More than 9,000 rushing yards just walked out the door.
That might be the best way to describe the Section XI running back landscape entering 2026.
William Floyd’s Ja’Quan Thomas. Babylon’s Aidan Winter. East Islip’s Jake Simmons. Smithtown West’s Michael Cascione. Half Hollow Hills East’s Daniel White. They were five of Suffolk County’s biggest rushing stars last fall. They’re gone.
That makes Section XI different from the other leagues ATS is previewing. There isn’t one obvious group simply waiting to resume what it did last year. There are jobs available. Carries available. And stars waiting to emerge.
Here are some of the names and situations ATS will be watching.
The Production That Has to Be Replaced. Let’s start with the numbers.
Ja’Quan Thomas rushed for 2,082 yards and 31 touchdowns for William Floyd.
Aidan Winter ran for 2,043 yards and 27 touchdowns at Babylon.
Jake Simmons produced 2,032 yards and 22 touchdowns for East Islip.
Michael Cascione added 1,650 yards and 20 touchdowns at Smithtown West.
Daniel White ran for another 1,460 yards and 13 touchdowns at Half Hollow Hills East.
That’s 9,267 rushing yards from five players alone. All five were among Suffolk’s leading rushers. All five have graduated. So who’s next?
The Returning Leaderboard Matters
This is where ATS will be paying particularly close attention during the opening weeks. There were plenty of other productive backs on Suffolk’s 2025 leaderboard, including runners at Brentwood, North Babylon, Bayport-Blue Point, Mount Sinai, Huntington, Half Hollow Hills East, Hauppauge, Ward Melville, Kings Park and Sayville.
But determining which of those players return for 2026 — and which younger players will inherit featured roles — is more important than simply copying last year’s leaderboard. That’s why ATS isn’t going to manufacture a preseason Top 3.
We’re going to let someone claim it.
THREE SPOTS ARE OPEN
Consider this an invitation. Who is Section XI’s best returning running back? Who is about to go from 300 carries behind an established senior to becoming the guy? Who had 400 yards last year but is about to run for 1,500? Who is the sophomore or junior nobody outside his school knows yet?
ATS wants to find him. Because one thing is certain: Suffolk County isn’t suddenly going to stop producing running backs. Someone is about to inherit those yards.
NEW NAMES TO WATCH
That’s the real storyline entering the season.
The first two weeks of Section XI football should tell us considerably more than any preseason list could. There will be a back who suddenly gets 20 carries. There will be a player who breaks a 70-yarder and makes everyone look up his name. There will probably be a program that lost a 1,500-yard rusher only to introduce another one.
Those are the players ATS is looking for. Who’s Next?
Last season’s numbers set an incredible standard.
Thomas.
Winter.
Simmons.
Cascione.
White.
More than 9,000 yards between them. Now the carries belong to somebody else.
Section XI — show us who’s next.
ATS will be watching.