Derek Burrell's 31-yard TD run gives East Islip the Suffolk III football crown
East Islip QB Derek Burrell takes the keeper 31 yards with 19 seconds left in the 4th quarter to score the winning touchdown against Sayville, Thursday, November 18, 2021 in the Suffolk County Division III Finals at Lavalle Stadium. Credit: George A Faella
Derek Burrell has been the go-to guy for East Islip all season. Thursday night he showed everyone why. With 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter of a tie game, East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi put the ball in his playmaker’s hands.
He was rewarded with a Suffolk Division III championship.
Burrell took the shotgun snap and raced around the left end behind a big block on the edge by halfback Leo Lopez. Burrell bolted down the visitor’s sideline for 31 yards to the end zone for the winning score with 19 seconds left. Kevin Smith added his fifth extra point kick and East Islip beat Sayville, 35-28, in an electrifying Suffolk III final before a crowd of more than 3,300 at Stony Brook University.
Burrell’s touchdown scamper sends East Islip (10-1) to the Long Island Class III title game against the winner of the Plainedge-Bethpage game on Friday, Nov. 26 at Hofstra University at 4:30 p.m.
The win enabled East Islip to avenge its only loss of the season. They dropped a wild 51-44 decision to Sayville (10-1), which suffered its only loss of the season.
"We were watching the greatest single player in East Islip football history," said Ciampi, who enjoyed his 150th win. "He completely takes over games. He’s the best football player on Long Island. And this will raise a lot of eyebrows. But I grew up in this town for 45 years and he’s the best high school football player we’ve had in East Islip — ever."
The championship drive was keyed by two Burrell runs. He went 20 yards on a first down and 25 from the East Islip 25 setting up a seven-yard pass to Ryan Bauco for another first down. Later in the drive, he scrambled 17 yards for a first down at the Sayville 31 with 26 seconds left, to set up his final dash.
"This is so exciting," Burrell said. "The goal was to get as many yards as possible and get out of bounds on the final play to set up a field goal. But we had perfect blocking and the receiver ran the corner off and I was like, ‘I’m scoring no matter what.’"
Burrell finished with 178 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns. He also completed seven of eight passes for another 116 yards.
"Sayville did a great job in taking away what we do," Ciampi said. "But there’s no way to prepare when plays break down and he gets into space. You just can’t stop the things Derek can do. They couldn’t get a clean tackle on him and that’s what makes him special."
Sayville had won eight of the nine previous meetings against East Islip and had gashed the defense again for an astounding 480 yards led by quarterback Jack Smalley who completed 14 of 20 passes for 275 yards and two scores. Freshman halfback Kyle Messina had 130 yards on 29 carries and two scores.
But with all the offense from both teams it was two defensive gems turned in by East Islip that ultimately turned the game their way.
Burrell scored on a 69-yard touchdown to give East Islip a 14-7 lead with 3:56 left in the first quarter and Sayville had driven to the East Islip 16. On first down and goal, Messina’s pass to the end zone was deflected by Jason Fiorello and intercepted by a diving Lopez. The defensive stop allowed East Islip to open a two-score lead at 21-7.
Perhaps, the biggest game-changer came when Sayville was poised to take its first lead. On second-and-goal from the 1, Messina couldn’t handle a wild snap and East Islip defensive end Cooper Parkinson scooped the ball and raced 96 yards for the go-ahead touchdown at 28-21 with 2:46 left in the third quarter.
"Scoop and score, what a great athletic play by Cooper," Ciampi said. "He scoops it and sheds a tackle for the lead."
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
