Amityville boys soccer's John Arango has two assists, including one on Xavian Jackson's go-ahead goal in a Suffolk Class AA quarterfinal win

The reign was over. The two-time defending Suffolk and Long Island Class A champion and defending state champ had fallen in the 2023 county final. And one motivated Amityville boys soccer team emerged from the ruins.

“Ever since last year, we lost [on] that field, I think we all mentally knew what we wanted,” senior midfielder John Arango said Monday afternoon about that setback against Kings Park at Diamond in the Pines. “We couldn’t wait to get back on this field in the summer and start working.

“I see this group way hungrier. We have a sort of fire in our eyes. We know what we want. The seniors know what we want.”

They all want the program’s fourth state championship, only this time in Class AA. But they will have to conquer the treacherous road to the county title in order to go after that.

Amityville successfully navigated the first step on that road on Monday. Arango helped his fourth-seeded team do it by setting up both goals — including Xavian Jackson’s second-half tiebreaker — in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over visiting No. 5 Hauppauge.

“I hope we keep that hunger because that’s what’s driving us,” Arango said. “That’s what drove us the whole year.”

They will need that drive again at home to try to get by No. 9 Comsewogue (8-7) in Wednesday’s semifinal. Comsewogue upset top-seeded Smithtown West in another quarterfinal on Monday. Amityville (10-4-2) beat both Hauppauge and Comsewogue twice during the regular season.

Monday's victory over Hauppauge gave Amityville a ticket to the semis for the 11th straight time, a Suffolk record, according to assistant coach Chris Gannon.

“We’re used to being in big games and this was another big game, and I’m really glad we were on the winning side of it,” head coach Mike Abbondondolo said. “But we still have a lot of work to do in order to achieve the things that we’re capable of.”

“It’s always a factor,” he added regarding the 1-0 loss in that 2023 final. “It is.

“… We have a lot of kids that are like a whole year older, so collectively that really helps.”

It definitely helps that Arango is one of them.

“He’s the heartbeat of the team,” Abbondondolo said. “He provides goals, assists. Even the last 15, he provided defensive prowess for us.”

It was a 1-1 match when the four-year starter provided offensive prowess again. He sailed a corner kick from the left side and Jackson headed the ball past Nolan Crusi from close range with 24:06 to go.

“Very brilliant player,” Jackson said of Arango. “I’ve learned a lot from him. Very good pass.”

Hauppauge coach Jamie Edson said, “We talked about being better on special teams, and their winning goal came off of a corner kick. Just a mistake, but they finished it.”

Amityville had been working on that play.

“It’s been practiced for the last two days in training,” Arango said. “I knew my job was just to get it in the back stick and have one of our guys head it in, and we executed it perfectly.”

Arango also made a perfect feed to Briam Rivera, operating to his right, who scored from inside the box with 22:15 remaining in the first half.

Matt Huber tied it with 5:04 left before halftime for Hauppauge (9-6) as his shot from about 40 yards out deflected in off Amityville goalkeeper Christian Araque.

“It’s definitely disappointing,” Edson said. “Your goal is to win the last game of the season and we didn’t do that, but not for a lack of effort.”