Newsday's All-Long Island football first team 2023
The All-Long Island football first-team offense at Newsday studios on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Front row, from left: Ryan Bachmore of Bayport-Blue Point, Joseph Filardi of Half Hollow Hills West, Rocco Carpinello of West Islip, Anthony Raio of Half Hollow Hills West, Dan Aiello of Bayport-Blue Point. Back row, from left: Jack Mulholland of Manhasset, Jack Melore of Smithtown West, Mustafa Mozawalla of Syosset, Michael Berkery of Garden City, Bobby Galindo of South Side, Jason Kovaluskie of Massapequa, Chris Novelli of St. Anthony's, Coach Dave Ettinger of Garden City. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
OFFENSE
QB – Joseph Filardi, Half Hollow Hills West, 6-1, 170, Jr.
He had the most prolific season of any quarterback in Long Island history and won the Boomer Award as Suffolk’s top quarterback. Filardi passed for 3,337 yards and 44 touchdowns and completed 215 of 347 attempts. Filardi rushed for 1,083 yards and 13 touchdowns on 120 carries. Filardi also had 79 solo tackles, two sacks and an interception as a safety.
QB – Mustafa Mozawalla, Syosset, 6-0, 160, Sr.
He won the Don Snyder Award as Nassau’s most outstanding quarterback. Mozawalla completed 124 of 212 passes for 1,756 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 608 yards and 11 scores.
RB – Dan Aiello, Bayport-Blue Point,6-0, 189, Sr.
He earned the Joe Cipp Jr. Award as Suffolk’s top running back. Aiello rushed for 1,648 yards and 26 touchdowns on 145 carries. He also had a receiving touchdown, a punt return for a score, and two interception returns for TDs. Aiello had 52 tackles and three interceptions.
RB – Michael Berkery, Garden City, 5-11, 170, Jr.
He won Newsday’s Thorp Award as Nassau’s most outstanding player. Berkery rushed for 857 yards and 19 touchdowns on only 79 carries. He was also an outstanding defensive back. Berkery suffered a season-ending injury in the Nassau II final against Carey.
WR – Jack Melore, Smithtown West, 6-1, 185, Sr.
Melore broke the Long Island career record for receptions with 158. This season, he had 78 receptions for 1,258 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also had five interceptions. Melore scored 21 total touchdowns. He won the National Football Foundation Award as Suffolk’s top receiver.
WR – Korey Duff Jr., St. Anthony’s, 6-5, 210, Sr.
He won the Reichert Award as the most outstanding CHSFL player on Long Island. Duff had 55 receptions for 929 yards and nine touchdowns. He will play at Rutgers.
WR – Anthony Raio, Half Hollow Hills West, 6-0, 185, Jr.
He led Long Island in receptions (84) and receiving yards (1,381), both Long Island single-season records. He had 16 receiving touchdowns for the Colts and record-breaking quarterback Joseph Filardi.
OL – Bobby Galindo, South Side, 6-3, 295, Sr.
He was a finalist for the Martone Award as Nassau’s most outstanding lineman. Galindo was a force on both sides of the ball and led South Side to the Nassau Conference III title. He had 81 tackles, 15 TFL, and six sacks.
OL – Ryan Bachmore, Bayport-Blue Point, 6-1, 270, Jr.
He was a finalist for the Zellner Award given to Suffolk’s most outstanding lineman. He had 52 tackles and 12 pancake blocks for a Phantoms team that went 12-0 for the first time in school history.
OL – Jason Kovaluskie, Massapequa, 6-1, 265, Sr.
He was a rare four-year starter for Massapequa. Coach Kevin Shippos called Kovaluskie the “heart and soul” of his team’s line. He was a finalist for the Martone Award as Nassau’s most outstanding lineman and led Massapequa to a 12-0 season.
OL – Chris Novelli, St. Anthony’s, 6-2, 230, Sr.
He was an outstanding blocker for a team that averaged 32 points per game. He anchored a line hampered by numerous injuries.
ALL – Jack Mulholland, Manhasset, 6-3, 225, Sr.
He was a finalist for the Thorp Award Mulholland rushed for 1,065 yards and 19 touchdowns on 163 carries. He had 84 tackles from his linebacker position.
ALL – Rocco Carpinello, West Islip, 6-0, 180, Sr.
He was a finalist for the Hansen Award given to Suffolk’s most outstanding player. Carpinello rushed for 1,434 yards and 19 touchdowns on 137 carries. He had three games with more than 200 rushing yards.
DEFENSE
The All-Long Island Football first-team defense at Newsday studios on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. Front row, from left: Aidan Considine of Garden City, Hugh Wilkinson of Malverne, D'Angelo Gordon of Freeport, Chris Piropato of West Islip, Michael Aiello of South Side, Hayden Lovinsky of Deer Park. Back row, from left: Kyle Messina of Sayville, Matt McIntee of East Islip, Tyler Villalta of Massapequa, TJ Bacon of Long Island Lutheran, Ryan Wieczorek of Massapequa, Sebastian Regis of East Islip, Coach Sal J. Ciampi of East Islip. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
DL – Sebastian Regis, East Islip, 6-1, 265, Sr.
He won an unprecedented trifecta by winning the Hansen, Burnett, and Zellner Awards. Regis was so dominant this season he became the first lineman in 38 years to receive Newsday's Hansen Award as Suffolk’s most outstanding player. Regis earned the Burnett Award for Suffolk Defensive Player of the Year after he had 101 tackles, 11 sacks, four forced fumbles, five blocked extra points, and a blocked field goal leading East Islip to the Long Island Class III title.
DL – Vincent Petzold, Plainedge, 6-1, 315, Sr.
He received the Martone (outstanding lineman) and Flatley (most outstanding defensive player) awards in Nassau. Petzold had six sacks and was a dominant two-way lineman.
DL – Xavier Ali, Whitman, 6-3, 240, Jr.
He had 91 tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, two fumble recoveries, and three pass deflections. He has a weighted grade point average of 100.
LB – Ryan Wieczorek, Massapequa, 6-2, 200, Sr.
He received the Piner Award as Nassau’s most outstanding linebacker. Wieczorek was a finalist for the Flatley Award as Nassau’s top defensive player. He had 64 tackles and three interceptions.
LB – Chris Piropato, West Islip, 6-0, 185, Sr.
He won the Collotta Award as Suffolk’s most outstanding linebacker. He had 101 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. As a fullback, Piropato had 107 carries for 575 yards and six touchdowns. He had one reception for 41 yards and a score.
LB – Hugh Wilkinson, Malverne, 5-10, 225, Sr.
He was a Piner Award finalist and the Nassau Conference IV MVP. Wilkinson had 62 tackles, six tackles for a loss, and four sacks.
LB – Michael Aiello, South Side, 5-11, 200, Sr.
Aiello was a finalist for the Piner Award. He had 92 tackles, six sacks, and two interceptions this season as he led his team to its first Nassau Conference III title since 2001.
LB – Tyler Villalta, Massapequa, 5-11, 170, Jr.
He was a Thorp Award finalist who rushed for 1,300 yards and 26 touchdowns on 178 carries. Villalta also had 24 receptions for 365 yards and seven scores on the way to the Class I title.
DB – TJ Bacon, Long Island Lutheran, 6-4, 215, Sr.
He had 38 tackles and six interceptions for the Crusaders. He also caught 43 passes for 544 yards and nine touchdowns. He committed to play football for Yale.
DB – Aidan Considine, Garden City, 6-2, 200, Sr.
He was a finalist for the Flatley Award. Considine was the anchor of a defense that allowed just 27 points this season. He had 50 tackles and three sacks. He also rushed for 810 yards and 11 touchdowns.
DB – Matt McIntee, East Islip, 6-2, 180, Sr.
He was a lockdown corner back who always covered the opposing team’s top receiver. He had 36 receptions for 775 yards and six touchdowns leading East Islip to the Class III crown.
DB – D’Angelo Gordon, Freeport, 5-10, 175, Sr.
He was a Thorp Award finalist. Gordon was versatile and played multiple offensive positions and defensive back. He rushed for 1,113 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was a big hitter in the Red Devils secondary coming up in run support.
ALL – Kyle Messina, Sayville, 6-0, 185, Jr.
Messina was one of the top two-way players on Long Island. He rushed for 1,527 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also had 68 tackles, 39 solos, six interceptions, five tackles for a loss, and a sack.
ALL – Hayden Lovinsky, Deer Park, 5-9, 175, Sr.
He won the Cassese Award as Suffolk’s top defensive back. Lovinsky had three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. He also had 42 receptions for 688 yards and five touchdowns for the Falcons.
COACHES OF THE YEAR
Sal J. Ciampi, East Islip
In 23 years, Ciampi has a record of 165-67 for a .711 winning percentage with five Suffolk titles and two Long Island titles. The Redmen were 10-2 this season and captured both the Suffolk Division III and Long Island Class III titles.
Dave Ettinger, Garden City
After nine years the coach of the Trojans has compiled an astonishing 97-3 record with eight Nassau titles and six Long Island titles. Garden City completed its fourth consecutive perfect season. The Trojans have won a Long Island record-tying 42 consecutive games. They were 12-0 this season.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.