Jake Simmons, East Islip clinch top seed in Suffolk II football win at Northport
Jake Simmons of East Islip on his way to a third-quarter touchdown in a Suffolk Division II matchup on Saturday. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Tired, Jake Simmons?
“Yeah, a little bit,” the East Islip senior said with a smile. “A little bit.”
But it was well worth it.
Simmons had just rushed 35 times for 242 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-21 victory at Northport on Saturday that clinched the top seed in Suffolk Division II.
Both teams are 7-1 and will host playoff games next weekend, but the victory secured for EI the top seed and a game against Connetquot. Northport fell to the No. 4 seed and hosts Bellport.
Simmons was the face of a dominant second half by East Islip after the score was tied at 7 at halftime.
“Halftime was very important,” Simmons said. “I was eating some protein bars, drinking a lot of water.”
There was more to it than that, of course. EI made strategic adjustments, too, the result of which was scores on its first four possessions – the three Simmons touchdowns and a 22-yard field goal by Chris Coreas.
Coach Sal J. Ciampi said East Islip took out tight ends and spread the field to create more running seams for Simmons.
“It was just letting Jake get downhill, because when he does and gets his shoulder square, we’re going to move the ball,” Ciampi said.
Ciampi called Simmons “old school, tough as they come. He could have played in the ’60s, ‘70s, ‘80s. He’s that kind of kid.”
Said offensive lineman Dylan Bayer, “That kid is in the gym every single day, all day, just lifting weights . . . He’s legit.”
Simmons and Bayer also are among the kids who inspired Ciampi to return for a 25th season after he considered stepping down when the class that included his son Alex graduated.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to come back this year,” Ciampi said. “I was back and forth a little bit . . . But there were just a bunch of kids on this team I am very fond of personally and I wanted to be here for them.
“They’re wonderful, wonderful kids. We are by no means as talented as we’ve been in the last decade, but the kids found a way and I’m very, very proud of them.”
Northport scored first on a 68-yard touchdown pass into a stiff wind from Simon Blissett to Carson Ciaio with 2:05 left in the first quarter. (Blissett finished 11-for-21 for 281 yards and two touchdowns passing and rushed 12 times for 61 yards and another TD.)
EI tied it 3:14 before halftime on a shovel pass from Aidan Ierardi to Niko Meyers for a 28-yard scoring play.
The second half began with EI driving 54 yards for a 21-yard run by Simmons. Then a Northport fumble set up a 12-yard TD run by Simmons with 5:58 left in the third.
The Tigers got back within 21-14 on Blissett’s 27-yard TD pass to Luke Loiacono, but Northport again was unable to stop EI. Simmons ran it in from 11 yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Blissett’s 3-yard TD run with 10:36 left made it 28-21, but Coreas’ field goal with 5:24 left restored a 10-point lead. Northport had one last chance after recovering a fumble but could not convert.
“We’ve always been able to move the ball, run the ball, with East Islip football,” Bayer said. “That’s our game plan every week.
“We’ve got guys like Jake and Niko Meyers running the football, so all you have to do is just get them through the line of scrimmage and they’re going to make guys miss and ultimately get you the win.”
The Tigers missed a chance to become the first Northport team ever to start 8-0.
“Their front is really solid,” coach Pat Campbell said. “I feel like we kept giving them short fields. That makes it a challenge, and they’re really good.”
They are better than even their coach thought they would be. But here they are.
“I’m beyond grateful for Coach Ciampi that he stayed here,” Simmons said. “Me and my guys, all of my friends, we’ve been doing this our entire lives and there’s nothing more that we want than to be the best team our senior year and bring home everything.
“It’s so important to us, so important to me. It’s our one goal this year. It’s all we want as a family.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
