Sayville earns sixth Rutgers Trophy after winning Suffolk Division III title
The Sayville football program won its sixth Rutgers Trophy Monday night at the Suffolk County Football Coaches Association dinner at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge. The Golden Flashes earned the Suffolk Division III championship with a 42-35 win over Half Hollow Hills West.
They gave four-time Long Island champion Garden City all they could handle in the Class III championship game at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium, losing 31-28.
“This is a testament to all the hard work by our players and our coaching staff,” Sayville coach Reade Sands said. “Of course, we wanted to be Long Island champions, and we were so close. But this is really a great honor to be recognized by my fellow coaches across the county.”
Sayville had 97 total points and 23 first-place votes to earn the Rutgers Trophy. Floyd finished second with 85 points and 15 first-place votes, Bayport-Blue Point was third with 53 points and three first-place votes.
This is Sayville's third Rutgers Trophy in the last five years, and second in the last three.
“I like that our players can look back and know that they were recognized for their excellence on the field,” Sands said. “It’s great for our community and the program.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.