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| Jake Fields Smithtown Central School District |
The funny thing about the homecoming event was that it was likely the only Saturday homecoming that was in full function as this was the first Saturday in nearly two months that it hasn’t rained on Long Island.
The festivities included a halftime show done by the high school kickline team alongside the cheerleaders, homecoming king and queen being crowned, and the honoring of the seniors who would be playing in their final high school game.
The Bulls began the game with a methodical offensive drive that took up the majority of the first quarter.
The opening drive saw star running back Lucas Santangelo control the pace for the Bulls as he would help the offense reach the red zone before being able to find the end zone on a 5-yard touchdown run to give his team the early 7-0 lead.
After the opening touchdown, the East Siders got a bit tricky as they would pull off the surprise onside kick to regain possession.
This gave the Bulls prime offense field position and they would look to go up two scores before the end of the first quarter and limit the time Newfield would be on offense.
Lucas Santangelo heard his number called again with another tough goal to go touchdown run to put the Bulls up 14 before Newfield even got a chance to possess the ball in the first quarter.
Newfield would finally get the ball with under two minutes in the first quarter but they wouldn’t be able to do much with the ball as the Bulls defense was dominant in this one. Charlie Higgins had two interceptions in this one while Ryan Diffley added 15 total tackles.
The score would remain 14-0 at halftime and the next score wouldn’t happen until the third quarter when Smithtown East quarterback Jake Fields wanted to get in on the action.
Fields would break off a 75-yard touchdown run to up the score to 21-0, making it seem like it would be a certainty that the Bulls would walk off the field victorious.
The Bulls defense capped off the homecoming game in the fourth quarter as they looked to keep the shutout bid alive and send the home crowd home happy as Cole Milani would make the score 28-0 on a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Statistically for the Bulls, Lucas Santangelo had a monster day. The star running back had 19 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulls offense.
Quarterback Jake Fields also had a solid day as he completed 7 of 12 passes for 83 yards in addition to his 75-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
The homecoming game marked the end of another Smithtown East Varsity Football season as the Bulls unfortunately missed out on a playoff spot as Deer Park finished one game ahead of the Bulls and Centereach finished tied in the standings but hold the head to head advantage over the East Siders, claiming the final postseason spots in Division II.
The Bulls finish the season at 3-5 overall and the program ended their season on a high note as they hope to bounce back in 2024.