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Wantagh football's Dylan Martini, Ryan Conigliaro power team to first Long Island title since 2016 with Class IV victory

Dylan Martini #23 of Wantagh, second from left in front,...

Dylan Martini #23 of Wantagh, second from left in front, gets mobbed by teammates after making a reception in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown with 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter of the Long Island Class IV championship against Bayport-Blue Point at Shuart Stadium on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Credit: James Escher

By Gregg Sarragregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Wantagh halfback Dylan Martini cradled the football in his right arm and wasn’t letting go.

Martini went over right tackle and into a horde of Bayport-Blue Point defenders in search of the first down that would seal a certain victory. The Phantoms slapped and punched at the football in desperation as the final seconds ticked off in their 2024 season.

Martini wasn’t letting this championship run get away. He finally was tackled after a 16-yard gain to the Phantoms’ 27-yard line, a first-down run that secured Wantagh’s 29-21 win over Bayport-Blue Point in the Long Island Class IV championship game on Friday at Hofstra University.

Two-time defending Long Island Class IV champion Bayport-Blue Point’s winning streak — Suffolk’s current longest — was snapped at 34 games.

“The championship came down to the final drive,” said Martini, who gained 142 yards on 25 carries. “That’s when it really matters, in the final minutes, and it’s fun. We earned the title right there in those last few plays. The guys came together, made their blocks and we never let them get the ball back.”

Wantagh consumed the final 4:38 with methodical ball control against a defense that yielded only eight points per game this season. It was the third Long Island title for Wantagh, which earned the Class III crown in 2001 and 2016.

“When the opponent is unknown, it makes it so much harder to game plan,” Wantagh coach Keith Sachs said. “We have phenomenal athletes, but we were concerned about Bayport’s size and strength. And we were right and needed to make in-game adjustments.

“This championship means so much to these players. They made a commitment to each other and to the coaches and they knew what they were up against in Bayport. What a great team effort.”

Wantagh (11-1) forced a turnover on BBP’s first possession, as Chris Romano recovered a fumble at the Wantagh 35.

Wantagh quarterback Ryan Conigliaro, who completed 13 of 16 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns, engineered an eight-play, 65-yard scoring drive with a mix of run and pass. Martini keyed the march with four carries for 27 yards before Conigliaro found Joe Nicholson for a 17-yard touchdown pass. Nicholas Figueroa added the kick for a 7-0 lead with 5:45 left in the first quarter.

Bayport-Blue Point forged a 14-7 lead with two touchdowns in the second quarter. Quarterback Cooper Fuller found Dylan Craig on a post pattern for a 54-yard scoring strike and junior halfback Collin Reyer added an 8-yard touchdown run with 2:53 left in the half for the Phantoms’ first lead.

“Bayport is a great team and they’re well-coached,” Martini said. “We needed to answer those scores.”

Wantagh responded before the half ended with a nine-play, 53-yard drive. Conigliaro found Martini on a post-corner and go route up the sideline with 12 seconds left in the half for a 24-yard touchdown.

Sachs then made the first of a few brilliant calls on the two-point conversion. He had his team set up for a kick and Martini, at the holder position, took the snap and rolled right before throwing back across the field to a wide-open Oliver Iacobazzi for a 15-14 lead.

“I loved our play-calling,” Martini said.

Wantagh opened the second half with an eight-play, 61-yard touchdown drive. This time Conigliaro fired into the flat to a wide-open John Gendels, who set up two blocks by Nicholson and Devin Paccione that cleared a path to the end zone for a 22-14 lead.

“We do what’s needed to win,” said Nicholson, who had seven catches for 78 yards and two scores. “We always downfield block for each other. It’s a team game.”

The Wantagh defense stopped BBP on third-and-17 when Shareef McMillan sacked Fuller for a 6-yard loss, forcing a punt. Wantagh took over at its 7-yard line and turned in the drive of the season.

Welcome to championship drive — the Wantagh way.

A 13-play, 93-yard march lasted 8:12. Conigliaro mixed a blend of Martini’s hard running and passes to Nicholson and Gendels to set up the score.

Out of the Wildcat formation, Martini ran right and drew the defense up to tackle him before he stopped and threw a short jump pass to an uncovered Nicholson. The 18-yard touchdown pass with 7:20 left gave Wantagh a 29-14 lead.

“We had that play call in our pocket all season,” Sachs said. “It was the perfect time to break it out as they were all keying on the run.”

“I have a banged-up throwing shoulder,” Martini said. “It wasn’t a perfect pass, but I got it there.”

The Phantoms closed to within a score when tight end Sean Coffey caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Fuller to make it 29-21 with 4:38 left.

That 4:38 belonged to the Wantagh offense.

Fuller finished 6-for-7 for 135 yards and two scores and ran for 100 yards on 18 carries.

“It was a great season,” Bayport-Blue Point coach Mike Zafonte said. “I’m proud of everyone: coaches, players, parents, and the administration. Everyone was phenomenal, and it takes a village to do what we do.”

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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