With this weekend marking the Long Island Championship for football teams all over the island, we see some familiar and new faces take home the trophy. There was some fantastic football being played this year, so it’s sad to see it come to an end. But the last few games did not disappoint as we were witnesses to some thrilling season finales.
East Islip vs South Side
On November 24, the Long Island Class III Football Championship game was hosted at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium. Matching up were the East Islip Redmen and the South Side Cyclones. These were two of the toughest teams on Long Island who had a combined 3 losses this season, 2 of those losses coming from the Redmen.
East Islip got the scoring started early with a 75-yard strike from quarterback Thomas Costarelli (Jr.) to senior wide receiver Matt Ferraro for a touchdown with 11 minutes remaining in the first quarter. This was a big play that set the tone early for the game. They followed this with yet another touchdown pass from Costarelli, this time to wide receiver Matt McIntee (Sr.) for two yards on 4th down.
The Redmen seemed to lose momentum after this as they allowed 14 unanswered points going into the 4th quarter. The Cyclones scored two touchdowns, one coming off a fumble from their offense that was then recovered in the endzone for a score. This was a great defensive play by East Islip that just didn’t go their way.
Despite being down in the 4th quarter the Redmen were able to answer back with the game on the line. Costarelli threw another touchdown pass for 22 yards to McIntee to take the lead.
In the end, East Islip finished on top claiming their second Long Island Championship title in school history; their first since 2007, ending a 16 year drought. Costarelli finished with 244 passing yards and three touchdowns, with McIntee as his main weapon, recording 7 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns. It was an all-around stellar performance for the Redmen who can call their season a success.
Bayport-Blue Point vs Seaford
On the following day, November 25, the Long Island Championship for Class IV took place. It was a high scoring battle between the Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms and the Seaford Vikings. Both teams came into this game having terrific seasons, but one stood out more. The Phantoms had a perfect, undefeated season going into this game that they looked to continue. In fact, dating back to last year they had 22 straight wins heading into this matchup.
Despite both teams being elite this season, only one could be crowned winner. The first half was completely controlled by the Phantoms as they led 14-0 at the end of the second quarter. Running back Danny Aiello (Sr.) capped off this half with a massive 82-yard touchdown run giving them the two score lead.
Aiello had himself a day as he scored his second touchdown early in the third quarter to make it 21-0. This started to have the makings of a blowout for Bayport-Blue Point. Seaford started to show some life, responding with a touchdown of their own.
Ultimately, the Phantoms were just too much to handle as they ran up the score from that point on. They finished with a 42-20 lopsided win that completed yet another perfect season. They had over 400 yards on offense, including 230 yards from Aiello who also recorded 3 touchdowns. Wide Receiver Mike Luce (Sr.) had himself a day as well finishing with a pair of touchdown receptions.
Similar to East Islip, this was Bayport-Blue Point’s second Long Island Championship victory in school history. The Phantoms were unique, however, as this win made them back-to-back Class IV champions. With both of their titles coming in the last two years, and holding a 23-game win streak, the Phantoms have a dynasty brewing. They are the team to beat in Class IV and will look to continue to dominate in the future seasons.
