Hills East makes a point with a hand in Suffolk II victory over East Islip
Dante Milano returns one-handed interception — the first pick of his career — to set up a Hills East touchdown. He also had three sacks on Friday, Oct.17, 2025. Credit: David Meisenholder
Half Hollow Hills East defensive end Dante Milano reached up with his left hand to intercept a screen pass intended for Jake Simmons.
The RedHawks defensive end made the one-handed theft at the East Islip 15 and returned it to the 10. Two plays later, Hills East quarterback Nick Sevilla fired a 10-yard second quarter touchdown pass to RJ Peters to give the RedHawks a two-score lead in what would be a 28-7 win over previously undefeated East Islip in a pivotal Suffolk Division II football game Friday on Homecoming Day in Dix Hills.
“I read the play and made the pick,” said Milano, who also had eight tackles and three sacks. “It was my first pick of my career. And this was the best game of my life.”
Milano led a stingy RedHawks defense that shut down one of Long Island’s top offensive units. East Islip (5-1) had been averaging 35 points per game.
But this one was personal for Milano. The senior missed last year’s Long Island Class II championship — with a broken left hand. Surgery made it impossible for him to play in the title game against Carey.
“This is truly special,” Milano said. “Coach (Alex) Marcelin put in such a great defensive game plan. We followed our assignments.”
Hills East (4-2), which started the season 0-2, has won four in a row and made a huge statement in this game.
“We’re healthy now,” Marcelin said. “We limped into this season with five starters out of the lineup. We dropped our first two games, and everyone left us for dead. Well, we’re just getting started. We’re not last year’s Suffolk championship team — we have our own identity.”
The RedHawks opened the scoring on the first possession. Sevilla dumped a screen pass to halfback Daniel White, who shook the first tackler, and ran 16 yards for the TD. Noah Reinstein added the kick to make it 7-0 with 3:04 left in the first quarter.
The RedHawks drove deep into East Islip on two more occasions in the first half only to be denied both times. Defensive back PJ Gannon intercepted a Sevilla pass at the East Islip 9 and the RedHawks turned the ball over on downs the next possession at the East Islip 21.
That’s where Milano, and his left hand, made a game changing impact.
East Islip quarterback AJ Ierardi, who completed 9 of 22 passes for 93 yards, dropped to pass and drew the pressure deep into the backfield — except for Milano, who read the play and jumped the pass.
The defensive gem set up the 14-0 lead with 51 seconds left in the half.
East Islip didn’t go quietly. They put together an impressive 62-yard scoring drive in six plays aided by a critical unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that moved the football to the RedHawks 23. Two plays later, Ierardi lofted a 14-yard TD pass to Eddie Simonetti with seven seconds left in the half to make it 14-7.
Hills East responded in a big way. The RedHawks opened the third quarter with a nine-play, 57-yard TD drive capped by a White 2-yard run. The march ate up 4:58 of the clock. The offensive line of guards Alex McDowell and Sebastian Damis, tackles Trevon Cole-Jenkins and Keith McDowell and center Alejandro Gonzalez controlled the line of scrimmage.
“Our line was amazing,” said sophomore halfback Jayden Bryan, who had 83 yards on 13 carries. “We have a three-headed monster in the backfield with me, Daniel and Tony Keahey. We split the carries evenly and once the line gets us through the first line of defense and to the second level — it’s over.”
White had 94 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for 56 yards.
Hills East also had four TDs nullified by holding penalties. Nevertheless, the team rushed for 202 yards, including a Keahey 6-yard scoring run with 5:19 to close the scoring.
The defense held Simmons, Suffolk’s second leading rusher, with 839 yards and 10 TDs, to 37 yards on 14 carries.
“Our defense has it figured out,” Marcelin said. “They’re only going to get better.”
How about a hand for that RedHawks defense — a left hand!
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
