Suffolk County unfortunately did not follow in Nassau County’s footsteps with the creation of crossover games. Suffolk’s bylaws state that divisional games take precedence over non-divisional games, and every team is only allowed to play eight total regular-season contests. With eight divisional games per team, the rules simply don’t allow for non-league or non-divisional games. (Hopefully this changes soon.)
However, every year Suffolk County has the chance to see new and exciting matchups on the football field because of division realignment. Some years the matchups stay relatively the same, but this year there are some marquee, must-see matchups that will have major playoff-seeding ramifications.
Some powerhouse schools—and coaches—moved to new divisions this offseason, leaving the landscape of the county shaken up in the process.
Long Island follows a school-enrollment classification system. That means opponents are determined by how many students are currently enrolled at a school. Talent, program success, or lack thereof does not change who you play. Because of that, matchups and storylines can become stale and redundant, or annual and traditional, depending on your perspective.
One thing that can change the matchups, however, is enrollment size. This year, the division realignment has been one of the biggest topics of the offseason, creating new matchups that have fans chatting, players hyped and coaches going gray.
Here are the four biggest storylines created by division realignment—not five, out of respect for Jayden Daniels… (I had to.)
The Golden Flashes Look to Lay Waste to New D-IV Foes
When talking about the best programs in Suffolk County, the Sayville Golden Flashes are usually one of three programs that come to mind. Sayville has been the standard for what a football program should be for years: winning, developing players and getting kids to the next level. That is what the Sayville program is all about.
For years, Sayville has been the top team in Division III. They just won their eighth Long Island championship last season and return some big pieces that could help them repeat.
The big difference this year is that their route to another LIC would include going through another reigning Long Island champion from the Suffolk side in Bayport-Blue Point, who claimed the Class IV championship last year.
That’s right—Sayville moved down to Division IV.
When was the last time two Long Island champions from the previous season matched up as regular-season opponents?
This creates a major matchup between two programs that have recently run their respective divisions, only to find themselves running into each other this season.
Other traditional Division IV powers with regular-season dates against Sayville include Babylon, Mount Sinai and John Glenn. The matchup with Babylon could bring just as many fireworks as the Bayport contest, as both towns breathe and live for football.
Amityville, Wyandanch and Harborfields also join Sayville in moving down from Conference III. With those additional schools joining a division with an already-established hierarchy, Division IV will be a league full of high-stakes matchups.
Floyd Enters the Season in Uncharted Territory
William Floyd High School has been the model of consistency in Division I. They either play for a championship or win one what seems like every year.
This year, however, things are a bit different in Colonial country.
Their Hall of Fame, living-legend, now-former coach Paul Longo will not be on the sideline for the first time in 31 years. That’s 21 county championship appearances and 15 wins no longer at the helm.
One thing that won’t change is the dynamic playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Floyd returns monster edge defender Jake Rivera, who had north of 10 sacks last year, as well as Derek Glock, a wide receiver and return man with Devon Hester-like return ability who can change a game instantly.
Even with that star power returning, the jury is still out on whether there will be growing pains or if it will be business as usual in Mastic.
Floyd also enters the year seeded not No. 1, not No. 2, but No. 3.
I’m not sure the last time Floyd entered a season ranked this low, but it’s justifiable when you see the two teams above them.
First is Ward Melville, the reigning county champion. They return one of the two best quarterbacks in the county in Stony Brook commit Hudson Philbrick. His running mate, Joey Karpowics, returns as well. Karpowics is Suffolk’s best pass catcher and a St. John’s baseball commit.
These two have been lighting up the county since they were sophomores, and now they’re getting ready for their last ride.
The No. 2 seed is Sachem North. They return their own 1-2 quarterback/receiver duo with Luke LaRocca and Lucas Bouchard. They also have arguably the best offensive line in the entire county, fresh off winning the OL Challenge this summer.
Longwood, Sachem East, Walt Whitman and a young Connetquot team that moves back up from Division II all have big-time players who can make big-time noise.
The last year Floyd did not play for a county championship was 2022. There are some who believe the dominance is over, while others believe the reign will continue. I think both sides can agree on at least one thing: this season will be must-see football.
Will the Real King of Islip Please Stand Up?
For the first time in what seems like forever, East Islip, West Islip and Islip will all face off in the regular season.
East Islip has moved down to Division III after winning the Suffolk County Division II championship last year. East Islip and West Islip have a historic rivalry that we unfortunately did not have the pleasure of seeing last year because both schools were in different divisions.
Now that East Islip has moved down, the rivalry will be renewed. And with Islip in the same division, we finally get to crown a king of all three.
East Islip loses some major pieces from last year’s championship team, but the Redmen have a senior class ready to leave its own legacy.
They are led by DE/OT Evan Gordon and safety Parker Redding, the human heat-seeking missile. The duo of Will Gonzalez and Jaden Depinto contributed last year but will be expected to become big-time players this season and will look to make an impact on both sides of the ball.
West Islip has the pleasure of bringing back do-everything running back/defensive back Jake Kramer. Kramer will be one of the favorites for Division III Player of the Year after posting well over 1,000 all-purpose yards last season.
Islip graduated a senior class that had a ton of offensive firepower, but Jack Halpin is back and will be playing quarterback after tearing it up last year at wide receiver.
The defense returns a bunch of big-time playmakers. Carmine Rosselli, Najee Simpson, Jhon Elmonuce and Christian Orozovich make for a stout front seven.
Islip’s defense will be ready to rumble this season.
All three programs have their sights set on a championship season.
Who will wear the crown when all the smoke clears?
Back in D-II, Are the Bulldogs Bound to Make a Run?
Lindenhurst is one of those programs that fluctuates between Division I and Division II depending on the year. This year, they move back down to D-II with sights set on making some real noise.
The optimism is understandable when you have a quarterback who is a gamer like Lindenhurst’s Mikey Russo.
Russo is a big-time playmaker. He has the arm talent and athleticism to create opportunities most players can’t. You saw it last season in Division I, and you saw it again this spring at the Rising Stars Bowl. After a all county Junior season and a hell of a spring playing 7v7 with Hype Fam and the already mentioned Rising Stars Bowl, all signs point to a monster year.
With a slew of weapons returning, including a big time target who is back in the district after moving south, along with younger players ready to make noise, the Bulldogs won’t be an easy victory for anyone.
With that being said…
There is still a juggernaut in Division II.
That distinction goes to Half Hollow Hills East.
You don’t see many public-school teams on Long Island with more than two players holding FBS offers. Hills currently has two, and more could follow.
Those two are Jayden Bryan and Malachi Crump.
These kids are both very special and enter their junior seasons as bonafide game wreckers. There isn’t a Top 15 players list on Long Island that doesn’t have these two on it.
RJ Peters, the WR/DB, is a playmaker, as is now-junior Antonio Keahey Jr., who will be Jayden Bryan’s running mate in the backfield.
Northport, Bellport and Huntington graduated a lot but are always competitive. North Babylon was hit by the transfer bug and lost two of the best offensive playmakers in the county.
And then there’s Commack.
Commack returns the All-County quarterback/receiver duo of Lincoln Riggs and Mason Ruocco, but question marks seem to be everywhere else, hence the low preseason seed.
At first glance, it seems the new addition to Division II could find themselves challenging the division’s big dog for supremacy.
Suffolk Is Ready for a Wild One
While Suffolk may not have the same volume of crossover matchups as the county to the west, population changes have naturally created a different kind of excitement this season.
The matchups are different. The divisions are different. And for the first time in a while, there’s a feeling that nobody knows exactly what Suffolk football will look like when November arrives. One thing is certain: getting to the county championship this year won’t be easy—and watching everyone try to get there should be a hell of a lot of fun.