Jameson Smith's five goals spark Bayport-Blue Point boys lacrosse to Suffolk Class C quarterfinal win
Bayport-Blue Point's Jameson Smith (27) gets around Sayville's Charlie Sands (2) in the first quarter during the Suffolk High School boys lacrosse Class C quarterfinal playoff game between Bayport-Blue Point and Sayville on Thursday May 19, 2022 at Bayport Blue Point High School Credit: Bob Sorensen
The sound from the final horn pierced the air at Bayport-Blue Point.
The third-seeded Phantoms gathered on their turf to celebrate after doing exceptional work in Thursday’s 17-5 quarterfinal win over No. 6 Sayville.
Now the road toward a boys lacrosse championship in Suffolk Class C gets much harder.
“Definitely,” Jameson Smith said after delivering a standout five-goal, three-assist performance.
A semifinal rematch from 2021 looms for them Tuesday at No. 2 Shoreham-Wading River. If they advance, a title game rematch against an undefeated defending champ, No. 1 Mount Sinai, could very well be next.
Both teams beat Bayport-Blue Point in April. But the 11-5 Phantoms are playing their best at the best possible time. This was their seventh straight victory.
So when Smith was asked if they can win a county championship, the John Hopkins-bound senior middie said, “I truly do believe that.”
Smith scored a man-up goal just 1:57 into this postseason opener, putting in his own rebound. JJ Aiello, who had three goals and two assists, scored just 1:14 later.
Then Smith burst down the middle and found the net — 3-0.
Ronan Fitzpatrick got one back for Sayville (9-8). But Derek Varley and PJ Shanahan, with his first of three, scored to make it 5-1 after one quarter.
“Bayport is a very talented team,” Golden Flashes coach Christian Doller said. “They’re coached well.”
By halftime, it was 11-4. By the end of three, it was 16-4.
“We had some good wins that put us into the playoffs,” Doller said. “I’m really proud of the team for that.”
Bayport-Blue Point coach Doug Meehan, who played for Doller at Sayville, took his team to Shoreham-Wading River on April 8. The Wildcats won, 11-5.
“I’m willing to match us up against anyone,” Meehan said. “Obviously, we have a ton of respect for Shoreham. Great team. They did beat us earlier in the year. We think we’re a drastically different team than the last time we played them.”
The Phantoms won, 11-10, in OT when they played them in the 2021 semis.
“The plan is to do the same thing as we did last year,” Smith said. “We lost to them in the regular season and then we beat them in the same exact spot. So hopefully we can repeat that success there.”
