High school football preview for Week 8, plus game picks

Jack Miller lurked in the shadows a year ago. An unknown talent, with potential to be a workhorse in a North Babylon offense that historically pounds the rock down the field.

There were signs in his junior year that Miller could be special.

The adage, ‘where there’s smoke there’s fire’, that’s Miller, he’s hot.

“He got some experience as a junior,” North Babylon coach John Rowland said. “And when our starting halfback transferred to a private school, it opened the door for Jack. He’s been great.”

Miller leads Long Island in carries (182), rushing yardage (1,388) and touchdowns (18). He has 42 more carries than the next leading rusher.

It’ll be Miller’s time when he leads the Bulldogs (4-3) in the regular season finale at home against Newfield at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“He’s shouldered a bigger workload averaging 25 carries per game,” Rowland said. “He was always a bit underrated but no more.”

Newfield (3-4) has transitioned into more of a pro-style offense, balancing the strong arm of quarterback Connor Stebbins and the talent of halfback Cayden Williams, who had two rushing TDs when the Wolverines handed previously undefeated Commack its first loss of the season.

“We’re decimated with injuries this year,” Newfield coach Nick Adler said. “We’ve had at least four starters out for every game. I’m proud of the players that have stepped in and played well. We’ve developed a good ground game and switched gears offensively.”

Both teams are playoff bound. This is their first meeting since 2022 when Newfield came away with a 28-20 win. A win here guarantees a home game.

NASSAU I

Farmingdale (5-2) at Port Washington (6-1), Friday, 6 p.m.: The Dalers have beaten Port Washington in 19 consecutive games. The last time the Vikings beat the Dalers was in 1958. Dalers coach Buddy Krumenacker earned his 300th win two years ago with a 14-6 win over Port Washington. Farmingdale has history on its side, but the Vikings have a few game changers in QB Harry Eynon and wide receiver Levi Felix. The two seed is up for grabs.

SUFFOLK II

Lindenhurst at Commack, Friday, 6 p.m.: Coach Mark Frole has the Bulldogs on a roll, winning three in a row after a 0-4 start. QB Mikey Russo is heating up. He threw for 335 yards and five TDs in a 45-40 win over North Babylon last week. Commack suffered its first loss last week after a 6-0 start. Everything is on the line here. The Cougars need a win to guarantee a home playoff game. The Bulldogs need a win to qualify for the postseason.

SUFFOLK III

Islip (5-2) at West Islip (5-2), Friday, 6 p.m.: This game grabs your attention in that the two neighboring communities have never met in almost 100 years in football. Both teams have explosive offensive stars in Buccaneers QB Jack Halpin and West Islip halfback Jake Kramer. The Lions have played better defense.

CHSFL

Cardinal Hayes (5-3) at St. Anthony's (4-4), Friday, 7 p.m.: QB Anthony Diieso and halfback Xavier Bala have proven the Friars can score, averaging 38 points per game. The problem lies on the other side of the line, where the St. Anthony’s defense allows 44 points per game.

NASSAU II

Garden City (6-1) at Long Beach (5-2), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: Garden City has a 23-game win streak against Long Beach and leads the all-time series, 24-3. The last loss to the Marines came 46 years ago in 1980. The Trojans beat Long Beach, 27–12, in the Conference II final last year.

NASSAU III

South Side at Wantagh, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: South Side endured a reality check two weeks ago in a lopsided loss to Plainedge and then righted themselves against Sewanhaka last week. The Wantagh offense has imagination and can be unpredictable. It glides behind Thorp Award winner Luke Martini and doesn't turn the ball over. South Side coach Phil Onesto said, ‘everyone on our defense has to do their job and limit the big plays.’ How much will each team unveil in the offensive arsenal in the final game of the regular season with a potential rematch in the coming weeks?

NASSAU IV

Floral Park (6-1) at North Shore (6-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.: Both teams have had outstanding seasons. How much they’ll show each other offensively remains to be seen as this could be the quarterfinal matchup in next week’s conference playoffs. Expect both teams to play it close to the vest and get ready for the postseason.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.