Jake Triptree to Anthony Morrione a winning combo for Sayville vs. East Ilsip
Jake Tripptree of Sayville readies a pass during a Suffolk Division III football game on Saturday, October 15, 2022 in Sayville. Credit: Dawn McCormick
The position of quarterback at Sayville has become more than just a designation. Stars like Jack Coan, Jack Cheshire, Steven Ferrara and Dillon Boos turned it into a higher calling. And now Jake Triptree is answering that call.
The 6-2 junior kept the Golden Flashes rolling on Saturday by going 16-for-26 passing for 268 yards and four touchdowns as Sayville handled East Islip for a 36-15 Suffolk Division III victory before a full house at the Golden Flashes’ Joe Buderman Field.
His quick release and accurate delivery were front-and-center as he hooked up with senior wideout Anthony Morrione for scores of 10, 28 and 11 yards and with senior receiver Michael Milo on a 65-yard touchdown strike. Triptree also unveiled some serious foot speed as he left a pair of East Islip tacklers splayed on a 21-yard touchdown run.
Asked about following in this long line of standout signal-callers, Triptree had a quiet confidence as he replied “I thought I was ready.”
Triptree’s performance stands as his best of the season so far – an interception might have been his only bad moment – and the timing of it is exquisite for Sayville (6-0) because the Suffolk III season has reached its critical weeks.
Half Hollow Hills West won the battle of unbeatens on Friday night against Westhampton keeping them on pace with the Golden Flashes and knocking the Hurricanes to a game back along with Harborfields. Sayville plays Westhampton and the Colts the next two weeks.
“We’re at the point where it doesn’t matter who we’re playing as long as we are prepared and ready,” Morrione said. “We’re excited to be facing some better competition.”
“Every one of us knows each other so well,” Sayville coach Reade Sands said. “I have no idea how this division is going to pan out.”
This victory over a substantial East Islip (3-3) not only provides the Golden Flashes with momentum for the critical upcoming games, it allows all of them to check off a box from this season’s list. EI is the team that beat them in the 2021 championship game and a number of them were still smarting from that.
“This was seriously personal because of that,” senior linebacker Benny Sands said.
Triptree-to-Morrione had given Sayville an early lead but its next possession ended with sophomore Jack Kalinkowski making the pickoff. Andrew Cooper went 34 yards for a touchdown on the next play and his run in of the conversion made it 8-7. Sayville got the lead back for good in the next Triptree-to-Morrione score – which included the receiver putting a would-be tackler on the groundon his butt with a juke – and never trailed after that.
Milo found himself alone behind the EI defense for the 65-yard score, but sophomore quarterback Thomas Costarelli threw a 10-yard TD pass to senior Drew Kilmurray to get within 21-15 at halftime.
Sayville was up 36-15 when EI had a last shot to get back in the game. On a fourth-and-4, Thomas Golio and Jeremy Brett sacked Costarelli.
“You’re anxious and a little bit nervous and then you see that and the game in your hands,” said sophomore Kyle Messina, who rushed for 145 and had two tackles-for-loss from the linebacker spot. “That’s the best feeling.”
Triptree has 16 touchdown passes and a pair of touchdown runs thus far, but Sands suggested we could see him run the ball more in the weeks ahead.
The quarterback wasn’t saying that, but did say “we’re going to be even better for the playoffs.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
