Smithtown West boys basketball captures Long Island Class AA crown after big fourth-quarter burst
Smithtown West wins the Long Island Class AA boys basketball championship on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at Farmingdale State. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Smithtown West fans stormed the court at Farmingdale State, a swarm of St. Patrick’s-themed green enveloping the grey and navy blue Bulls uniforms.
When the court had cleared, all that was left were fake $100 bills and a cutout of senior Casey Burton’s face. It stared up at coach Michael Agostino and senior captains Michael Cascione and Tim Bannell as they walked up to hold what no Smithtown West player had held before: the Long Island championship plaque.
A vintage 30-point game by Cascione spurred the Bulls to a 65-50 win over South Side in the Long Island Class AA final Wednesday night . Smithtown West (23-1) will face Section I’s Rye at 7 p.m. Friday at Yorktown High School in the Southeast Regional Final.
Cascione scored 14 of Smithtown West’s 25 fourth-quarter points and kicked off a 17-10 run over the final 5:53 with a layup, followed by a steal and score. Cascione also turned 18 on Wednesday, making the moment all the more sweet.
“Not a better feeling in the world,” Cascione said. “Best day of my life.”
"A little birthday luck,” chimed in his brother, Jax.
That ability is something Agostino is all too familiar with at this point in the year. The Bulls carry a 22-game winning streak and haven’t lost since Dec. 6 against an eventual county champion, Baldwin.
“I said to my wife yesterday at dinner, ‘Tomorrow’s Mike’s birthday. I wouldn’t bet against him on his birthday,’” Agostino said. “He feels when we need him, and he’s able to perform and answer the call.”
Jax, a sophomore, scored five of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, leaving the Cascione clan responsible for all but six fourth-quarter points.
“Sharing this moment with him is like nothing else,” Jax said
That included a timely three-pointer off an assist from junior Luke Brown with 1:49 left to extend Smithtown West’s lead to nine.
“It makes everything so special, you know?” Jax said. “Since we were little kids outside, shooting in the little hoop, we’re just so competitive and we have such good chemistry together.”
“How about this kid’s three?” Michael interjected. “Up [six], boom! Up [nine].”
Bannell scored 11 points. Burton scored four points and was instrumental on the glass, finishing with 11 rebounds.
“I know he played all 32 minutes,” Agostino said. “Kids are bigger than him, stronger than him. It doesn’t matter; he just wiggles and finds his way in there.”
South Side seniors John Pericolosi and Ryan Schmitt had 19 and 14 points, respectively, combining for 28 rebounds, two steals and three blocks. Neither team led by more than three at the end of any quarter in a back-and-forth contest, until Smithtown West outscored South Side 25-12 in the fourth.
South Side (19-4) had to dig deeper into its bench due to foul trouble, with 10 Cyclones playing in the first half. The Cyclones still led, 26-23, at halftime and trailed by just two entering the fourth quarter.
“I don’t think we missed a beat,” South Side coach Jerry D’Angelo said. “They came into this season wanting to work, having a goal to win a county championship and go beyond. I think we made our goal. We’ll be a little disappointed, especially [with] the fourth quarter, but you can’t deny how hard we played for three quarters.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
