Hudson Philbrick, Joe Karpowicz thrive for Ward Melville football against Sachem North
Hudson Philbrick of Ward Melville runs with the ball during a Suffolk Division I football game against visiting Sachem North on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. Credit: Errol Anderson
It does not matter who lines up across from them: Hudson Philbrick and Joe Karpowicz are going to take the game over.
The two seniors connected on five passes for 99 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone to help lead host Ward Melville to a 33-14 win over Sachem North in East Setauket on Friday night. The Patriots (6-0) gained sole possession of first place in the Suffolk Division I.
Sachem North (5-1) entered with Suffolk I’s best scoring defense, allowing just 11.8 points per game, and tied atop the standings with Ward Melville. However, the quarterback-receiver connection between Philbrick and Karpowicz remained unstoppable.
For more on this Suffolk I matchup, check out Mike Anderson's game story.
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
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