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Garden City football gets by Sayville to take Long Island Class III crown with 54th straight victory

Garden City RB Blake Cascadden reacts after defeating Sayville in...

Garden City RB Blake Cascadden reacts after defeating Sayville in the Long Island Class III championship game, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024 at LaValle Stadium. Credit: George A Faella

By Gregg Sarragregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

It was billed as a game for the ages.

Garden City and Sayville, two of Long Island’s storied football programs, battling for the Long Island Class III championship. They’d never faced each other.

Garden City entered Stony Brook University’s LaValle Stadium riding a Long Island-record 53-game winning streak and looking to capture an unprecedented fourth straight Long Island title.

Sayville came in with Long Island’s highest winning percentage in such appearances, having won seven Long Island titles in nine games.

Both teams were undefeated. The stage was set. And the action had both sides of the field in full throat throughout a frenetic second half.

Senior Blake Cascadden opened the scoring with a 10-yard reception and added a 27-yard touchdown run as Garden City took a 17-point halftime lead en route to a 31-28 win over Sayville that gave the Trojans the Long Island Class III championship Saturday afternoon before a crowd of more than 3,500.

Cascadden caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brayden Robertiello for a 31-21 lead with 4:10 left, and that proved to be the game-winner.

“I had the height advantage on that final touchdown,” Cascadden said. “I said a little prayer when the ball was in the air. We were hand-fighting for position to make the play. I dove for the ball and slipped a little but made the catch.”

Said Robertiello, “Blake's awesome. We practiced that all week long. He always comes down with it.”

The Golden Flashes responded with a nine-play, 72-yard scoring drive capped by Patrick Coan's 6-yard touchdown pass to a diving Kyle Messina in the end zone to get within 31-28 with 2:49 left.

Garden City still needed one first down to close out Sayville and put an exclamation point on a game that lived up to all expectations, and Cascadden delivered. His 5-yard run on third-and 3 to Sayville's 43 with 59 seconds left sealed the win.

“I asked Blake to make one more play for me,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. “And he came through with a tough first-down run. Sayville was everything I thought they would be. A well-balanced offense, physical defense and so well-coached. We had our hands full.”

It was Garden City’s first Long Island Class III crown and fourth L.I. championship in a row after three straight Class II titles. They’ve won 12 Long Island crowns, and now the Trojans will bring a 54-game winning streak into the 2025 season opener.

What set up the dream showdown of powerhouse programs was Garden City’s move from Long Island Class II to  Class III this season because of a drop in enrollment.

“We knew from day one we’d see them and Long Island fans would get the matchup everyone wanted to see,” Sayville coach Reade Sands said. “We made too many mistakes to take them out. But I’m so proud of our guys and the way we fought back.”

Sayville opened the game with a 13-play, 65-yard drive that stalled at the Trojans' 3. Senior linebacker Michael Berkery leaped over the middle of the Sayville front and blocked Nick Watson’s 20-yard field-goal attempt.

Garden City answered with a 16-play, 83-yard touchdown march that consumed 8:57. Robertiello hit Cascadden with a 10-yard scoring strike and Chris Desiderio's kick made it 7-0 with 8:40 left in the half.

On the next possession, Berkery intercepted a tipped pass and the Trojans took over at the Sayville 40. Three plays later, Cascadden lined up at fullback and went up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown run and a 14-0 lead with 5:58 left in the half.

“It was a trap and just some hard-nosed football,” Cascadden said. “And our line cleared the way.”

Desiderio added a 39-yard field goal to make it 17-0 as time expired in the half.

Coan, who completed 16 of 32 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns, hit Tom McCann with a 14-yard touchdown pass and Watson's kick made it 17-7 with 5:41 left in the third quarter.

Robertiello, who completed 11 of 13 passes for 193 yards and three TDs, answered with a neat play-action pass to Owen Wuchte for a 43-yard touchdown as the Garden City lead grew to 24-7.

Coan drove the Golden Flashes 60 yards in seven plays before hitting McCann for a 28-yard score to make it 24-14 to end the third quarter.

The Sayville defense, led by junior Alex LaBella and senior Mikey Sands, forced a three-and-out, and Coan was back at it. This time he found Messina on a post route for a 44-yard touchdown as  the Golden Flashes moved within 24-21 with 8:02 left.

“We never quit and I’m proud of my teammates,” LaBella said. “We’ve been grinding since June. We were so close.”

Meanwhile, the streak lives.

“I’m so proud of everything we’ve accomplished in my time here,” said Cascadden, who will play lacrosse at Cornell. “I’m blessed to have played with my teammates and for these amazing coaches. We play [unselfishly]    when we’re out there, no stars, all playing assignment football to win. I’m also fortunate that I'll graduate with the streak intact.”

Then he laughed and added, “And I don’t have to worry about the streak anymore.”

Gregg Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.

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