Three takeaways from Week 1 of the Long Island high school football season
Anthony Asaro of Garden City is congratulated by his teammates after scoring during a Nassau Conference III football game on Friday, September 6, 2024 in Bethpage. Credit: Dawn McCormick
1. More of the same
After the first week and a half of the high school football season, the question still remains: Is there any team that can stand in the way of Garden City and Bayport-Blue Point, the defending Long Island champions?
Neither program has shown any signs of vulnerability. Garden City moved out of Nassau Conference II and into Conference III, threatening to steamroll everyone in their path. Many believed second-seeded South Side, the defending conference champion, might be competitive with Garden City this season. But that no longer seems to be the case after sixth-seeded Lynbrook defeated South Side, 35-14, on Saturday. Is Lynbrook now the team that can challenge Garden City?
The Trojans (2-0) have scored 80 points and have allowed only three in the first two weeks. The three-time Class II champions extended Long Island’s longest winning streak to 44 games with a 38-3 win over Floral Park on Saturday.
Bayport-Blue Point won its opener on the road at Miller Place on Friday in dominant fashion, 35-0. The two-time defending Class IV champions lengthened Suffolk’s longest current winning streak to 24 games. The addition of first-year senior halfback Dylan Craig, who had two touchdowns this week, only makes the Phantoms stronger.
2. Surprise results
In addition to defending Nassau Conference III champion South Side falling in the opening week, Suffolk II champion North Babylon and traditionally strong West Islip also lost.
West Islip was defeated by crosstown rival East Islip, 38-7, in Suffolk Division II on Friday night. But it’s early and West Islip is young and rebuilding. East Islip boasts a terrific returning cast, including star quarterback Thomas Costarelli.
Half Hollow Hills East toppled North Babylon, 39-0, in Suffolk Division II. The No. 3 seed shut down the North Babylon offense and showed some serious firepower of its own, as halfback Daniel White ran for 249 yards and four scores.
3. Early thoughts
High school football fans need to go out and see these quarterbacks — Joseph Filardi of Half Hollow Hills West, Dennis Finkel of Farmingdale, Joey Diesso of Massapequa, Costarelli of East Islip and AJ Vurchio of Sachem East — at least once this season to appreciate their talent.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
