This week's Long Island high school football games to watch and picks

The Garden City football team is the king of Nassau Conference II. The Trojans have won seven straight conference titles and have Long Island’s longest current winning streak at 35 games. They are the hill that all conference teams need to climb.

No one understands that better than Manhasset coach Jay Iaquinta, who has his team off to a terrific start at 6-0. And undefeated Garden City (5-0) will make its way to Manhasset for a battle of unbeatens in a 6 p.m. start on Friday.

“We are preparing for this week as we would for any big game,” Iaquinta said. “Obviously, Garden City is the team to beat and very well coached. But we’re going into this game believing we can win.”

And why not?

Manhasset has halfback Jack Mulholland, one of the rushing leaders on Long Island with 733 yards and 14 touchdowns.

“They run a different type of offense and it’s a challenge to get prepared for it,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. “The running back is a big, strong, physical athlete.”

Ettinger said his key to success can be found program wide.

“We’ve been on a good run for quite some time and that can be credited to a strong youth program and consistency within our coaching ranks,” he said. “We have solid, dedicated players and each year we feel we have a balanced team.”

The all-time series record is 19-19-1, but can Manhasset handle quarterback Carson Kraus, and the halfback duo of senior Aidan Considine and junior Michael Berkery?

NASSAU IV

Cold Spring Harbor (4-1) at Malverne (5-0), Friday, 6 p.m.: Malverne puts its undefeated record on the line again this week against a strong Seahawks team. The Mules escaped with a 12-7 win last week against gritty North Shore. This could be a defensive struggle. Malverne has allowed only one touchdown this season. CSH has given up eight points per game.

SUFFOLK II

Half Hollow Hills East at West Islip, Friday, 6 p.m.: Hills East has been on the cusp of a division title for a few years. West Islip has dominated the all-time series winning 22 of 28 meetings. Hills East has won two of the last three meetings, including last season’s 9-7 defensive struggle in the first round of the playoffs. For Hills to continue its climb to the top of the division they must stop junior Rocco Carpinello, who’s rushed for 780 yards and 12 scores. Hills East can wing it with quarterback Jordan Heyman, who has two 300-yard games this season. They can also run it effectively behind super sophomore Daniel White.

NASSAU I

Syosset (4-1) at Freeport (1-3), Saturday, 2 p.m.: Don’t let Freeport’s record fool you. The Red Devils are two plays away from being 3-1. With that said, they’re not 3-1 and desperately need a big win this week over a very talented Syosset club. The Red Devils edged Syosset in a thriller last season, 22-21. A Syosset win would go a long way to getting a first-round playoff game at home.

NASSAU III

Wantagh (4-1) at Floral Park (4-1), Saturday, 2 p.m.: Wantagh is coming off a humbling 31-7 loss to South Side, its first defeat of the season. Wantagh has defeated Floral Park eight times in a row. Floral Park quarterback Ryan Connolly leads Nassau in passing with 636 yards. Halfback Dylan Martini is one of Long Island’s special talents and could be the difference in this one.

SUFFOLK III

Westhampton (4-1) at Sayville (5-0), Saturday, 2 p.m.: Sayville has a 17-game winning streak and has beaten Westhampton six times in a row dating to 2019, including two of the last three Division III finals. Junior halfback Kyle Messina has rushed for 500 yards and eight scores for Sayville. The Westhampton offense will counter with Nolan Michalowski, who has rushed for 600 yards and nine scores for Westhampton.

SUFFOLK IV

Babylon (5-0) vs. Glenn (4-1), at Manor Field, Huntington, Saturday, 6:30 p.m.: This is one of the most intense rivalries in Suffolk. Babylon leads the all-time series, 37-21-1, but Glenn won both games last season, including a 28-6 decision in the first round of the playoffs. Glenn's KaRahn King has rushed for 471 yards and six scores. Aidan Winter has rushed for 983 yards and eight touchdowns for Babylon.

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.