Three takeaways from the Long Island high school football county finals
The Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms pose with their championship plaque after defeating Miller Place in the Suffolk Division IV championship game on Thursday at LaValle Stadium. Credit: George A Faella
1. The respective county football championships had the same feel for two programs
Garden City and Bayport-Blue Point continued to roll. Can anyone stop them?
The Trojans extended Long Island’s longest winning streak to 53 games with a 49-14 win over Manhasset Saturday at Hofstra University.
It was the ninth straight Nassau title for the Trojans, who are in search of the program’s fourth consecutive Long Island title – something that’s never been done.
Garden City (11-0) will meet Sayville (11-0), Saturday at Stony Brook University at noon.
The Trojans disposed of a very athletic Manhasset team that had a terrific season and would have been poised to capture the school’s second Nassau crown since 1996, had Garden City not stepped down in enrollment into Conference III. Manhasset finished 9-2, both losses to Garden City.
The Trojans left Conference II, where they had dominated winning five of the last six Long Island Class II titles.
“We’ll play anyone,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. “We don’t decide the schedule or the alignment.”
And he wasn’t arrogant about it. He was honest.
“We prepare every week and treat every opponent with the same respect,” Ettinger said. “Our program from the youth levels through the high school is consistent with coaching and work ethic.”
Everyone would agree. Garden City has been the model of consistency.
Winning has become the norm for Bayport-Blue Point (11-0). The Phantoms own Suffolk’s longest current win streak at 34 games after beating Miller Place, 49-21, to capture a third straight Division IV title Thursday night in Stony Brook University. The two-time defending Long Island Class IV champions will meet Wantagh (10-1) for the Long Island Class IV crown Friday at Hofstra University at noon.
While many get ready for Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends, you can be sure Garden City and Bayport-Blue Point will be preparing to protect impressive win streaks. And as good as they are, neither has a walkover in the LIC.
Sayville poses a real threat to Garden City’s record-breaking streak. The Golden Flashes are a mirror of Garden City’s toughness and speed but not their size. The game is a dream for high school football fans.
Wantagh will threaten Bayport-Blue Point’s streak with a creative offense and athletic defense. The Goliaths of high school football will be hard at work readying for what lies ahead against formidable opponents looking to take them down.
2. Turning point
The turning point in the East Islip-Half Hollow Hills East game came in the waning seconds of the first half of the Suffolk Division II championship Friday at Stony Brook University.
East Islip trailed Half Hollow Hills East 21-0 and was climbing back into the game. Trailing 21-7 with 16 seconds left in the half at the Hills East 5, quarterback Thomas Costarelli rolled to his left and fired a pass to Jack Kalinowski in the end zone.
A touchdown would cut the lead in half at the break and East Islip was getting the second half kickoff. What could have been part of an epic comeback completely swung in the direction when Hills East defensive back Noah Chlap jumped the route and intercepted the pass.
Chlap raced a Suffolk playoff record 100 yards for a backbreaking three touchdown lead at 28-7 on the final play of the half.
Previously undefeated East Islip (10-1), which beat Hills East, 33-14, during the regular season, never recovered.
Hills East (10-1) went on to a 41-14 win and captured the first Suffolk title in the 61 years of the finals.
The longest TD in Nassau playoff history came when Freeport’s Jaelin Hood returned a kickoff 100 yards for the score against Farmingdale in Nassau Conference I final, Nov. 17, 2016.
3. The best play call of the playoffs
Massapequa offensive coordinator Mike Ambury told coach Kevin Shippos an option pass on the final play of the overtime thriller against crosstown rival Farmingdale would work.
On fourth down and 8, Massapequa trailed 34-28, with the Conference I title on the line. Halfback Tyler Villalta went to quarterback position out of the Wildcat formation. He had quarterback Joey Diesso lined up to his left at wide receiver.
Villalta rolled right and faked a handoff to Andrew Pedalino and then reversed field running to his left to sell the run. Diesso ran an inside route and then broke to the left corner of the end zone where the lefthanded Villalta floated the winning two-point conversion pass.
Chris Bascetta added the kick and the defending Class I champions won in dramatic fashion, 35-34.
“We wanted the ball in our two best players' hands,” Shippos said. “First time we used that play all year.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.