Shoreham-Wading River football's Noah Gregorek is Newsday's Athlete of the Week

It's no secret that Paul Longo continued his coaching career at Shoreham-Wading River after his departure from Floyd. Junior quarterback Noah Gregorek wanted to make a strong first impression.

After last Friday, he certainly did.

"He was like a magician out there," Longo said. "The way he could drop the ball like a dime right into wherever he needed to throw it was unbelievable."

Said Gregorek, "It was awesome finding out he was coming over to coach. All the respect all the kids have for him coming here and putting a whole team together and a JV team really shows how much he means to the community and everyone."

Gregorek completed 13 of his 21 passes for 348 yards and six touchdowns and no interceptions and rushed for 64 yards and a score on 10 carries to lead the Wildcats to a 52-45 win over Babylon at Rocky Point Friday evening in a Suffolk IV football matchup. For his efforts, Gregorek is Newsday's Athlete of the Week.

"There must've been something in the air that night because everything seemed to be working," Gregorek said. "We were throwing the ball over the top every play, and it worked every time."

Longo couldn't take all the credit. He praised SWR's quarterback coach, Gary Marangi, who also played for the Buffalo Bills, for giving Gregorek the confidence and wisdom to perform at a high level.

"Noah is a very good quarterback, but Gary is bringing him to another level," Longo said. "When I had other quarterbacks, Gary always got the most out of them."

"(Marangi) has been helping me a lot," Gregorek said. "He didn't like my throwing motion at first, so he's been training me over the months, and it's definitely showing."

Last season, Gregorek threw for 1,487 yards and 19 TDs, and he wants to continue raising the standard and producing at a high level.

"It started from the offseason," Gregorek said. "There's always going to be another level you can bring to the game, and that's what I've been wanting to do."

Even though it was Week 1, Gregorek knows he has a long season ahead of him, but he believes if the Wildcats play the way they played last Friday, they will be one of the better teams in Suffolk IV.

"This win definitely brought some juice to this team," Gregorek said. "We're definitely going to carry that energy over to the next game and for the rest of the games for the season."

In addition to his performance on the field, Gregorek plays lacrosse, which helps him prepare for the football season.

"The footwork and change of direction definitely correlate a lot," Gregorek said. "I think it's important to play two sports. It's always helpful, and you can see the difference."

By Jonathan Ruban

jonathan.ruban@newsday.com

Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.