If you like physicality at the line of scrimmage, you won’t want to miss the Long Island Class II football championship game.
Garden City will face East Islip at noon on Saturday at Stony Brook University in what shapes up to be a brawl in the trenches, with opposing linemen at the center of the action.
“It’s going to be a battle up front,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. “Most games are won in the trenches, so I think the team that finds success there is going to have an advantage.”
Garden City has been dominating in this area for decades. The Trojans have won 10 straight Nassau titles and 30 overall. They have won 12 Long Island championships, including four straight. It all starts at the line of scrimmage.
Led by Zach Olson, a 6-5, 285-pound Harvard commit, the Trojans’ outstanding play up front is a big reason why they stand at 11-0 this season, owning a state-record winning streak of 65 games, which is also the longest active streak in the nation.
“I think everybody fixates on the streak, which is obviously ridiculously impressive, but they’ve been doing this for decades,” East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi said. “The thing that is remarkable about it is to do it year in, year out. Every time you end up in a close game, you find a way to win. All while cycling kids in and out all the time.”
There is some uncertainty about who will be standing behind Garden City’s offensive line. Starting running back Anthony Asaro missed the Trojans’ 27-12 win over Long Beach in the Nassau Conference II final with an ankle injury. Quarterback Brayden Robertiello went down in the second quarter of the win and did not return. Ettinger said they are both questionable to play this week.
Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Merit Ruckh, Angelo Cupani and Owen Anderson all stepped up in the county final. Ruckh ran for 67 yards and added 81 receiving yards and a TD. Cupani willed his way into the end zone to give the Trojans a two-score lead in the final minute and Anderson bulldozed through the line for several strong runs.
“They’re well-coached, have great athletes all over the field and they make very, very few mistakes,” Ciampi said. “It’s almost machine-like, in a way.”
Although Ciampi entered the season unsure of his team’s identity, he said controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball has been the key to East Islip’s run to its 10th Suffolk title and third in the last five years. East Islip (10-1) is looking for its third Long Island title.
East Islip’s defensive line, led by Dylan Bayer, Evan Gordon, Niko Meyers and Andrew Arena has played lights out and held Half Hollow Hills East’s explosive run game to 100 yards on 24 carries in its 24-17 win in the county final. Linebacker Jovan Bonilla had 12 tackles, including three for loss, and a forced fumble.
“Their defensive ends are both very talented in different styles of play,” Ettinger said. “[Bayer] is a big force on both sides of the ball. He looks extremely athletic for someone that has that size, similar to Zach Olson.”
Halfback Jake Simmons has reaped the benefits of his physical offensive line. The senior ran for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the county final to add to his impressive season totals of 1,876 yards and 21 TDs.
“He’s physical. He’s got speed. He sees holes. He can catch the ball out of the backfield,” Ettinger said. “I think he’s an excellent defensive player, as well.”
Will Garden City continue its reign, or will East Islip end the streak? The answer will likely be revealed in the trenches.
EAST ISLIP
No. Player Grade Pos.
1 Niko Meyers* 12 HB/DE
3 Eddie Simonetti 12 WR/CB
4 Jake Simmons* 12 RB/LB
5 Aiden Ierardi 12 QB/S
6 Mike Tramaglini* 12 TE/LB
8 PJ Gannon* 12 WR/S
10 Aidan McConnell 10 WR/DB
11 Owen Madden 12 WR/DB
12 Kristian Burnett 10 TE/LB
14 Blake Redding 10 RB/S/K
15 Parker Redding 11 HB/S
16 Jaden Depinto 12 WR/CB
19 Chris Coreas 12 K
20 Will Gonzalez 11 RB/LB
22 Connor McIntee 10 WR/CB
23 Hunter Depinto 10 WR/S
24 PJ Scandale 11 WR/S
25 Tyler Simonetti 10 WB/LB
31 Ian Frey 11 TE/CB
33 Andrew Arena 11 HB/DE
44 Jesse Carrano 12 HB/LB
50 Angelo Castaldo 11 OL/DL
51 Evan Gordon 11 OL/DL
52 Sammy Reingold 11 OL/DL
53 Master Tucker 12 OL/DL
55 Nick DiTomasso 11 OL/DL
56 Giuseppe Cottone 12 OL/DL
58 Makoa Jablonski 11 OL/DL
60 Carlos Hernandez 11 OL/DL
62 Greg Engblom 12 OL/DL
63 Raphael Diaz 11 OL/DL
64 Nolan Feldman 11 OL/DL
65 John Belsito 11 OL/DL
66 Carlos Lopez 10 OL/DL
68 Dylan Bayer* 12 OL/DL
70 Zi’Ahir Burse 12 OL/DL
71 Logan Hanratty 12 OL/DL
72 Justin Parker 11 OL/DL
74 Ben Hillenbrand 12 OL/DL
75 Justin Schneider 11 OL/DL
76 Jason Laudman 12 OL/DL
78 Jack Williamson 11 OL/DL
79 Nate Podmore 11 OL/DL
Head Coach: Sal Ciampi
Assistant Coaches: Albert Santoro, Joe Taormina, Ryan Pearsall, Alec Blieberg
* Denotes Captains
GARDEN CITY
No. Player Grade Pos. Height Weight
10 Ryan Haniffy 12 QB/DB 6’1” 165
11 Justin Baiker* 12 RB/DB 5’8” 175
12 Brendan Benn 11 QB/DB 5’10” 160
14 Anthony Asaro 11 RB/DB 6’3” 195
15 Jeffrey Finnell 10 RB/LB 6’0” 175
16 Andrew Erigo 12 WR/DB 6’0” 150
17 Brayden Robertiello 11 QB/DB 5’10” 165
18 Chris Desiderio 12 K/WR 6’1” 190
19 Christopher Byrne 11 WR/DB 5’8” 155
20 Owen Andersen* 12 RB/LB 5’11” 185
21 Chase Kraus 12 WR/LB 5’10” 180
22 Kevin Thorne 12 WR/DB 6’1” 165
23 Merit Ruckh* 12 WR/DB 6’0” 160
24 August Galli 11 RB/LB 5’10” 185
25 Max Siragusa 11 WR/DB 5’11” 170
26 Kosta Walsh 10 WR/DB 6’0” 160
28 Michael Desiderio 11 RB/DB 5’10” 165
29 Jack LeSueur 11 WR/DB 6’0” 150
30 Gianluca Ingrassia 12 RB/DB 5’8” 160
31 Jimmy Barry 12 WR/DB 5’10” 155
32 Jack Campolettano 11 WR/DB 5’8” 155
33 Will Mattice 12 WR/DB 6’0” 175
34 Vincent Lattuca 11 RB/DL 5’6” 140
35 Kyle Glosman 11 QB/DB 5’7” 145
36 Jackson Castellanos 11 WR/DB 5’10” 160
38 James Walker 10 QB 5’7” 125
39 Joseph Ottomanelli 11 WR/DB 6’1” 160
40 Christian Rodini 10 RB/DB 5’8” 160
42 Greg Buccella 11 RB/LB 5’7” 175
43 Andrew Dengler 11 TE/LB 6’0” 180
44 Angelo Cupani 12 RB/DL 5’8” 160
50 Mitchell LoBiondo 11 OL/DL 5’10” 200
53 Ronan O’Donohue 11 OL/DL 6’0” 215
54 Thomas Bacich 11 OL/DL 6’1” 185
55 Jake Brown* 12 OL/DE 6’3” 200
56 Justin Rivera 11 OL/DL 6’3” 210
58 Willing Curley 11 OL/DL 6’0” 210
63 Bobby Skiadas 11 OL/DL 6’0” 215
70 Wolfgang Ullrich 10 OL/DL 6’2” 230
71 James Logler 12 OL/DL 6’2” 310
72 Mark Gemmell 12 OL/DL 5’9” 180
73 James Sullivan 12 OL/DL 6’3” 195
74 Luke Turck 11 OL/DL 6’1” 165
75 Luke Agrippina 11 OL/DL 5’11” 225
76 Conor Fortney 12 OL/DL 6’1” 205
77 Zach Olson* 12 OL/DL 6’5” 285
78 AJ Haffner 10 OL/DL 6’0” 200
80 Brett Webber 10 WR/DB 6’0” 160
85 Ben Smith 10 TE/DE 6’2” 180
88 James Flynn 12 WR/DB 5’9” 150
89 Mark Escher 10 TE/DE 6’3” 176
Head Coach: Dave Ettinger
Assistant Coaches: Steve Finnell, Ray Chaputian, Ryan Boelsen
Assistant Coaches: Don Makofske, Joe Jacovina, Bob Defliese
* Denotes Captains
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
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