For Jawara Keahey and North Babylon football, a championship would trump personal stats
Jawara Keahey of North Babylon, right, finds daylight with help from teammate Alexander Griffith and rushes for a touchdown during the third quarter of a Suffolk Division III football game against West Babylon at North Babylon on, Oct. 28, 2023. Credit: James Escher
North Babylon halfback Jawara Keahey wants another shot at a Long Island Class II football championship. He was the state leader in rushing with 2,614 yards and 37 touchdowns as a junior, and it wasn’t enough to win that Class II crown.
The Bulldogs were beaten in the Class II title game, 38-7, by Garden City, the three-time defending champion.
“I don’t really care about beating last year’s stats,” Keahey said. “I just can't wait to play against teams that have been grinding all summer. All I care about is winning that last game.”
North Babylon coach John Rowland knows the Bulldogs can run the football with Keahey and senior Jordan Konig, but he needs to fill the quarterback role, vacated by the graduated Chris Stumpf, with junior Tristan Garcia.
“We brought up Garcia last year to play cornerback,” he said. “And at North Babylon we don't bring up underclassmen, unless we think they can start, and Garcia did. He’s a tough kid.”
With Garcia under center, Rowland wants his guys to finish that unfinished business and win the whole thing.
East Islip and Half Hollow Hills East can stand in the way of another Bulldogs Division II title.
East Islip won the Long Island Class III crown and moves up in class and Half Hollow Hills East has been knocking at the door of a title but came up just short the past few years.
“It’s exciting, honestly,” Hills East coach Alex Marcelin said. “The division is tough from top to bottom. I think if we handle what we must handle, I think we'll put ourselves in a good position. We have a big, physical offensive line. And our halfback Daniel White is a workhorse.”
White rushed for 1,634 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 380 yards receiving and four more scores.
“My offensive line is perfect, I love them a lot,” White said.
East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi knows the division is loaded.
“We'll continue to do what we do,” he said. “I won’t allow anyone to take us out of what we do well. But it’ll be different this year.”
INSIDE SUFFOLK DIVISION II
COACHING SPOTLIGHT
Dan Bowker, Deer Park
Bowker always wanted to be a teacher and a high school football coach.
A meeting at a gym 17 years ago gave him that chance. He was hired by Mepham football coach Anthony Cracco to do both.
Bowker, who spent 11 years as an assistant at Mepham, graduated from Calhoun in 2003, where he was two-year starter at offensive tackle and tight end. Bowker went on to play college football at Western New England.
Currently, Bowker is in his sixth season as head coach of Deer Park. The Falcons have reached the playoffs in each of the last three seasons.
Bowker said his favorite part of coaching is, “building relationships with the players. It’s great to see them grow into men."
MUST-SEE GAMES
West Islip at East Islip, Sept. 13, 6 p.m.: Can you say rivalry? These two teams, once bitter rivals, have not played against each other since 2014. It doesn’t get bigger or better than this on opening night. This will be the third time the teams have opened the season against one another. They split the first two meetings.
Bellport at North Babylon, Sept. 21, 1 p.m.: These teams have combined to win 22 playoff titles since 1989, with Bellport capturing 12 titles and North Baylon 10.
West Babylon at Half Hollow Hills East, Sept. 21, 1:30 p.m.: Both of these teams lost heartbreakers in the Division II semifinals last season. This is the first meeting of these teams since 2015. A win here would go a long way in getting a home playoff game.
North Babylon at West Islip, Oct. 11, 3 p.m.: These teams met twice last season. West Islip won the regular-season game, 35-34, but North Babylon came out on top in the Division II final, 26-14. The teams have met 56 times since 1960 and West Islip leads the series 34-18-4.
East Islip at North Babylon, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.: This is another old-school rivalry renewed after a nine-year hiatus. North Babylon captured the Division II title last season, while East Islip won the Division III and Long Island Class III titles.
FIVE-YEAR TREND
2019: Lindenhurst
Spring 2021: West Islip
Fall 2021: Bellport
2022: Bellport
2023: North Babylon
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Eric Romanchuk, West Babylon
Romanchuk graduated from West Babylon in 2006. As a senior he passed for over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns. Romanchuk, who threw for 415 yards and six scores in one game, won the Boomer Esiason award as Suffolk’s most outstanding quarterback. The former Newsday All-Long Island selection played college baseball at Sacred Heart University. Romanchuk said he “has great memories of his high school football days.” He currently works as a sales manager for a large textile company and also sells real estate. Romanchuk is married with three children and lives in St. James.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
