartz a sack and an interception. Mt. Sinai and Shoreham-Wading River will close out the Suffolk County championship games Sunday, November 24, at Stony Brook University. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
