Hard-hitting Newfield has come a long way
Newfield High School linebackers, from left, Tommy Diubaldo, Ron Denig, and Julian Santiago pose for a portrait before an indoor practice. (Nov. 23, 2011) Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin
The chummy senior linebackers remember when it was crummy to be a Wolverine.
Just say the words "sophomore year" to Newfield's Ron Denig, Julian Santiago and Tom Diubaldo and watch them cringe.
"I remember how bad we were," Diubaldo said.
"It was a rough year. A learning experience," Santiago said.
"We got our butts kicked," Denig said.
Out of the ashes of 2009, when Newfield went 3-5 and scored just 68 points, has arisen a new power in Suffolk, a program that last Friday won its first Suffolk championship and is known for its grittiness and physical play led by these Three Amigos, who have played together since they were kids in the Central Suffolk youth league.
Back then, they were limited to two quarters most games "because they had a mercy rule," Diubaldo recalled with a laugh, "and if you were up by so many points at halftime, the best four players had to come out. That was us. Every coach hated playing us because they knew how we hit."
They still hit and it's still an unpleasant experience for opposing teams. "Honestly, I feel the three of us represent the toughness of the program," Denig said. "We are the three guys who are always knocking heads. We hold pride in that -- being tough kids."
Tough and smart, according to Newfield coach Joe Piccininni, whose 8-3 team faces unbeaten Garden City Friday in the Long Island Class II championship game.
"They took a beating as sophomore. As juniors they understood the defense," Piccininni said. "Now, if one slips up, the other two are there to pick up the slack. It's a wonderful thing for a coach to have three kids like that. It'll be sad to see them leave."
But they have left their mark. It started in 2010 when the Wolverines defeated East Islip for the first time in 50 years, went 8-2 and won the school's first playoff game. Now, "We're actually here in the LIC," the bubbly Diubaldo said. "It's like, wow!"
Piccininni assesses the trio's wow factor this way: "Ron is the backbone of the team, the physical leader. Julian is the heads-up player, the one who knows exactly where he's supposed to be and when to be there. Tom is our middle linebacker and covers for everybody else."
In Newfield's 3-3-5 stack alignment, all three have multiple responsibilities. It's not uncommon, in the same game, to see all three blitz the quarterback, play the run or cover a receiver downfield. "We have no problem making adjustments," Santiago said.
They do it with the unspoken communication of teammates and friends who finish plays and each other's sentences. "Truthfully, there are not a lot of words spoken out there," Denig said. "We communicate with the way we play. We don't have to talk to each other. We know we're solid."
Diubaldo added, "If one of us makes a mistake, the other guys have his back."
They haven't made too many mistakes lately, coming into this game against perennial LIC participant Garden City on a five-game winning streak. They carry not only the flag of Newfield but the banner for Division II and all of Suffolk County. "We know our county is the toughest, physically, especially Division II," Denig said. "We love that style. We know we're the most physical team in our league, so for Nassau County to play against our physicality, that favors us."
"They don't call it the black-and-blue division for nothing," Santiago chimed in.
Getting banged up is all in a day's work for these guys, who know what's at stake tomorrow night. "It's our last high school football game and it's the biggest game of our lives," Diubaldo said.
Added Denig without hesitation, "I know for a fact that all three of us are willing to sacrifice our bodies for this game."
The three chums all smiled. It's good to be a Wolverine these days.
