Preview
Balsan, PM Make Most of Chances:
By Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 29 Sep 1996:
A second chance. Everybody should get one.
Patchogue-Medford kicker Brian Balsan got one. And he made the most of it.
Balsan jogged onto the Patchogue-Medford football field fully aware of the circumstances that lay before him. And there was no gray area.
Make the winning kick against Longwood yesterday in a pivotal Division I game and he’s an instant hero.
Miss the kick and he’s well . . . such is the life of a kicker.
“The only thing I thought about was keeping my head down and driving the ball through the goal posts,” Balsan said. “And then I stopped and thought, `Man, everyone will hate me if I miss this kick.’ “
Balsan missed from 33 yards, but a personal foul negated the play and he was given another shot – from 25 yards. Balsan’s attempt sailed perfectly through the uprights and a throng of Patchogue-Medford teammates engulfed him in a post-game celebration as the Red Raiders pulled off the 17-14 comeback victory.
For that, Balsan was the toast of Patchogue-Medford (1-0-1) last night.
“What a game,” Patchogue-Medford coach Bob Sconone said. “It was a typical Division I battle. We really needed this win to get us started.”
The personal foul kept the Red Raiders from starting their season with two consecutive ties. The flag flew when the Longwood defense was penalized for rushing directly over the center – a no-no this year according to the application of the new safety rule being enforced by the National Federation of State High School Association.
The rule stipulates that the long-snapper is afforded protection until he has reasonable time to recover or move to participate in the play. If the snapper is down or vulnerable and the nose guard or linebacker tries to go over or through him, it is a penalty.
Longwood coach Joe Cipp III wasn’t too upset with the penalty call that ultimately led to the Lions’ first loss.
“It was the right call,” he said. “A rule is a rule and it’s there to protect the center. I just don’t know if you can make that call at that point in a game. That’s a tough call.”
Some crafty play-calling by the Red Raiders moved the ball to the Longwood 16 in the waning seconds to set up the final kick. Quarterback Mike Martin rushed 4 yards, Mike Gonzalez went 4 yards and Christopher Boehler added a 14-yard run to the 16 with five seconds left.
“We were setting up in the middle of the field,” Sconone said. “And we had some key blocks up front to move downfield.”
Martin completed 8 of 12 passes for 87 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mike Funaro in the third quarter for the Red Raiders. And he added 98 yards rushing to lead a rushing attack that amassed 216 yards.
“I told our kids that these guys would be fired up for us after last week {a 7-7 tie with Ward Melville},” Cipp said. “The had more intensity and swarmed to the football. They beat us at the point of attack and we didn’t rise to the occasion.”
Said Sconone: “This was a great bounce-back win.”
Longwood 48, Smithtown 14: Marc Riley ran for 180 yards and two touchdowns and Jerry Myler had 98 yards rushing and a touchdown for Longwood (2-1). Russell Matvay had six tackles and two sacks to go with his 25-yard touchdown reception from Brian Grazidei and six extra-point kicks. James Fernandes added five tackles and a third-quarter interception that he returned 40 yards for a touchdown. Smithtown is 1-2. –Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 06 Oct 1996:
Longwood 31, Ward Melville 12: Junior tailback Marc Riley rushed for three second-half touchdowns to rally Longwood from a 12-10 halftime deficit. Riley’s first touchdown, a 12-yard run 3:30 into the third quarter, put Longwood (3-1) ahead to stay at 16-12. A two-point conversion run by Brian Grazidei extened the lead to 18-12. Riley rushed for 247 yards on 33 carries and had touchdown runs of 4 and 9 yards. Ward Melville is 1-2-1. –Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 13 Oct 1996
Longwood 34, Lindenhurst 0: Marc Riley had 242 all-purpose yards with two scores to pace Longwood (5-1). Brian Grazidei completed 4 of 6 passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns, and ran twice for 54 yards and a touchdown. Lindenhurst is 3-3.- Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 27 Oct 1996
HIGH SCHOOLS / Riley’s 265 Yards Pace Longwood: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]c
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 21 Oct 1996
Junior halfback Marc Riley broke the school single-game rushing record with 265 yards as Longwood toppled Floyd, 34-7, yesterday in a Suffolk Division I football game.
Jason Schuster, a Hansen Award winner in 1993, given to Suffolk’s best player, held the previous school record with 248 yards, according to Longwood coach Joe Cipp III. Riley, a consummate workhorse, carried the ball 39 times yesterday, a week after gaining 247 yards on 33 carries in a 31-12 win over Ward Melville.
Longwood had 407 yards on the ground and four players ran for scores (Barry Stanek, Brian Grazidei, Terrence Lebby and Riley). Lebby had 101 yards on 16 carries.
“We’re getting the momentum going,” Cipp said. “If we give our running backs just 18 inches of daylight, they’ll break through – they’re that fast – and Riley is that good.”
Longwood (4-1) limited Floyd (2-3) to 137 yards of offense. James Fernandes had eight tackles and one interception and Kevin Willi had five tackles and a 52-yard interception return that set up the second of Russell Matvay’s field goals.
Sachem defeats Longwood
The Longwood football team braced for the inevitable Friday night. The Lions stood on the visitor’s sideline and stared onto the field as their defense readied for Sachem’s fourth-and-goal attempt from the 1-foot line with 14 seconds left.
In a game that was seemingly lost in the first quarter when Longwood opened a 20-point lead, Sachem stood knocking on victory’s door. At stake was first place in Suffolk Division I and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. And it came down to 1 foot to paydirt.
The Flaming Arrows came to the line, quarterback Doug Shanahan called the signals and the big offensive line blew cold air toward a Longwood defense that dug itself in and stacked the middle. Big-time play, big-time division, under the lights, 4,300 screaming fans, title on the line.
At the snap the lines crunched the neutral zone as Sachem doubled down on the tackle, kicked out the end and halfback Ted Peterson looked for a crack in the defensive unit’s front wall. Peterson bounced into the end zone and the place went wild as the Arrows erased a 26-6 deficit and pulled out an improbable 27-26 win.
“I have to catch my breath here,” Sachem coach Fred Fusaro said. “This is my 26th year coaching and I’d have to say that was one of the best wins ever. To be down by that much against such a good team and never, never give up is something special. I thought it was over – but these kids showed me what tremendous confidence they have in themselves.”
None more than halfback Peterson, who rushed for 185 yards on 14 carries and scored three second-half touchdowns to lead Sachem to its seventh straight win.
“He stepped it up a couple of levels and made the difference,” Longwood coach Joe Cipp III said. “He exploded into our kids and moved them backwards.”
Peterson ignited Sachem with an 88-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the third quarter to make it 26-12. Shanahan’s two-point conversion run made it 26-14. Two things made the touchdown run amazing. Peterson fumbled the pitch in the backfield but managed to scoop it up and hit the hole where linemen Ralph Gazzillo and Frank Schiavone had cleared a path. And then he outran Longwood’s speedy secondary for 88 yards.
“I was shocked that {safety Marc} Riley didn’t run him down,” Fusaro said. “Totally shocked.” So was Peterson, who said he glanced back to see where Riley was.
Riley may not have caught Peterson on that run but for good reason. He already rushed for 235 of his 266 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 49, 74 and 27 in the first half. He finished with 323 all-purpose yards and seven tackles on defense. Those three scores and a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Steven MacAleese helped the Lions (5-2) build a 26-6 halftime lead.
For Sachem, the punt block unit became a rallying point that enabled the Arrows to get back in the game. For Longwood, the punting unit proved fatal. “We stress the importance of our special teams every day,” Fusaro said. “That emphasis paid off in a big way.”
Sachem blocked three second-half punts to set up two of its three touchdowns. Jeremy Aragones, who blocked a third-quarter punt, recovered Frank Munsch’s first blocked punt with 10:03 left. Eight plays later, Peterson scored from 5 yards. Patrick Schnepf’s extra-point kick made it 26-21 with 5:01 left.
Having lost confidence in his punting team, Cipp went for it on fourth-and-7 with 1:47 left and a play-action pass went incomplete as the gamble backfired. Sachem took over at the Lions’ 37 and Peterson rumbled 28 yards to the 9 on first down – tackled by Riley. Three plays later, Peterson was in the end zone.
With eight seconds left, Brian Grazidei hit Riley with a slant pass and Riley dazzled the crowd moving laterally and then downfield making tacklers miss three times before getting tackled at the Sachem 34 as time expired. And while Riley lay motionless from exhaustion, Sachem piled into a heap beside him in celebration.
Sachem’s Very Special Win:
By Gregg Sarra. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 03 Nov 1996:
The Longwood football team braced for the inevitable Friday night. The Lions stood on the visitor’s sideline and stared onto the field as their defense readied for Sachem’s fourth-and-goal attempt from the 1-foot line with 14 seconds left.
In a game that was seemingly lost in the first quarter when Longwood opened a 20-point lead, Sachem stood knocking on victory’s door. At stake was first place in Suffolk Division I and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. And it came down to 1 foot to paydirt.
The Flaming Arrows came to the line, quarterback Doug Shanahan called the signals and the big offensive line blew cold air toward a Longwood defense that dug itself in and stacked the middle. Big-time play, big-time division, under the lights, 4,300 screaming fans, title on the line.
At the snap the lines crunched the neutral zone as Sachem doubled down on the tackle, kicked out the end and halfback Ted Peterson looked for a crack in the defensive unit’s front wall. Peterson bounced into the end zone and the place went wild as the Arrows erased a 26-6 deficit and pulled out an improbable 27-26 win.
“I have to catch my breath here,” Sachem coach Fred Fusaro said. “This is my 26th year coaching and I’d have to say that was one of the best wins ever. To be down by that much against such a good team and never, never give up is something special. I thought it was over – but these kids showed me what tremendous confidence they have in themselves.”
None more than halfback Peterson, who rushed for 185 yards on 14 carries and scored three second-half touchdowns to lead Sachem to its seventh straight win.
“He stepped it up a couple of levels and made the difference,” Longwood coach Joe Cipp III said. “He exploded into our kids and moved them backwards.”
Peterson ignited Sachem with an 88-yard touchdown run with nine seconds left in the third quarter to make it 26-12. Shanahan’s two-point conversion run made it 26-14. Two things made the touchdown run amazing. Peterson fumbled the pitch in the backfield but managed to scoop it up and hit the hole where linemen Ralph Gazzillo and Frank Schiavone had cleared a path. And then he outran Longwood‘s speedy secondary for 88 yards.
“I was shocked that {safety Marc} Riley didn’t run him down,” Fusaro said. “Totally shocked.” So was Peterson, who said he glanced back to see where Riley was.
Riley may not have caught Peterson on that run but for good reason. He already rushed for 235 of his 266 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 49, 74 and 27 in the first half. He finished with 323 all-purpose yards and seven tackles on defense. Those three scores and a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown by linebacker Steven MacAleese helped the Lions (5-2) build a 26-6 halftime lead.
For Sachem, the punt block unit became a rallying point that enabled the Arrows to get back in the game. For Longwood, the punting unit proved fatal. “We stress the importance of our special teams every day,” Fusaro said. “That emphasis paid off in a big way.”
Sachem blocked three second-half punts to set up two of its three touchdowns. Jeremy Aragones, who blocked a third-quarter punt, recovered Frank Munsch’s first blocked punt with 10:03 left. Eight plays later, Peterson scored from 5 yards. Patrick Schnepf’s extra-point kick made it 26-21 with 5:01 left.
Having lost confidence in his punting team, Cipp went for it on fourth-and-7 with 1:47 left and a play-action pass went incomplete as the gamble backfired. Sachem took over at the Lions’ 37 and Peterson rumbled 28 yards to the 9 on first down – tackled by Riley. Three plays later, Peterson was in the end zone.
With eight seconds left, Brian Grazidei hit Riley with a slant pass and Riley dazzled the crowd moving laterally and then downfield making tacklers miss three times before getting tackled at the Sachem 34 as time expired. And while Riley lay motionless from exhaustion, Sachem piled into a heap beside him in celebration.
Brentwood Still Alive and Well:
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 10 Nov 1996
Needing a win to earn a playoff spot and trailing a quality team 22-7 at halftime, most teams would call it a season and wait until next year.
Not Brentwood, which has grown tired of waiting until next year.
After Russell Matvay kicked a 21-yard field goal for Longwood (5-3) to extend its lead to 25-20, Reggie Fraser completed a comeback rally for the Indians with a 4-yard touchdown run with 1:48 left to give Brentwood a 28-25 victory over Longwood yesterday in a Division I football game.
Fraser’s run capped a 70-yard drive that used six minutes of the clock. Jason Lambert added a two-point conversion run to account for the final margin. With the win, Brentwood (5-3) clinched the fourth and final postseason berth in the division, its first since 1986, according to coach Vin DeRiggi.
The Indians play at top-seeded Sachem at 1:30 p.m. next Saturday. Longwood will travel to Patchogue-Medford in the other divisional semifinal at 1:30 p.m.
“There was such a celebration it was unbelievable,” DeRiggi said. “This is my third year and this was my goal. I played at Brentwood. This is the happiest day of my life.”
The Lions had a final opportunity to recapture the lead, driving to the Brentwood 40-yard line, but Ernie Joseph intercepted a fade pattern intended for Marc Riley at the 2 with four seconds left.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Joseph caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Oscar Alacantara and Jillian Beach kicked the extra point to cut the deficit to 22-20.
“At halftime, I said to pretend it’s zero-zero,” DeRiggi said. “We have the weapons to score if we can hold them. And that’s exactly what happened.”
Brentwood might have had the offensive arsenal to mount a comeback, but whether or not it could contain Riley, Longwood’s star running back who gained 303 all-purpose yards and scored the game’s first two touchdowns, was another question entirely. The Indians, though, accomplished both parts of the task.
Joseph, who also caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Alacantara in the second quarter, gained 108 yards on four catches, and Alacantara completed 13 of 19 attempts for 170 yards and the two touchdowns.
Longwood held Brentwood‘s Oscar Ramos to 64 yards on 12 carries, though he did score a third-quarter touchdown.
P-M Wins, Gets Wishes: [SUFFOLK Edition]
By Tom Rock. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 17 Nov 1996:
Going into yesterday’s Division I football semifinal game, Patchogue-Medford coach Bob Sconone said his team needed to do three things to defeat Longwood.
The Raiders needed to run the ball. Greg Murphy ran for 161 yards on 13 carries and quarterback Mike Martin ran for 131 yards on 11 carries.
Check.
The Raiders needed to keep Longwood’s dangerous back Marc Riley out of the end zone. Riley ran for 125 yards on 19 carries and no touchdowns.
Check.
And the Raiders needed to stick to their usual running game plan, “with a wrinkle here and there.” Martin was 7-for-14 passing for 146 yards and two touchdwons.
Check.
Patchogue-Medford accomplished all it needed to, and as a result ended up with a 30-6 win over Longwood and an engraved invitation to play Sachem in next Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. division final.
The first quarter was an exercise in efficiency for both teams. No. 3 Longwood (5-4) took the opening kickoff and marched 60 yards in 4:05 to take a 6-0 lead. Quarterback Brian Grazidei scored the touchdown on a fourth-and-goal sneak from the 2-yard line.
No. 2 Patchogue-Medford (7-1-1) returned the favor, driving 76 yards before Martin scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak of his own, which he set up with a 20-yard run, for the tying touchdown. And after Brian Balsan split the uprights on the extra-point for a 7-6 lead, the Raiders never looked back.
“They had a lot of guys up on the line and we saw they had man-to-man coverages on our wideouts,” Sconone said. “We established the run early and then mixed it up with the pass.”
The Raiders took a 14-6 lead midway through the second quarter when Martin faked a short pass to the left then found Mike Funaro deep down the right sideline for a 63-yard touchdown. The four-play, 76-yard drive was set up by a Longwood fumble in the backfield that was recoverd by Christopher Boehler.
Patchogue-Medford took a 20-6 halftime lead on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Martin to Funaro with two seconds remaining in the second quarter.
“The turnovers in the first half hurt us and that score at the end of the first half got to us,” Longwood coach Joe Cipp III said. “We just didn’t come back from that.”
Balsan opened the third quarter with a 24-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 23-6 advantage, and Martin finished off the scoring in fantastic fashion, galloping 90 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown. Tight end Derrick Rossy put a crushing block on Jeff Alt to free the quarterback for the run.
Rossy also had 12 tackles and a pass-deflection from his linebacker position. In one stunning tackle, Rossy met Riley facemask-to-facemask at the 50-yard line – two of the best players in the county at centerstage – and tackled him for no gain on an important third-and-15 play with 10:13 remaining in the game. Patchogue-Medford was leading 23-6 at the time.
“{Rossy} lit him up a little on that play,” Sconone said.
The Raiders must now focus on Sachem, the team that beat the Raiders, 14-12, on Oct. 5.
“We want Sachem,” Martin said. “It’s time for paybacks.”
But yesterday was all about getting there. The Raiders followed a game plan and took advantage of three Longwood turnovers and are now 48 minutes away from glory.
“Turnovers kill you,” Martin said. “They had them {yesterday} and we didn’t. That’s why we came out on top.”
That, and a recipe for success followed to perfection.
DIVISION I SEMIFINAL LONGWOOD 6 0 0 0 6 PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD 7 13 3 7 30
L – Grazidei 2 run (kick failed)
PM – Martin 1 run (Balsan kick)
PM – Funaro 63 pass from Martin (Balsan kick)
PM – Funaro 4 pass from Martin (kick failed)
PM – Balsan FG 24
PM – Martin 90 run (Balsan kick)
THE HANSEN AWARD / Riley’s Ride / Longwood RB 1st junior to win award: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]
By Jason Molinet. STAFF WRITER. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 06 Dec 1996
“The arena is empty except for one man, still driving and striving as fast as he can. The sun has gone down and the moon has come up. And long ago somebody left with the cup. But he’s driving and striving and hugging the turns and thinking of someone for whom he still burns. He’s going the distance . . .” – Cake, from “The Distance”
MARC RILEY‘S journey began with a slow burn in the Longwood weight room. It continued through the roller coaster of a nine-game football campaign that featured more turns than a stunt airplane and ended in a first-round playoff defeat to the eventual Long Island Class I champions, Patchogue-Medford.
But last night, the 16-year-old Riley went the distance. As he strode to the podium, Riley took the final steps of an electrifying and equally unlikely 1,413-yard season to accept the Newsday Carl A. Hansen Award, given to Suffolk County’s most outstanding football player.
How potent and prolific was Riley – the head of a great class of Suffolk running backs – in 1996? Phenomenal enough to become the first junior to win the Hansen in the 37-year history of the award. Riley won in the closest voting in recent years, narrowly edging senior running back Matt Frenz of Bayport-Blue Point and senior quarterback Mike Martin of Class I champion Patchogue-Medford. Senior running back Tory Smith of Half Hollow Hills East finished fourth.
“This has never been done,” said Pete Blieberg, Suffolk football coordinator. “It is a big accomplishment for the kid. He was the best ballplayer by the committee’s decision. There were a lot of kids that were equal, but it doesn’t take away from how good they were. They were top-level kids.
“In some years past, we’ve had breakaway kids whose stats have run off like James O’Neal from Sachem last year. We just had to watch him on film and it was confirmed. This year, there were so many good players. Even the kids who weren’t finalists were only a couple of steps behind the kids that made it to the finals.”
Expected to split time with senior Gerry Myler, Riley was not even considered the best back on the Longwood football team at the dawn of the 1996 season. But Riley, as a result of nagging injuries to Myler, emerged from the Longwood backfield to be recognized as the best football player among Suffolk’s 48 public schools. “It starts with attitude,” first-year coach Joe Cipp III said. “Riley has a terrific attitude on the practice field. He’s a hard worker with an excellent work ethic. His parents push him, really support him.”
At 6-3, 185 pounds, Riley has the frame college recruiters take copious notes about. Blessed with 4.4-second speed in the 40-yard dash, he exhibits the breakaway ability that forces even the steadiest of video cameramen into wide-angle desperation.
Riley rushed for 1,413 yards on 171 carries, good for an 8.3 yards-per-carry average, and 14 touchdowns. He caught 13 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns. On special teams, Riley also dazzled, returning two punts for touchdowns. He returned 13 punts for 254 yards and six kickoffs for 113 yards.
“My approach going into the year was that I would play a little here, a little there,” Riley said. “But once they saw me play tailback in the first couple of games, he left me in the spot.”
If Cipp didn’t fully comprehend the talent that occupied the Lions’ backfield, he had a better understanding after Longwood’s 35-0 shutout of Connetquot in the season opener Sept. 21. Riley took a first-quarter punt off Connetqout’s first offensive series and returned it 65 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Riley ran for 160 yards and three more touchdowns in the contest.
It was the first of six multiple-touchdown games for Riley, who was kept out of the end zone in only one game, the 30-6 playoff loss to Patchogue.
Riley knew he was in good company when he broke the school’s single-game rushing record, set by quarterback Jason Schuster in 1993. Schuster, who rushed for 248 yards in a game, went on to become the first Longwood player to win the Hansen that year. Riley gained 265 yards on 39 carries in a 34-7 win over Floyd on Oct. 20. Two weeks later, Riley bettered his own record by one yard against Sachem.
But even his heroics couldn’t prevent the Longwood slide. The Lions dropped their final three games in a 5-4 season, including a heartbreaking 27-26 loss at Sachem on Nov. 1 to begin the freefall. Riley rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns by halftime to help Longwood build a 23-point edge. It was not enough.
“He’s going to be the man to stop next year,” Cipp said.
Riley set his goals high entering this, his first year as the focal point of the offense after starting at linebacker and safety in 1995. In addition to his defensive roles this season, he played tailback, wide receiver and quarterback on offense. Winning the Hansen was among those ambitious expectations.
Those dreams became mere goals after an offseason – three days a week – in the weight room. Riley benches 225 pounds. But his goal this season is to bulk up to 215 pounds.
A two-year starter at guard and forward on the basketball team, Riley said he will not play the sport his dad taught him in order to concentrate on football, a game he has played competitively since the age of 8.
Deborah, his 43-year-old mom and a professor at Suffolk Community College, has come to appreciate the talent she’s watched mature firsthand.
“At first, I would gasp and close my eyes when I saw him hit,” Deborah said. “Now I say, `OK, jump back up, dust yourself off and go on.’
“I love to see him run. I’m in awe sometimes because I really enjoy watching him play and seeing the athlete that he’s developed into.” ****
HANSEN HONOR ROLL
The Hansen Award, which goes to the outstanding high school football player in Suffolk County, is presented annually by Newsday in memory of Carl A. Hansen of Westhampton. Hansen served as coach and athletic director at Westhampton, was an organizer of the Nassau-Suffolk Advisory Board and was president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. He died in 1960. Here is a list of the winners: 1996 – Marc Riley, Longwood, RB/DB 1995 – James O’Neal, Sachem, RB 1994 – Joe Parmentier, Lindenhurst, FB/LB 1993 – Jason Schuster, Longwood, QB 1992 – Jamie Lynch, Islip, QB 1991 – David Sumner, Northport, QB/FS 1990 – Antonio O’Ferral, Bellport, QB/DB 1989 – John Paci, Huntington, quarterback 1988 – Adam Mariano, Comsewogue, RB 1987 – Darren Ward, Huntington, RB 1986 – Tom Gilmartin, St. Anthony’s, back/LB 1985 – Mark Wojciechowski, Sachem, line 1984 – Randy Beverly, C. Islip, quarterback 1983 – Craig Biggio, Kings Park, back 1982 – Tom Watson, Bellport, tackle/DE 1981 – Joe Gagliardi, St. John the Baptist, QB 1980 – Rodney Cooke, Bellport, back 1979 – Kevin Baugh, Deer Park, back 1978 – Kevin Riccio, West Islip, guard/LB 1977 – Brian Dehler, Sachem, quarterback 1976 – Mike Tice, Central Islip, quarterback 1975 – Chris Dieterich, Ward Melville, tackle 1974 – Tom Donovan, Holy Family, back 1973 – Rich Scudellari, Holy Family, back 1972 – Chad Smith, Sayville, quarterback 1971 – Curtis Smith, Brentwood, back 1970 – Jamie Franklin, Brentwood, back 1969 – Dan Scott, Amityville, tackle 1968 – Tom Tarazevits, Southampton, tackle 1967 – Frank Ahrenhold, Northport, tackle 1966 – Kevin O’Connor, Commack, back 1965 – Gary Steele, Commack, back 1964 – Bob Lavinia, Smithtown, back 1963 – Hal Becker, Port Jefferson, back 1962 – Bob Schroeder, Lindenhurst, center 1961 – Jim Smith, Harborfields, back 1960 – Len Sears, West Babylon, tackle
