Long Island high school football playoffs: County semifinals preview and picks

Twenty-four Long Island football programs have never made an appearance in a Nassau or Suffolk County championship game. Of the 105 public high schools playing football, 12 from each county have never played for the right to advance into the biggest stage for the Long Island championships.

Smithtown West and Half Hollow Hills East are two of them.

“One of us will advance into the county final,” Hills East coach Alex Marcelin said. “We don’t talk about it because we’ve been so close and not finished the job. Now, we have another shot right in front of us.”

Hills East has been to the Suffolk Division II semifinals eight times and walked away empty handed each time. The RedHawks lost in the semifinal round the past three years and hope to snap that streak this week. They give it another shot this weekend when the second-seeded RedHawks host No. 3 Smithtown West for the title in Division II at noon on Saturday.

The teams did not meet during the regular season.

The winner will advance into the Suffolk II final next week at Stony Brook University Friday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m.

“It doesn’t matter how close we’ve been,” Marcelin said. “The only game that matters will be the one we play Saturday against a fast and physical Smithtown West team. The coaches have done a great job with a team that’s new to our division and graduated a lot of talent.”

Smithtown West moved up from Division III and was the preseason 10th seed. The Bulls opened the season with a 42-14 win over West Babylon and that win catapulted them through an 8-1 season.

“We lost a lot of players to graduation from an offensive production standpoint, and we didn’t play good defense the last few years,” Smithtown West coach Craig Perrino said. “We really didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into when we stepped into a new world in Division II. Opening the season with a big win over West Babylon was a huge confidence boost.”

Perrino said the offense has clicked, averaging 31 points per game with talented halfbacks Jason Antunes and Michael Cascione and junior quarterback Nick DeVito. The Bulls offense will need to score often to keep pace with the RedHawks, who also average 31 points per game.

“We have to play our game and be physical and fast,” said Perrino, in his fourth year. “Hills has exceptional athletes all over the place. I can guarantee our players will not be intimidated by the situation. We’re ready to take that step.”

To do that, Smithtown West will need to contain RedHawks halfback Daniel White, who has rushed for 1,338 yards and 14 scores. Junior quarterback Nick Sevilla balances the offense with go-to targets in Lucas Martin and Tyler Sanders.

“White has been on a tear averaging over 200 yards per game,” Marcelin said. “He’s the big playmaker out of the backfield and dynamic on special teams.”

The Suffolk semifinals are played at the higher seeds. All eight Nassau semifinal games are scheduled to be played at Hofstra's Shuart Stadium.

NASSAU I

No. 3 Massapequa (8-1) vs. No. 2 Oceanside (8-1), Saturday, 8:30 p.m.: This is a rematch of opening day. Oceanside built a 42-17 lead after three quarters, but Massapequa scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to make it a 42-39 game. Shane Harmon has passed for 1,416 yards and 18 touchdowns for Oceanside. Tyler Villalta of Massapequa has rushed for 993 yards and 23 TDs. Expect more scoring.

NASSAU II

No. 3 Mepham (8-1) vs. No. 2 Glen Cove (8-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.: These teams did not play each other in the regular season, both suffering losses to top-seeded Carey. Mepham wins with defense allowing six points per game. Halfback Devon Gonzalez has rushed for 1,283 yards and 18 scores for Glen Cove.

NASSAU IV

No. 3 Wantagh (8-1) vs. No. 2 Cold Spring Harbor (8-1), Thursday, 4 p.m.: These teams played a hard-hitting game in Week 7 and Wantagh won, 20-13. Two excellent halfbacks square off here. Wantagh halfback Dylan Martin has rushed for 1,457 yards and 23 TDs and the Seahawks' Alex Bauer has 1,257 yards rushing and 22 scores.

SUFFOLK I

No. 5 Sachem North (4-5) at No. 1 Floyd (8-1), Saturday, 12 p.m.: Sachem North needs to find a way to slow down Floyd halfback Ja’Quan Thomas, who leads Long Island in rushing with 1,929 yards and 26 TDs. Floyd beat Sachem North, 48-28, in Week 6 but the teams were tied at the half at 28.

SUFFOLK III

No. 3 Islip (7-2) at No. 2 Half Hollow Hills West (8-1), Saturday, noon: Two of Long Island’s top quarterbacks will showcase big arms when Islip’s Brady Nash, who has thrown for 2,005 yards and 16 TDs faces off against the Colts' Joseph Filardi, who has passed for 2,515 yards and 34 scores. The teams did not meet this year.

CHSFL

No. 3 Cardinal Hayes (7-3) at No. 2 St. Anthony’s (8-3), Friday, 6:30 p.m.: St. Anthony’s quarterback Gary Merrill has accounted for 3,239 all-purpose yards and 42 TDs. These teams met in Week 10 and St. Anthony’s won, 42-34. It’ll be another high-scoring affair.

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.