Five more high school football programs on COVID-19 quarantine
A white football helmet is placed on Oceanside's field after practice on March 9, 2021. Credit: James Escher/James Escher
Keeping high school football teams in the game has been quite the challenge through the first three weeks of this altered spring season.
Five more schools will sit in quarantine this week while the rest of Long Island follows the regular schedule. The schedules continue to change with positive tests and contact tracing due to the COVID-19 protocols.
Harborfields, Hampton Bays, Lindenhurst, West Islip and Eastport-South Manor will all miss the third week of play, leaving opponents with a void in the schedule.
"We are in rapid change and it's on a daily basis as schools continue to follow the Suffolk Department of Health’s guidelines," said Tom Combs, the executive director of Section XI which governs all Suffolk schools. "Our schedules are day to day. And we’re doing the best we can through the portal to set up games between teams that are eligible to play. We want them on the field playing."
With the Harborfields team sidelined and Sayville looking for an opponent, Long Island may have a bright spot in the middle of this football season. Floyd is on the bye in Suffolk League I and also looking for an opponent.
Top-ranked Sayville and No. 3 Floyd have only played three times in history. Sayville has won all three meetings, the last coming in 1981, almost 40 years ago.
Well, it’s happening, Long Island is in for a football treat.
Sayville from Suffolk League VI will play at Floyd Saturday at 2 p.m. in a classic of two of Long Island’s football giants.
"It’s an incredible matchup," said Floyd coach Paul Longo. "I’m excited about it and I’m sure Sayville is too. There’s always that debate over which school is the best. This is a game that we would never see in any other year."
Sayville earned the Suffolk Division III title in 2019, the same year Floyd captured the Division I crown.
The speed and finesse of the Sayville offense behind quarterback Jack Cheshire against the physicality and strength of Floyd’s front lines.
Newfield and Sachem North have tentatively scheduled a game for Saturday at 2 p.m. and are working on the final details.
The Nassau football schedule is unscathed through the early part of the week.
"There are no changes in this week’s Nassau football schedule," said Pat Pizzarelli of Section VIII, which governs all Nassau schools. "No changes, but it’s only midweek. So, no changes yet!"
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
