Rocco Carpinello helps West Islip pull away from West Babylon in battle of unbeatens
West Islip's Rocco Carpinello (4) gets by West Babylon's Joe Dispigno (18) in the fourth quarter during the Suffolk High School Division II football game between West Babylon and West Islip on Saturday Oct 7, 2023. Credit: Bob Sorensen
The points came at a dizzying pace at the end of the first half.
And those points all belonged to West Islip and came as fast and as hard as the torrential bands of rain that hovered over the West Babylon football field.
West Islip halfback Rocco Carpinello scored on a 3-yard run with 3:34 left in the half and set off a string of three consecutive touchdowns. The flurry of points enabled West Islip to break open a one-point game and submerge West Babylon, 34-6, in a Suffolk Division II football game played in brutal conditions Saturday afternoon.
Carpinello added a 32-yard scoring run where he tiptoed down the sideline with 1:49 left and quarterback Bobby Richardson hit sophomore wide receiver Jovan Brewster with a 15-yard scoring strike in blinding sheets of rain with 16 seconds left to make it 27-6 at halftime.
“It was a brutal day, but we came ready to play,” said West Islip linebacker Chris Piropato, who had 11 tackles, including two sacks. “We were two undefeated teams looking to seize that first seed for the playoffs and I’m proud of my teammates. We made a big statement today on the road.”
The win moved West Islip to 5-0 and dropped West Babylon (4-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten.
“It takes a lot of resolve and mental toughness to play through this kind of weather,” said West Islip coach Steve Mileti. “Both teams are playing in it and it basically comes down to who handles the heavy rain and wind better. The weather didn’t bother us.”
Carpinello and the West Islip defense had little difficulty with the elements.
“I follow the line and look for space,” Carpinello said. “The weather doesn’t bother me and we’re a run-heavy team. We like to run the ball.”
Carpinello opened the scoring with a 45-yard run with 9:03 left in the half. He took an inside handoff and cut outside the defense and down the visitors sideline for the score. Shaun Boyle added the kick to make it 7-0.
“He can fly and in open space he’s a threat,” Mileti said. “He’s so hard to tackle one on one.”
Carpinello finished with 219 yards on 21 carries and four touchdowns. Over and over, Carpinello dipped his shoulder inside the defender and then bounced outside for big gains. His runs continually flipped the field position for the Lions.
“He does amazing things,” Piropato said. “And our offensive line played great today.”
West Babylon quarterback Elijah Outlaw got the Eagles within one when he scrambled away from pressure and found Luke Barrera behind the secondary for a 78-yard touchdown with 7:24 left in the half. The extra-point kick was blocked.
It was as close as the Eagles would get as they managed 41 yards of offense and turned the ball over four times the rest of the way. The big-play Eagles, who averaged 38 points per game through a 4-0 start, failed to reach the red zone in the second half.
“There’s little doubt that we struggled in the elements,” said West Babylon coach Kevin Delaney. “It was not good for our style of play and we didn’t adapt. West Islip is very good, and the halfback is a special player.”
Carpinello’s 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the final score before the teams cleared the benches.
“Our defense kept the quarterback in the pocket and didn’t allow the big plays,” Piropato said. “We stuffed the running game and played solid team defense. And Rocco is just so good and took care of the rest. We’re not satisfied we still have some big games coming up.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
