High school football Week 5 blog: Updates, scores and more from the fifth week of games

Kellenberg's offense gets contributions from multiple players in win over SJB

The Kellenberg football team is known for its passing game, but its backfield helped carry the Firebirds to victory.

Sophomore Quinn Saccheri scored two touchdowns, junior Douglas Cristales added another, and junior Brendan Barkley contributed 68 all-purpose yards to lead visiting Kellenberg to a 38-27 victory over St. John the Baptist in a CHSFL AA-I matchup Saturday afternoon.

"It’s a three-headed monster,” coach Eric Meisse said. “We split the carries so we can keep them fresh. They always play at a high level, so it’s a huge advantage for us.”

Saccheri had 80 all-purpose yards. Cristales had 103 rushing yards. Quarterback Brayden Farrelly completed 12 passes for 201 yards and a TD, and he ran for a score.

For more details on this game, check out Jonathan Ruban's full game story.

Bellmore JFK pulls away late to beat Valley Stream Central

Ryan Finkelstein’s mom drove him from Oyster Bay to Valley Stream to make the second game of his two-sport doubleheader. The center back had helped Bellmore JFK’s soccer team forge a morning tie, and now he had a chance to kick an afternoon exclamation point for the football team.

That would be the clinching field goal Saturday against Valley Stream Central. Only this attempt was 42 long yards away on Valley Stream Memorial Junior High’s turf. The junior had never made one from that distance for the Cougars.

“Honestly, I didn’t even want to think about where it was,” Finkelstein said. “I just knew to take my steps and go wherever my holder wanted me to . . . I’m a soccer player. They were all telling me that I was sealing the game with this kick, and I had no idea if I actually was or not.”

Finkelstein sailed the ball through the uprights with 1:29 left to make it a two-possession game. Bellmore JFK walked away with a 24-13 Nassau II win.

For more details on this game, check out Brian Heyman's full game story. And for more Nassau football results, check out the roundup.

Jonas Mendez thrives on emotional day, leads Connetquot past Brentwood

For Connetquot's Jonas Mendez, Saturday's game simply meant more.

The game was at Brentwood, the same school where his father, Jonas, played football alongside Dwaine Reid, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident at 22 years old in 2002.

“This was more than just a game for me and my family,” Mendez said. “With representing Dwaine, it was just a different mentality."

Whether lining up as a receiver, cornerback or as the return man, Mendez does it all for Connetquot and Saturday was no different. The junior totaled seven catches for 115 yards in Connetquot’s 30-7 win.

For more on this matchup, check out Anthony DiCocco's game story. And for more Suffolk results, check out the roundup.

Massapequa defense slows down Oceanside's high-power offense

For as stingy as Massapequa’s defense has been, it had yet to post a shutout in the first half of the season.

Top-seeded Massapequa was just saving its best defensive performance yet for its homecoming game against No. 2 Oceanside and one of the best running backs on Long Island.

The front of Nolan Wieczorek, Ryan Chabus, Jake Spina, Jack Mulligan, Giovanni Tarasi, Aiden Carozza and Justin Farrell smothered Oceanside’s high-powered offense in a 33-0 win Saturday in Massapequa.

Massapequa improved to 5-0 and extended Long Island’s longest active winning streak to 28 games.

For more details on this matchup, check out Matt Lindsay's game story.

Jackson Sparer's lone play on defense seals win for South Side football

Jackson Sparer had not played a defensive snap all afternoon.

But with South Side protecting a seven-point lead against unbeaten Bethpage and 1:18 remaining, Sparer’s number was called.

On third-and-8 from the South Side 18-yard line, Sparer lined up as an edge rusher. He read the running back coming out of the backfield and dropped into coverage. His defensive stat line: One play, one interception.

After snatching the ball from the air, Sparer ran out of bounds and his teammates rushed toward him in celebration with 1:10 left.

“It was one of the craziest moments of my life,” Sparer said. “Having all your teammates run up to you after doing that? Beating Bethpage on their homecoming game?”

The interception sealed South Side’s 21-14 victory over host Bethpage in Nassau Conference III football Saturday. The Cyclones improved to 5-0.

For more on this matchup of undefeated teams, check out Jared Valluzzi's game story.

Division's Chris Ruggia, passing game clicking at the right time

During its three-game winning streak, the Division football team is averaging 31 points per game and has reached the 35-point mark in consecutive games. For what is a team that rushed for over 200 yards in each of its first two wins, getting its passing game right may be exactly what it needs to make itself a contender come playoff time.

“I’ve got the best receiving corps in the county,” said senior quarterback Chris Ruggia, who threw for 384 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-28 win over Mineola on Saturday. “They make it easy for me, they’re special guys. … Today felt good, man. I knew this was going to happen eventually, and it feels good to finally see it. This is exactly what we needed for us to have a shot down the stretch in the rest of our games.”

The Dragons (3-2) already know what they have to do to keep their aerial attack firing on all cylinders: feed senior wide receiver Aiden Mirelis. Over the past season-and-a-half, he has caught 76 passes for 1,744 yards and 24 touchdowns across 13 games played. This season, he has made 33 grabs for 569 yards and six scores.

Mirellis has played a big role in their two-game scoring outburst with 15 catches for 308 yards and four touchdowns. Five of his catches on Saturday went for 25 yards or more, and four were for over 30.

“We had been running the ball because other teams weren’t contending with our run game,” Mirelis said. “Today, we proved we can pass the ball better than we’ve been, too. I’m very proud of that. I think this is going to help us even more with moving the ball and creating more open spaces for the rest of the year.”

Division’s No. 2 wideout — junior George Gendekos, who caught two passes for 44 yards and a touchdown on Saturday — feels much better about this team moving forward after its dominant passing display.

“We unlocked the passing game; we got our connection back,” Gendekos said. “Wait until you see us in the future. We’re a lot more dangerous.”

For more on this Nassau football game, check out Mike Anderson's full game story.

Kellenberg rumbles to win over St. John the Baptist

FINAL

Kellenberg 38, St. John the Baptist 27

Kellenberg’s run game was phenomenal. Game story to come!

South Side seals win with interception vs. Bethpage

Massapequa shuts out Oceanside to remain undefeated

FINAL: Massapequa 33, Oceanside 0

Complete dominance from Massapequa on its homecoming day.

VSC's Evan Nelson cuts into Bellmore JFK's lead

Evan Nelson 5-yard TD run.

Valley Stream Central cuts Bellmore JFK’s lead to 21-13, 5:34 left in the fourth quarter.

Massapequa leads Oceanside at halftime despite injury to QB

Massapequa leads Oceanside at halftime, 19-0, despite starting quarterback Luke Garguilo coming out of the game with an apparent knee injury in the first quarter. Last year’s Snyder Award winner as Nassau’s top QB exited the game after Massapequa’s second possession ended in a field goal by Caden Bowen with 7:48 left in the first quarter. Garguilo had his right knee wrapped in ice for the remainder of the quarter and walked up and down the sideline with his helmet on for much of the second quarter.

Junior Blake Seidenstein has filled in admirably in his absence. Seidenstein’s first pass went 64 yards to Justin Farrell for a touchdown to give Massapequa a 17-0 lead with 5:11 left in the first quarter.
Dylan Milio returned the opening kickoff 76 yards for a touchdown. Michael Ippolito has two interceptions, and Nick Lopez recovered a fumble. Ryan Chabus and Giovanni Tarasi teamed up for a tackle in the end zone for a safety with 11 seconds left in the first half.

Kellenberg leads St. John the Baptist in high-scoring half

HALFTIME

Kellenberg 28, St. John the Baptist 20

Only one drive in this quarter didn’t conclude in a TD. Brandon Hunter and Jordan Redding have each scored a TD for the Cougars. Brayden Farrelly has been stellar for the Firebirds, throwing for a TD and running for one as well.

South Side's late TD gives Cyclones halftime lead

Babek marches Bellmore JFK to halftime lead

Bellmore JFK leads Valley Stream Central 21-7 at halftime.

Quarterback Dylan Babek has seven carries for 103 yards and a touchdown for Bellmore JFK.

Flashy play ties game for Bethpage vs. South Side

Bethpage 7, South Side 7

Running back Louis Schneider takes the toss and throws a touchdown pass to Jake McCaffery, who hauls it in one handed. We are tied, 11:52 in the second quarter.

Valley Stream Central responds, ties game at 7

Evan Nelson to Dylan Esson 24-yard TD pass.

Valley Stream Central ties it up at 7-7 with Bellmore JFK, 8:45 left in the second quarter.

South Side takes early lead over Bethpage

South Side 7, Bethpage 0

D’Andre Mullings-Newberry blocks a punt, picks it up and returns it for a touchdown. 3:10 left in the first quarter.

Two unbeaten teams in a rematch of last year's Nassau III semifinal and its homecoming.

St. John the Baptist hosts Kellenberg, rematch of 2025 thriller

Valley Stream Central takes on Bellmore JFK

Hewlett football gets love from the community, celebrates 100 years

The celebration of 100 years of Hewlett football Friday night needed just one more thing to feel complete — a comeback victory against Sewanhaka.

Bulldogs ball at their own 46, down by four, exactly two minutes on the clock.

“It’s really tough, especially when we had a lot of drives where we just couldn’t do anything,” Preston Cusumano said. “But we trusted our guys.”

The senior quarterback passed them down the field, and Dylan Parchment ran the ball in from the 2 with 1:08 left. The Ravens reached Hewlett’s 16 but couldn’t turn a pass into a touchdown on the final play.

And soon there were the Bulldogs happily singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” at midfield. They owned a 23-20 Nassau Conference III home win.

“It is unbelievable,” said coach John Palladino, in his 10th season as head coach after 15 as the defensive coordinator. “Just to work and coach in a place like Hewlett where football has been around for 100 years, it’s so special.

“The community, the families, the parents, the players, the administration, the board, the leadership from our superintendent, I’m just the luckiest guy to work here.”

For more on this Nassau III battle, check out Brian Heyman's full game story.

Friday Night's Scores

NASSAU

Conference I

Syosset 28, Hempstead 24

Farmingdale 35, Freeport 7

Conference II

Carey 43, Calhoun 12

Baldwin 2, Jericho 0

Conference III

Wantagh 28, Manhasset 19

Hewlett 23, Sewanhaka 20

Plainedge 49, Elmont 6

Clarke 24, Glen Cove 0

Conference IV

Malverne 34, Island Trees 6

Floral Park 21, Lynbrook 14

East Rockaway/West Hempstead 30, North Shore 26

Seaford 48, Cold Spring Harbor 12

Carle Place 21, Locust Valley 20

SUFFOLK

Division I

Ward Melville 41, Sachem East 0

Division II

Half Hollow Hills East 33, Copiague 0

Bellport 50, Smithtown East 42

Northport 46, Centereach 6

Division III

East Islip 49, Half Hollow Hills West 15

Islip 42, Comsewogue 6

Hauppauge 20, West Babylon 6

Division IV

Sayville 34, Shoreham-Wading River 0

Bayport-Blue Point 49, Hampton Bays 14

Kings Park 48, Greenport/Southold/Mattituck 0

Mt. Sinai 35, Center Moriches 6

CHSFL

St. Anthony's 42, St. Peter's 21

St. Dominic 25, Cardinal Spellman 8

Parchment punches in win for Hewlett versus Sewanhaka

Hewlett rallies to beat Sewanhaka 23-20.

Dylan Parchment scored on a 2-yard TD run with 1:08 left.

Carey football dominates on ground, through air in win over Calhoun

The Carey offense is known for running the football. But Friday afternoon, the Seahawks showed they could do plenty of damage through the air, too.

Senior quarterback Sal D’Amato completed all nine of his passes for 170 yards and a touchdown, and senior wide receiver Vince Vicari caught six passes for 131 yards and a score as host Carey defeated Calhoun, 43-12, in Nassau Conference II.

The Seahawks improved to 5-0 behind a balanced offensive attack that also featured four rushing touchdowns from Justin DePietro.

“Obviously, we’re great friends outside of the football field, but on the field, it clicks, too,” D’Amato said of his connection with Vicari. “Finally getting going with him. … When he’s going, I’m going, and when we’re going, the whole team’s going. So it’s just a link between all of us together as one.”

For more on this Nassau II matchup, check out Jared Valluzzi's full game story.

Amari Jones runs Sewanhaka to halftime lead over Hewlett

Sewanhaka rallies with 20 straight points and leads Hewlett 20-14 at halftime.

Amari James has shown off his speed, running for 113 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries for Sewanhaka. The TDs came in a span of 10 seconds in the second quarter.

Floyd to name football field after legendary coach Paul Longo

Paul Longo gave the William Floyd School District a winning identity on the high school football landscape.

He pumped life into a struggling varsity program and turned it into a Long Island powerhouse. Longo guided the Colonials for 31 years, including 26 playoff appearances and became the winningest public schools coach in Suffolk County history.

Now, the William Floyd School district will recognize Longo’s accomplishments when they officially name the varsity football field on Lincoln Avenue in his honor. A ceremony and unveiling of his name on the scoreboard are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17, at 11:30 a.m. prior to the Colonials Suffolk Division I game against Whitman.

“I’m very proud of my time at William Floyd,” said Longo, who led the Colonials to 15 Suffolk titles and five Long Island championships. “I spent 31 years of my life on the Colonials’ field, it’s an incredible honor. There were so many people responsible for our success. The hard work we put in with the administration and the support staff turned the program into a winner.”

Longo credited the Lynvets youth program as an outstanding contributor to the school program.

“Our community totally supported us, and I’ll always love them for that,” he said. “The people here are so passionate about our football. And my coaches and players left it all out of the field for me.”

Pete Blieberg, the assistant executive director for Section XI, said Longo is the model of leadership and finding success.

“You don’t find many coaches who started at the ground floor and worked their way through the system to the varsity level and had so much success along the way,” Blieberg said. “He did it the right way. Paul took over a dormant program and built a dynasty. He sustained the winning over decades which isn’t easy. He’s a class act and revered by everyone coaching with or against him. This field naming is so well deserved.”

From the first varsity football game played in 1958, the Colonials managed to win 82 games in the 37 years before Longo took over. Longo led the Colonials to 253 wins over 31 years. Just think about that.

Longo's record in championship games was 15-6. The Colonials earned the Rutgers Trophy — given to the best team in Suffolk — three times under his leadership. Floyd had a 42-game winning streak between 2005-08, the longest in Suffolk County history.

And two little known fun facts.

Longo coached the William Paca Middle School in Mastic Beach from 1984-1991. In eight years, his record was 48-0. He then took the Floyd JV job and in three years produced a 20-4 record from 1992-1994.

The foundation was poured and set from 1984-1994. And now, they rightfully cement the legacy with the field naming.

Presently, Longo is trying to resurrect a Shoreham-Wading River program in Suffolk Division IV. The Wildcats are 2-2 and he’s confident he can lead the program back to prominence.

“It’s a challenge but I love working with these student-athletes,” Longo said. “We’ve made some positive strides.”

Castro's TD gives Hewlett early lead

End of the first quarter: Hewlett 6, Sewanhaka 0.

Sal Castro had a 1-yard TD run.

Hewlett celebrates 100 years of football, hosts Sewanhaka

Carey downs Calhoun, 43-12

Carey remains undefeated with a 43-12 win over Calhoun.

The Seahawks improving to 5-0. Calhoun drops to 2-3.

Carey's Justin DePietro gives Seahawks 29-6 lead over Calhoun

Carey takes 14-0 lead over Calhoun

End of 1st Quarter: Carey 14, Calhoun 0

Sal D’Amato found Vince Vicari for a 62-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left in the quarter.

Then the Seahawks recover the onside kick. Carey has the ball at the Calhoun 44-yard line to begin the second quarter.

Calhoun-Carey game is underway

Newsday's HS fantasy football league update

Standings

Jared Valluzzi, 927

Matt Lindsay, 842

Jonathan Ruban, 770

Gregg Sarra, 769

JP Cheslowitz, 698

Chris Matias, 653

Tess Ferguson, 635

Michael Sicoli, 630

Mike Anderson, 601

Lenny Genova, 535

Top performers

QB: Peyton Reisinger, Rocky Point

He posted 70 points for Team Chris. Reisinger rushed for 247 yards and four touchdowns and threw for another 203 yards and a score in Rocky Point’s 35-21 win over West Babylon.

RB: Jake Kramer, West Islip

He put up 51 points for Team Lindsay. Kramer rushed for five touchdowns in the first half of West Islip’s 48-6 win over Hauppauge. He totaled 214 yards on 12 carries – an average pickup of almost 18 yards.

WR: Jackson Carney, East Hampton

He had 32 points for Team Ruban. Carney caught five passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in East Hampton’s 31-0 shutout of Comsewogue.

DEF: Bayport-Blue Point, Sayville, Garden City

All three units each put up 15 points for Team Valluzzi, Team Lindsay and Team Sarra, respectively. BBP shut out Harborfields 35-0, Sayville shut out Mount Sinai 42-0, and Garden City shut out New Hyde Park 48-0.

Waiver pickups

Team Ferguson: Christian McCravey, RB, Freeport

Team Lenny: Jack Miller, QB, Miller Place

Team Lindsay: Jayden Durham, QB, Eastport-South Manor

Team Sarra: Brayden Talmage, WR, Hampton Bays

The Week 5 LI high school football schedule

Friday, Oct. 9

Nassau

Conference I

Hempstead at Syosset, 6:30 p.m.

Freeport at Farmingdale, 6:30 p.m.

Conference II

Calhoun at Carey, 3 p.m.

Conference III

Wantagh at Manhasset, 6 p.m.

Sewanhaka at Hewlett, 6 p.m.

Elmont at Plainedge, 6:30 p.m.

Clarke at Glen Cove, 7 p.m.

Conference IV

Malverne at Island Trees, 6 p.m.

Floral Park at Lynbrook, 6 p.m.

North Shore at East Rockaway/West Hempstead, 7 p.m.

Seaford at Cold Spring Harbor, 7 p.m.

Locust Valley at Carle Place, 7 p.m.

Suffolk

Division I

Ward Melville at Sachem East, 6 p.m.

Division II

Half Hollow Hills East at Copiague, 5:30 p.m.

Bellport at Smithtown East, 6 p.m.

Northport at Centereach, 6 p.m.

Division III

East Islip at Half Hollow Hills West, 3 p.m.

Islip at Comsewogue, 6 p.m.

West Babylon at Hauppauge, 6 p.m.

Division IV

Sayville at Shoreham-Wading River, 6 p.m.

Hampton Bays at Bayport-Blue Point, 6 p.m.

Kings Park at Greenport/Southold/Mattituck, 6 p.m.

Mount Sinai at Center Moriches, 6 p.m.

CHSFL

St. Peter's at St. Anthony's, 7 p.m.

Cardinal Spellman at St. Dominic, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10

Nassau

Conference I

Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK at Hicksville, 1:30 p.m.

Port Washington at Herricks/Wheatley/Roslyn, 1:30 p.m.

Uniondale at Westbury, 1:30 p.m.

Oceanside at Massapequa, 2 p.m.

Conference II

Long Beach at New Hyde Park, 1:30 p.m.

Bellmore JFK at Valley Stream Central, 1:30 p.m.

Garden City at Mepham, 1:30 p.m.

MacArthur at Roosevelt, 2 p.m.

Conference III

Division at Mineola, 9:30 a.m.

South Side at Bethpage, 1:30 p.m.

Conference IV

Valley Stream South at Lawrence, 1:30 p.m.

Oyster Bay/Friends Academy at Valley Stream North, 2 p.m.

Suffolk

Division I

Riverhead at Longwood, 12 p.m.

Bay Shore at Sachem North, 1 p.m.

Floyd at Central Islip, 1:30 p.m.

Connetquot at Brentwood, 1:30 p.m.

Whitman at Patchogue-Medford, 2:30 p.m.

Division II

Deer Park at North Babylon, 1 p.m.

Commack at Huntington, 1:30 p.m.

Newfield at Lindenhurst, 2 p.m.

Division III

Westhampton at East Hampton/Pierson, 1 p.m.

Smithtown West at Rocky Point, 1 p.m.

Eastport-South Manor at West Islip, 2 p.m.

Division IV

Babylon at Wyandanch, 1 p.m.

Non-league

Hasbrouck Heights (N.J.) at Miller Place, 1 p.m.

CHSFL

Kellenberg at St. John the Baptist, 1:30 p.m.

Archbishop Stepinac at Chaminade, 1:30 p.m.

Private

Long Island Lutheran at Riverdale Baptist, 1 p.m.