Bellport High School football is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, marking five decades of excellence, pride, and community spirit. On Saturday, the program honored some of its greatest players during a special on-field Hall of Fame ceremony at halftime of the Clippers’ 20-14 win over Smithtown East.
“It’s great to see the guys and their accomplishments and the feeling they still have for Bellport football,” said legendary coach Joe Cipp Jr., who led the program from 1976 to 2010. “Most of the kids say it was the greatest high school experience they had, which is pretty cool.”
Fifteen players spanning from the 1980s through the 2020s were enshrined, including brothers Darnell and Derrick Milton. Both starred on the undefeated 1982 team that captured Bellport’s first Suffolk County championship — the first of 13 county and six Long Island titles in program history.
“It’s a family-oriented program,” said Milton. “From Saturday breakfasts to helmet stickers, we’ve always stayed connected. It’s about family.”
Among the inductees were Donte Phillips, the school’s all-time rushing leader, and Jack Halpin, record-holding quarterback and two-time all-state selection. “It’s a beautiful program,” said Phillips. “It made me who I am.” Halpin added, “Bellport brings everyone together. It’s a community, and football connects us all.”
The Alumni Day celebration began, as tradition dictates, with the team breakfast, where former players shared experiences and advice. Cole Cipp (Class of 2017) spoke about trusting teammates and working together toward a common goal.
After the game, the celebration continued at Painters Restaurant, hosted by alumni Craig Bazarewski and Mike Omelchuck, where inductees reunited with teammates, including members of the undefeated 1982 championship team. Coach Cipp expressed to us over the summer how close knit the football program still is after all these years and this was a celebration of that closeness.