Joe'll Spagnuolo leads Miller Place football to win over Babylon
Miller Place RB Joe'll Spagnuolo cuts back to the inside against Babylon LB Reece Koerner for a small gain in a Suffolk Division IV football game, Friday, October 7, 2022. Credit: George A Faella
Joe’ll Spagnuolo is happy to be back in Miller Place.
And they’re more than happy to have him.
Spagnuolo rushed 19 times for 159 yards and scored three second-half touchdowns as Miller Place upset Babylon, 37-13, Friday night in a Suffolk Division IV football game. Spagnuolo also had a 50-yard punt return, 27-yard scoring reception from quarterback Michael Giugliano and finished with 243 all-purpose yards.
The win improved Miller Place to 2-3 and Babylon fell to 3-2.
“Joe’ll is a complete game changer for our program,” said Miller Place coach Adam St. Nicholas. “He’s a dynamic player that makes all kinds of big plays. He’s a blend of power and speed and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.”
Spagnuolo left Long Island during the pandemic of 2020 to play lacrosse at New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco. He found out quickly that life was different with the nationally ranked Ironmen.
“I transferred to Don Bosco and it was too late to play football and with the Long Island schools not playing sports I just wanted to play lacrosse,” said Spagnuolo, who has committed to play lacrosse at Towson University. “Playing at such a big school changed my perspective on life. Bosco was so different, a college-like atmosphere, and a very strict Catholic school. We won the state lacrosse title, and it was a great learning experience.”
Ultimately Spagnuolo missed his friends and Miller Place. He came home.
“I came back with a different attitude,” he said. “I knew what I needed to focus on to be a team leader and take some of the life lessons from Bosco and bring them here.”
And now Spagnuolo has emerged as one of Long Island’s top running backs with 10 touchdowns through five games.
“He’s our captain, our middle linebacker and the engine that makes our team go,” St. Nicholas said. “The guys have rallied around him. We had a challenging schedule against the top seeded teams the first few weeks and lost very close games.”
Babylon opened the scoring with an impressive seven-play, 58-yard drive. Jack Pinna capped the march with a 34-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 with 7:36 left in the first quarter. Miller Place responded on the ensuing possession with a 70-yard scoring march in nine plays. Giugliano scored on an 11-yard run and Nick Oliva added the kick to tie it at 7.
Babylon took a 13-7 halftime lead on Aidan Winter's 2-yard run.
Giugliano opened the second half with a 68-yard scoring run over left tackle for the 14-13 lead. And Spagnuolo took it from there. His 50-yard punt return set up his 1-yard scoring run. His 34-yard run on a fourth down and 2 from Miller Place 32 set up his 10-yard scoring run.
“We went for it on fourth down because of Joe’ll,” St. Nicholas said. “And he busted a big one.”
Babylon, playing without six starters, including middle linebacker/offensive guard Brady Winter, the team captain and starting quarterback Andrew DiPalma, wore down in the second half with six sophomores in the lineup.
“We lost Brady to a season ending ACL injury and he was the heartbeat of this team,” said Babylon coach Rick Punzone. “I’m proud of my guys. But Spagnuolo is as good a halfback as we’ve seen in a long time. He’s a very physical runner.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
