Senior Zach Olson raised his arms over his head and screamed toward the Garden City fans. His performance on the defensive side of the football would be his best — and his last.
Olson had 11 tackles, including four for a loss and two sacks, as Garden City edged East Islip, 10-7, to capture the Long Island Class II championship Saturday afternoon at Stony Brook University.
FINAL: Garden City 10, East Islip 7
Trojans win their 5th straight LI title and extend the nation’s longest active winning streak to 66 games. https://t.co/dF52KDG5Yo pic.twitter.com/gBrioThPip
— Matt Lindsay (@MattLinds19) November 29, 2025
It was a staunch defense that allowed Garden City to win the school’s fifth straight Long Island title and 13th overall. The Trojans extended the longest active winning streak in the country to 66 games over the past six years. Garden City is the first school to win five straight football Long Island championships.
Zach Olson of Garden City hoists the Long Island Class II championship trophy on Saturday at Stony Brook University. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
The Trojans weathered East Islip’s physical style of play with some grit of their own.
“It was my last game playing defense and I believe it was my best,” said Olson, who will play offensive line at Harvard University next year. “What a great way to end my career.”
Olson became the first player in Long Island history to win four Long Island championships. The 6-5, 285-pound two-way lineman was a key cog in a defense that yielded 185 total yards of offense.
“We watched so much film this week,” Olson said. “We were getting penetration and making some big plays.”
Trailing 7-3, Garden City punter Chris Desiderio pinned East Islip at its own 17 with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter. East Islip moved the ball to the 26 and on fourth down and less than a yard, coach Sal J. Ciampi opted to go for the first down and maintain possession.
East Islip quarterback AJ Ierardi was stuffed at the line by Will Mattice and Jake Brown for no gain and the Trojans were in scoring position.
“Our defense came up with so many huge stops,” said Garden City junior halfback/linebacker Anthony Asaro, who dressed and was used as a decoy for one play in the first quarter. Asaro, who led the Trojans in rushing and touchdowns, had not fully recovered from a high ankle sprain. “I begged the coaches to let me play but there was no way. I’m super proud of the guys the way they came together.”
After East Islip turned the ball over on downs, Garden City fullback Owen Andersen bolted over the left side for the go-ahead 26-yard TD run. Desiderio added the kick for the 10-7 lead with 4:01 left in the third quarter. Andersen had eight carries for 144 yards.
“If we had a chance to win, based on the state of our health, we had to play lights out on defense,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. “And our defensive coordinator Steve Finnell and his staff did a fantastic job having our guys prepared. And we had a few key guys unable to play on the offense and Owen Anderson stepped in and did a great job.”
One that managed to play through the pain of a lower-leg injury was Garden City’s junior quarterback Brayden Robertiello. He worked tirelessly with Garden City trainer Anthony Navaro all week and did not practice.
“He worked endlessly to play,” Navaro said. “His resolve was a huge boost for the team. He’s a leader through and through.”
“East Islip’s got some tough dudes, and our guys went toe-to-toe with them,” said Robertiello, who was a game-time decision. “We’re not soft in Garden City, We’re as tough as anyone. I wasn’t letting my team down.”
Garden City (12-0) opened the scoring on the first possession. The Trojans moved the ball 59 yards in six plays to set up a Desiderio 22-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead.
East Islip (10-2) went 57 yards in seven plays, before Jake Simmons went into the wildcat formation, took the snap, faked left, and ran behind a wall of blockers untouched for a 3-yard TD. Chris Coreas added the kick for the 7-3 lead with 1:29 left in the half.
East Islip 7, Garden City 3
Jake Simmons walks in the end zone behind Dylan Bayer for a 4-yard TD run with 1:29 left in Q2. pic.twitter.com/UDwEWFNdbk
— Matt Lindsay (@MattLinds19) November 29, 2025
It was only the second time Garden City trailed all season. And the first time since opening day against Long Beach.
“They stayed composed,” Ettinger said. “We knew East Islip would be a tough opponent and it would be a low-scoring game.”
East Islip had one last shot to tie the score in the fourth quarter. Simmons, who had 31 rushes for 154 yards, carried 10 times in a row to the Garden City 20 with 3:52 left. On fourth-and-11, Coreas’ 37-yard field goal came up short.
“We made too many mistakes on first downs to beat a team like Garden City,” East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi said.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday’s high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
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