Division IV
Shoreham-Wading River
Head Coach: Aden Smith
The Cats came up just short losing Bayport-Blue Point 49-14 in the championships last season. They had an impressive 8 win season but just fell one game short. This year they lost 17 seniors but Coach Smith says he "is looking forward to finding the new faces who are going to step up and uphold the tradition of Shoreham-Wading River football." Jacob Carberry and Keegan Sellner will shore up the defensive line and they also have a good and deep secondary so the defense should be their calling card this year. On the offensive side of the ball the duo of Mike and Sean Casey will lead them, who are both starters and both seniors. They came up just short last year and this season will look strong once again if coach Smith's message of "next man up" is taken to heart by the young team.
Miller Place
Head Coach: Adam St. Nicholas
Shane Kiernan certainly looks the part of a dynamic gunslinger. Standing at 6'1' 190 pounds he has the size and athleticism to take Miller Place to the playoffs. His inexperience might show up early on but he impressed as a sophomore making first team all division. He threw for over 1,000 yards and added 10 passing touchdowns in just nine games. He has already gotten looks from Stony Brook and LIU. Kiernan isn't the only talent Miller Place has this season as he will be protected up front by a senior laden offensive line. Coach St. Nicholas said that he "wants to see the team blend together" and added that they have 20 seniors coming back which will be a big reason they succeed. Defensively Miller Place will have to take the next step if they want to make a deep playoff run but the talent is there. If they can navigate through the early portion of the schedule this is a team that can make some late season noise.
Mount Sinai
Head Coach: Vinnie Ammirato
After a .500 season last year coach Ammirato sees bigger things for this squad. They bring back 6 players on offense and defense and coach Ammirato is excited about the JV kids coming up and contributing right away. The JV team went undefeated and they "have some big, strong lineman that will jump right in and play for us next to the skill kids we have back." Senior QB John Pramataris has shown upside, and has had some QB competition this season, which the coach thinks is a blessing and lacrosse star Ryan Filippi has all the talent in the world and speed to spare on the outside. The offense should buzz again this year as they have three different backs that can break it at any time. Ammirato has nearly three decades of experience behind him and when we spoke with other coaches you can tell they have confidence that he will get the most out of his defensive unit. Don't be surprised to see Mount Sinai look very good this season.
Center Moriches
Head Coach: Matt Millheiser
Seeing a first year head coach lead his team to the best regular season record in school history might be a surprise to some, but not those that know about coach Millheiser. Millheiser won three straight Long Island championships with Shoreham-Wading River before leaving in 2018. This season he will look to add to that with his new team. Assistant coach Jared Solero said "we are trying to get that first playoff win in the program and I think we have the tools to do it". Center Moriches will be a ground and pound offense this year, after losing three key seniors on offense, but they are led by two seniors on the front line in Austin Faller and Colin Casey. Center Moriches returns the entire offensive line from last year's team. Millheiser is an old school coach who has the ability to change with the times and has shown that through the years. This season the formula looks like he will go back to old school football roots and rely on a dynamic rushing attack and strong defense. Millheiser even uses the fullback to his offensive advantage and they have a chance to be a real force in this division.
Port Jefferson
Head Coach: Joshua Shields
Coach Josh Shields earned his first win two seasons ago, has been to the playoffs every year he's been at the helm and now as he enters his third year this looks like the most talented team he's had yet. They are certainly talented, but also very young with just four seniors on the squad. Coach Shields will rely on defense this season with a dynamic one two punch at linebacker in Owen Whiffen and team standout and captain Brandon Verruto. The 6'1" 200 pounder also will be carrying the ball for this run first offense. Shields has his seniors on the offensive line so running behind them will be a key. Shields mentioned his running game with two sophomore running backs Keegan Henry and Neko Davis, will be the focal point. He said "we are hoping the offense will revolve around those guys." Port Jeff is dangerous this season and they will look to wear teams down and win physical battles as they try to win their first ever playoff game.
Bayport-Blue Point
Head Coach: Mike Zafonte
The Phantoms are the clear kings of this division and their titles are beginning to add up. Coach Zafonte has made Bayport-Blue Point an absolute powerhouse and everyone is chasing their success. The Phantoms are 23-0 the past two seasons with back-to-back Long Island championships and now four in school history. It's getting to the point where we don't even worry about who they might have lost because the faith in the program recently has been that strong. Their two pillars of success are easily seen on the offensive line with Dylan Spano and Ryan Bachmore, add Patrick Ahern to that mix on defense and the core of this team is still intact. Last season in the championship game the offensive line just steamrolled Shoreham-Wading River. The Bayport-Blue Point blueprint has been if you win on the inside and it will translate to success and the same design is set for this year's group. They have to be the odds on favorites.
John Glenn
Head Coach: Dave Shanahan
As coach Shanahan reaches his 30th season he feels like this is one of his best teams yet. Glenn felt that they left a lot of the table last year after an impressive regular season and are chomping at the bit to get back out there. Many of the players will be returning from that one loss regular season squad and that sort of success is expected to continue. Cole Madden will lead the way as the senior QB was very impressive last season limiting mistakes throwing 13 TDs to just 2 picks. He's joined in the backfield by KaRahn King and has a defense that might be the best in the division led by senior linebacker Dave Rafiq.
Babylon
Head Coach: Rick Punzone
A heartbreaking loss in the playoffs last year stings stings and they lost some key pieces but after two decades on the sidelines coach Rick Punzone knows how to retool quickly. Aidan Winter will be leading the way as the signal caller and he has some big senior offensive lineman to protect him.
Wyandanch
Head Coach: Dawhite Hines
Waynadanch had a tough season last year but coach Hines believes this group of kids will take a huge step up. Hines made it a point to express how good his seniors are and Franklin Ortega leads that group on the line. Derrick Henry will be under center and while he will get time to throw it's stopping the other teams offenses that will make this team a playoff team or fall short again.
Greenport/Southold/Mattituck
Head Coach: Tim McArdle
Greenport/Southold/Mattituck players don't just play both ways, they play all three ways. That was explained by coach McArdle as he expressed the toughness and commitment of his roster. Not only did this team have a short bench last season but injuries hit them hard. Now with a healthy roster and some experience coming back on the offensive line in the form of Matt and Kenny McGunnigle along with Brady Woods, things are looking up.
Hampton Bays
Head Coach: Sean Gil
Coach Sean Gil is trying to revitalize this program after two seasons of not having a varsity team. He has a solid core to work with and despite not having a team his upbeat manner is easy to become infectious. Gil brought a number of players to media day and while there are only a few seniors, there is plenty of promise with sophomore Michael Single and Brayden Talmage.
Southampton
Head Coach: Franklin Trent
Just getting on the field was a major win for Southampton last season. They fielded their first varsity football team since 2019. Coach Trent said that it was the JV's team and success they had that pushed the decision through and now this season those same students will be at the core of this team. Nicholas Beeker will be leading the charge at QB and he has familiar faces behind him on the offense. Cameron Gratton and Tyrese Reddick will look to spread the field as this team hopes the 5-2 JV teams success carries over into this varsity season.