Long Island high school football kicks off with midnight madness, new team names
Long Island high school football is back with some new team nicknames, an early morning practice and a host of returning stars.
Monday was the first day public high school teams could officially practice, and Smithtown East didn’t wait long. The school held the first “midnight madness,” starting practice at 12:01 a.m.
Receiver James Huxtable said it was a great way to set the tone for the season.
“When you come out here in the middle of the night when you know no one else is working, it builds that confidence in you that, hey, we’re doing something different than everyone else,” Huxtable said.
A total of 13 schools were affected by the state’s ban on the use of Native American nicknames and imagery, and three have new names in place — the Half Hollow Hills East Red Hawks, Brentwood Spartans and Sewanhaka Ravens. Comsewogue will change its name to the Spartans beginning next school year. Five districts (Amityville, Connetquot, Massapequa, Wantagh and Wyandanch) have filed legal challenges to the mandate, and four others (East Islip, Manhasset, Sachem and Syosset) are in the process of making the changes.
Long Island’s leading rusher, Jawara Keahey, and North Babylon were back on the practice field, hoping to repeat as Suffolk County champions.
“I’m going to put in the hard work and my team is going to put in the hard work to get there,” Keahey said.
Trio of new nicknames
Half Hollow Hills East running back Daniel White at the first practice of the season on Monday. Credit: James Escher
Half Hollow Hills East has a fresh outlook after dropping its Thunderbirds name.
“Thunderbirds is great, but the Red Hawks is something new and great as well,” fourth-year Hills East coach Alex Marcelin said. “For us, it’s just something new. It’s good. I think the community and everybody is rallying around the Red Hawks, and we’re looking forward to playing our first season as the Red Hawks.”
Wide receiver and cornerback Lucas Martin added: “We’re looking very forward to the new name. I think it’s going to create new opportunities for us, kind of open up that new chapter for Hills East football, which is very exciting.”
Hills East will wear red jerseys for the first time under Marcelin as well as white and black uniforms. Each uniform top, along with the black helmets, will feature a script “East” logo and no Thunderbird mentions.
Hills East still is in the process of removing the old team name from the end zones and replacing the logo on the 50-yard line.
Sewanhaka, formerly known as the Indians, is now the Ravens and has removed the old imagery and signage from its field and uniforms.
The Sewanhaka Ravens logo and nickname on display on the high school's football field before the 2024 season. Credit: Ed Roesler
The home uniforms read “Ravens” and the away jerseys read “Sewanhaka.” Sewanhaka’s white helmet has a Raven on it. The district moved quickly to replace the end zones with “RAVENS” and put the new logo on the 50.
“The kids are pretty fired up,” 15th-year Sewanhaka coach George Kasimatis said. “The first thing they did was walk out there and check everything out.”
Brentwood changed to the Spartans from the Indians. It will have new helmet decals but is still waiting for new jerseys; the old logo — featuring a B with feathers — is still on the back of the jerseys, though there is nothing that says “Indians.”
Brentwood’s grass field saves the need for any other major changes.
“Across the board, there’s still people that would like the Indians,” eighth-year Brentwood coach Rich DeJesus said. “But as far as athletes, they’re pleased with it. They’re excited about it.”
Returning star power
North Babylon’s running back Jawara Keahey goes through drills during practice on Monday, Aug.19, 2024 in North Babylon. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
North Babylon is looking for its first Long Island championship in 20 years after falling short last season.
Keahey makes those goals a lot more realistic.
“He has always had a natural feel for the game,” North Babylon coach John Rowland said. “We’ve had great running backs here at North Babylon. He has probably the greatest vision — and the agility to take advantage of the field vision — of the best backs we’ve ever had.”
Keahey rushed for a Long Island-leading 2,609 yards and 37 touchdowns last fall. He averaged 9 yards per carry and had nine 200-yard games.
Now he will deal with the expectations of being the Island’s best.
“It’s not a bad thing,” Keahey said. “I’m ready for the season.”
Seven players from Newsday’s 2023 All-Long Island first team are back this season, including Garden City running back and Thorp Award winner Michael Berkery and Hills West quarterback and Boomer Award recipient Joseph Filardi. Seven more, including Keahey, were on the second team.
Midnight Madness
Smithtown East braved the early-morning storm on Monday and went to work indoors at The Sports Arena in St. James, starting practice at 12:01 a.m.
“The kids embraced it,” coach Dan Bennardo said. “We were blessed last year to have a great group of kids that started the ball rolling and this group to carry it on, so this is their moment. This is their time to start.”
“I think it’s the best thing that has ever happened to the program,” Huxtable said.
Smithtown East, with lights coming to its turf next year, hopes to move 2025’s midnight practice outdoors.
With Gary Licker
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
