East Islip QB Thomas Costarelli discusses championship culture and more at inaugural Suffolk football media day
From left, East Islip's Sal J. Ciampi, Tyler Cato, Jack Kalinowski, Dylan Bayer, Ryan Parker, Glendon Kinnear and Thomas Costarelli pose duting Suffolk football media day on Friday at Ward Melville. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
East Islip’s Thomas Costarelli raved about his offensive line and discussed the challenge of replacing Sebastian Regis, last year’s Hansen Award winner as Suffolk’s top player.
He talked about the pressure and the expectations of winning another Long Island championship and the challenge of moving into a different classification.
It was the inaugural all-inclusive media day for Suffolk high school football teams hosted by the Suffolk County chapter of the National Football Foundation at Ward Melville High School in East Setauket.
Players from every high school in Suffolk had the opportunity to meet and greet their peers Friday and listen as coaches introduced the top players in their programs and spoke about the expectations for 2024.
Costarelli was one of 210 players who traveled to the event.
The gritty quarterback totaled 2,649 all-purpose yards and 28 touchdowns last season, including the winning 22-yard TD pass in the Long Island Class III final, a 19-14 win over South Side. Costarelli discussed the championship-or-bust culture at East Islip, which has gone to 14 title games in 20 years.
“We moved from Class III to Class II and that’s a whole different challenge,” he said. “We have all new opponents, and we must work to win back-to-back titles. I boosted my confidence in the championship, and now I really want more — one more championship.”
Costarelli, committed to play baseball for the University of Central Florida, put his focus on football during the summer.
“I took everything very serious this summer,” he said. “I knew what I had to do, put on the weight and get stronger. We relied on and won off Sebastian’s leadership last year. I feel very comfortable being that leader this year.”
East Islip moved into Suffolk Division II and grabbed the preseason No. 2 seed. North Babylon earned the top spot with the return of junior halfback Jawara Keahey, the state’s leading rusher in 2023 with 2,614 yards and 37 touchdowns.
“I feel comfortable playing anyone, whatever division it is,” East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi said. “We’re bumping up this year and the division is definitely a different style of football — more physical. We’ll have a pretty good team, and Thomas will be our leader.”
Keahey, who participated in media day with coach John Rowland, expects North Babylon to continue to win and support that top seeding.
“Everyone looks good this year,” Keahey said. “We’ve all been in the weight room, making sure we’re eating healthy and just having each other’s back.”
Rowland called the Division II schedule a week-to-week grind.
“There’s no easy games,” he said. “We set goals every year, and last year we came up one game short. Our goal is to finish that unfinished business, make it to the Long Island championship and win the whole thing.”
Half Hollow Hills East, West Islip, Northport and Bellport also will have a say in the title chase.
DIVISION I
Floyd coach Paul Longo thinks the first seven teams in the parity-driven division can win the title.
“This year, there’s a lot of people coming back, a lot of good players on all teams,’’ he said. “Sachem East is loaded with a lot of talent and an excellent quarterback in AJ Vurchio. We beat Sachem North in the county finals, but it was a battle, and either team could have won that game if the ball bounced the right way.”
Sachem North coach Dave Caputo is fired up about his season opener against Ward Melville.
“It’s the second seed against the four to open,” Caputo said. “And Longwood plays Floyd the same week — that’s how you start the season.”
DIVISION III
The focus is on the high-powered offenses at Sayville and Hills West, each with its own Hansen Award candidates. The Golden Flashes have senior halfback Kyle Messina and the Colts rely on record-breaking senior quarterback Joseph Filardi and senior wide receiver Anthony Raio.
“Honestly, if I won the Hansen but we didn’t win the championship, that wouldn’t be a successful season,” Messina said. “I really focus on the team, and I never cared about individual awards.”
Filardi and Raio, the best of friends since playing lacrosse in kindergarten, aren’t getting ahead of themselves.
“I like to look at one game at a time each week,” said Filardi, who totaled 4,420 yards and 57 touchdowns as a junior. “You must focus on what’s in front of you. And just keep building off each week and getting better.”
The special connection between the two grew stronger in fourth grade when Filardi invited Raio to play football.
“We need to push ourselves to that championship,” said Raio, who had a Long Island single-season record of 84 catches last year. “Whatever it takes. Everybody realized that and kept working this offseason.”
DIVISION IV
Bayport-Blue Point has rolled to two consecutive Long Island Class IV championships and owns a 24-game winning streak. Newsday sat down with Bayport’s All-Long Island lineman, Ryan Bachmore, and Miller Place junior quarterback Shane Kiernan.
The respect between the two was classy.
“We know that Bayport is a great team and it’ll be a challenge,” Kiernan said. “It’s an opportunity for us early in the season.”
“We have a phenomenal bond with each other at Bayport — it’s different,” Bachmore said. “And with our coaches. We respect everyone and I think teams must wait until they play us to find out.”
The teams will open against each other on Sept. 13.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
