Long Island football county championship preview and picks

The task is a daunting one. Beat the Garden City football team.

No one has been able to do that in more than three years. The Trojans have won 40 games in a row, including three Long Island Class II championships. And there is no end in sight.

Top seed Garden City (10-0) will meet No. 2 Carey (9-1) for the Nassau Conference II title at Hofstra University on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Trojans have won a record seven consecutive conference titles and they’ve beaten Carey in 11 straight games, including a 30-6 victory in Week 5 of the regular season.

“We have not talked about their streak once,” said Carey coach Mike Stanley. “It doesn’t matter what happened 40 games ago or five games ago. What matters is how we play THIS game.”

Carey will have its hands full with a Trojans offense that doesn’t focus on any one player.

“We have a different player have a big game each week,” said Garden City coach Dave Ettinger. “It could be our halfbacks Aidan Considine or Michael Berkery or the quarterback Carson Kraus. Or it’s a defensive player. We’ve always been a defense first program. Defensive coordinator Steve [Finnell] does an incredible job with our coaches and players having them prepared. I believe the key to our success is in our preparation.”

Garden City is averaging 38 points per game, but it’s the defense that is the key to the Trojans’ success. They’ve allowed 27 points and have six shutouts in 10 games.

“We are preparing for this game to do what we do best,” Stanley said. “We certainly respect Garden City, but we don’t fear them.”

All Nassau championship games are at Hofstra University and all Suffolk games are at Stony Brook University.

NASSAU I

(1) Massapequa (10-0) vs. (5) Syosset (7-3), Friday, 4 p.m.: The conference will crown a new champion as Syosset avenged an earlier season defeat to Farmingdale by ousting the Dalers, the defending champion, with a last-second field goal in the semifinals. That also opens the door for Massapequa, which is making its third consecutive appearance in the title game. Massapequa won the title in 2021 and beat Syosset, 34-12, in the final game of the regular season. Can Syosset avenge another defeat this season? They’ll have to stop the halfback tandem of Tyler Villalta and Mike DeLuca, who have combined for over 2,100 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns. Syosset has been unbeatable in county championship games, winning all five appearances, the last one coming in 2014. Syosset quarterback Mustafa Mozawalla has been a dual threat.

NASSAU III

(2) South Side (9-1) vs. (4) Floral Park (7-3), Friday, 7:30 p.m.: It’s been a long time since South Side or Floral Park won a county title – too long. The Cyclones captured county crowns in 1979 and 2001. They took another step toward the school’s first title in 22 years with a 35-0 semifinal win over Plainedge, the two-time defending champion. Floral Park last reached the county final in 2005 and the Knights' only Nassau titles came in 1972 and 1976. It’s time for a new champion.

SUFFOLK III

(1) Sayville (10-0) vs. (2) East Islip (8-2), Friday, 4 p.m.: Sayville has won 22 consecutive games and is the defending Long Island Class III champion. The Golden Flashes have won a county-record 16 titles. East Islip, which is in its 25th Suffolk title game, has split four meetings with Sayville. Halfback Kyle Messina has rushed for 1,127 yards and 19 touchdowns for Sayville, which edged East Islip, 20-13, in Week 4. East Islip quarterback Thomas Costarelli has accounted for 1,664 total yards.

SUFFOLK I

(1) Floyd (9-1) vs. (2) Sachem North (8-2), Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Sachem North halfback Lucas Singleton led his club to two playoff wins with 400 yards rushing. Sachem North edged Floyd, 22-21, in Week 6 when Singleton ran in the two-point conversion with 1:32 left. Floyd is in the Suffolk final for the 19th time in 26 seasons and will need linebackers Wally Crane and Javon Delaney, and defensive end Aaron Fisher to stop the Singleton ground attack.

NASSAU IV

(1) Seaford (9-1) vs. (3) Cold Spring Harbor (9-1), Saturday, 4 p.m.: The Seahawks tagged Seaford with their only loss in Week 4, 13-7. Seaford’s Brian Falk and Aidan Calvacca have combined for over 2,100 rushing yards and 25 TDs and face a Seahawks defense looking for the school’s first crown since 2018.

SUFFOLK II

(1) North Babylon (9-1) vs. (2) West Islip (9-1), Saturday, 12 p.m.: Two of Long Island’s top running backs face off. North Babylon’s Jawara Keahey leads Long Island with 2,354 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns. West Islip’s Rocco Carpinello has 1,408 yards and 19 scores. The first game was a track meet won by West Islip, 35-34. Expect another thriller.

SUFFOLK IV

(1) Bayport-Blue Point (10-0) vs. (4) Shoreham-Wading River (8-2), Saturday, 3:30 p.m.: Bayport-Blue Point is the defending Long Island Class IV champion and owns a 21-game win streak. The Phantoms beat S-WR, 35-21, earlier this season. Halfback Dan Aiello has rushed for 1,376 yards and 20 TDs but sat out last week’s game with an undisclosed injury. S-WR quarterback Kieran Clifford led a furious comeback in a 36-35 semifinal win over Babylon. The Wildcats are 7-0 in Suffolk finals.

CHSFL CLASS AA

(2) St. John the Baptist (6-4) vs. (1) Moore Catholic (7-4), Saturday, 2:30 p.m.: The Cougars are playing in their 17th title game and are looking to capture their first title since they won the Class A crown in 2013. These teams did not meet in the regular season.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.