Syosset boys basketball's Sammy Etra leads comeback, helps hand Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK its first loss
Jake Cuocco of Syosset drives to the basket against Landon Lippman of Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK during a Nassau League I boys basketball game in Syosset on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
There was a little extra juice flowing for Syosset, home court, loud crowd and a rival with a pristine record as the opponent — Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK.
“Knowing they’re undefeated and our past with them, our rivalry with them in every sport, everyone’s excited,” Syosset senior forward Sammy Etra said. “Everyone’s getting amped up. But it’s more about staying composed.”
Especially when the away team, which had won nine times in nine tries, was leading by 10 with three minutes left until halftime. Syosset, which arrived with five wins in its first nine games, stayed unfazed and completely spun this Nassau I basketball matchup from there, scoring 39 of the next 49 points to go up by 19 in the fourth.
Sophomore forward Jake Cuoco had 21 points, six rebounds and two blocks and Etra contributed 17 points and seven rebounds, and Syosset walked off Tuesday with a 72-55 win.
“Beating a good team like Plainview means we could really beat anyone,” Cuoco said. “They’re one of the top-ranked teams on the Island.”
Like Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, Syosset is in search of the program’s first county title.
“We’ve lost four games where we really feel like we could be 9-0 as well,” Syosset coach Greg Cardona said. “One of our guys kind of struggled in each game, and we just needed three guys to play well to beat good teams . . . I thought we had a bunch of guys that played their role today.”
The Hawks (9-1, 3-1) were hot, leading 28-18. Then Etra heated up — short jumper, three-pointer, midrange jumper — and a 12-1 closing run was in motion, giving Syosset a 30-29 edge.
“I’ve been coaching 13 years, been around the program a long time,” Cardona said. “I’ve never seen a kid jump in improvement in one year like Sammy has.”
Syosset (6-4, 2-2) kept rolling. Cuoco’s short bank shot provided a 49-34 lead late in the third. His layup capped the 39-10 eruption and provided a 57-38 advantage 2:28 into the fourth.
“He has so much potential where we know he could do what he did today,” Cardona said.
Landon Lippman paced the Hawks with 17 points.
“It’s not the worst thing in the world,” coach Mike Harris said about finally losing. “We’ve been flying high. We’re talented, and we’ve been fortunate . . . So this now gives us a chance to look at ourselves a little bit and see what we’ve been doing wrong.”
