Long Island high school football playoffs: Preview and picks

The neighboring communities of Sachem North and Connetquot have long enjoyed the school’s football rivalry. This year, host Connetquot forged an exciting 21-14 overtime win over the Arrows in the second week of the season in Bohemia.

That result wasn’t decided until Connetquot’s Andrew Amarando made a diving end zone interception to seal the win. The loss sent Sachem North, the preseason two seed, spiraling into a 1-5 start and the possibility of missing the playoffs.

“We picked ourselves up and put it all together in the final two games to reach the postseason,” Sachem North coach Dave Caputo said. “We lost three games by one score. There’s definitely a new energy in practice. We have matchups from our perspective that we do want back. There’s a motivation within the team that’s coming directly from them. They’re bouncing around and excited about the start of the new season and the opportunity to win these games.”

Sachem North (3-5) travels to Connetquot (6-2) for a Suffolk Division I quarterfinal for a 6 p.m. start on Friday.

Sachem North drove the field and into scoring position on five drives against the Connetquot defense. The Arrows missed five field goals from short and long range in heavy winds and came away with no points.

“We like our kicking game,” Caputo said. “And we wouldn’t hesitate to kick again.”

Connetquot rolled to a six-win record after a 28-27 double overtime win against playoff-bound Whitman.

Junior quarterback Vinny Feraca has improved with experience and finished the regular season with an impressive 1,949 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. His main target is senior Andrew Amarando, who scored all three Connetquot touchdowns in the win over Sachem North. Amarando, one of Long Island’s top receivers, has 54 receptions for 851 yards and 16 TDs.

“Our defense is much improved,” Connetquot coach Mike Konsevitch said. “We’ve watched tons of films and we’re excited about the playoffs. We know it’s hard to be a very good team twice. We have to contain their halfback and they seemed to have opened up their offense a little more. But I really like our chances.”

Connetquot linebacker Lucas Weaver will lead a defense that needs to stop senior halfback Lucas Singleton, who has rushed for 1,009 yards and 12 TDs.

“The place will be packed, and the atmosphere will be incredible,” Konsevitch said.

NASSAU IV

(5) Seaford (4-4) at (4) East Rockaway (5-3), Friday, 6:30 p.m.: The preseason top-seeded Vikings lost four regular season games for the first time in 20 years. None of that really matters in the postseason as everyone starts over. This is a rematch of Week 6 in which the Rocks won, 28-7. Anthony Grimaldi rushed for 195 yards for East Rockaway in that big win and has 1,169 yards and 16 TDs this season. Seaford counters with halfback Brian Falk, who has 1,159 yards rushing and eight scores. At stake is Seaford’s 12-year streak of reaching the semifinal round.

SUFFOLK III

(5) Comsewogue (4-4) at (4) Westhampton (5-3), Friday, 6 p.m.: Westhampton has beaten Comsewogue 13 straight times. The Hurricanes defeated Comsewogue, 21-7, in Week 2. Comsewogue’s last win over the Hurricanes came in 2009. Westhampton quarterback Finn Drake has thrown for 886 yards and 12 TDs. The difference maker in this game will be two-way standout Brody Schaffer. Doug Annicelli has four interceptions for Comsewogue.

CHSFL AAA

(5) Chaminade (7-3) at (4) Monsignor Farrell (5-5), Friday, 6 p.m.: Chaminade has one of Long Island’s stingiest defenses, allowing only 14 points per game. The Flyers defense are led by defensive end Louis D’Agostino, who has 13 sacks, and linebacker Dean Schmidt, who leads the team with 94 tackles. The Flyers have not played Farrell this season.

NASSAU II

(5) Long Beach (4-4) at (4) New Hyde Park (4-4), Saturday, noon: This is a rematch of Week 5. New Hyde Park won, 21-17. The Gladiators scored with 55 seconds left in the game on a 13-yard pass from Andrew Notine to Tito Ruiz for the win over the Marines. Notine has passed for 805 yards and 10 scores for NHP. Ruiz has 40 receptions for 585 yards and seven scores. Quarterback Charlie Conway has passed for 816 yards and six TDs for Long Beach in what should be another one score game.

SUFFOLK II

(7) Huntington (5-3) at (2) Half Hollow Hills East (7-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.: Let’s do it again. These teams played last week, and Hills East won, 21-14. The Thunderbirds benefited with a Lucas Martin 79-yard kickoff return for a score and Noah Chlap’s 47-yard Pick-6 for another TD. Hills East halfback Daniel White has rushed for 1,338 yards and 14 TDs and Blue Devils halfback Nasir Jones has 602 yards rushing and nine scores.

(5) North Babylon (4-4) at (4) Northport (5-2), Saturday, 1 p.m.: Northport scored with just 40 seconds left to pull out a 20-19 win in the regular season game against North Babylon. These teams played close games, the last three decided by a total of eight points. Bulldogs halfback Jawara Keahey has 1,499 yards rushing and 16 TDs.

With Andy Slawson

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

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