Football games to watch in Week 4 on Long Island

This is arguably the best week of the regular season in high school football. The matchups of top-seeded teams are appealing, and some could be previews of county championships.

The feature game in Nassau sends Massapequa, the defending Conference I champion, to top-seeded Oceanside for a showdown of undefeated teams on Saturday at 3 p.m.

"It’s Week 4, not the county championship and we need to continue to improve every week, so we peak when it matters most," Massapequa coach Kevin Shippos said. "Of course, it’s an important game for playoff seeding. Our conference is much improved all around and this is a real good test to see where we are at the midway point of the season."

The Massapequa defense will have to contend with reigning Thorp Award winner Charlie McKee. The senior quarterback has been unstoppable through three games with nine passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns.

The rivalry has grown over the past decade with 10 of the last 13 meetings decided by fewer than 10 points, including last spring’s Conference I final, which Massapequa won, 36-29.

In Suffolk, the game of the week pits third-seeded Whitman against top-seeded Floyd in Mastic Beach at 2:30 p.m. Both teams are 3-0. Floyd beat Whitman, 28-21, in a wild overtime game for the 2021 spring Division I title.

Floyd has won 30 consecutive games against Division I opponents, including the last four meetings with the Wildcats.

"Whitman is an exceptional football team with a ton of skill-position players," Floyd coach Paul Longo said. "We have to pressure the quarterback and force mistakes to win this game."

All-Long Island defensive end Brian Benson has an extremely solid supporting cast and will look to push Whitman quarterback Nick Bottoni out of the pocket.

"We have to make him uncomfortable," Longo said. "He’s a real good one."

Bottoni has thrown for eight touchdowns and run for another. His main targets are Brandon Ivy and Tyriek Mays-McKoy. Whitman last defeated Floyd in 2000.

Other games to watch

SUFFOLK II

Half Hollow Hills East at West Islip, Friday, 6 p.m.: The Hills East defense recorded six sacks, including three by Elias Barrett, in a win over Connetquot last week, and halfback Dakim Griffin rushed for 201 yards. West Islip has set the bar in the division for more than two decades. Both teams are 2-1 after Hills East lost a 13-point second-half lead at Lindenhurst. Hills East is looking for a win over a perennial playoff contender to validate its rise into the upper echelon of the division. West Islip leads the all-time series, 21-4.

SUFFOLK IV

Mt. Sinai at Shoreham-Wading River, Friday, 7 p.m.: Both teams are 3-0, but Mt. Sinai is without injured quarterback Joey Spallina. Shoreham halfback Max Barone is among the county leaders with nine touchdowns. The Wildcats have defeated Mt. Sinai in the last three Division IV finals.

NASSAU II

MacArthur at Mepham, Saturday, 2 p.m.: MacArthur will try and control the ball behind halfback James Napoli. That methodical offense could keep Mepham quarterback Nick Honerkamp off the field. Honerkamp totaled seven TDs last week and is one of Long Island’s top quarterbacks.

NASSAU I

Hempstead at Freeport, Saturday, 3 p.m.: This is the 66th meeting in a rivalry that started in 1920. Freeport has won the last six meetings. Hempstead last defeated Freeport in 2008. Both teams are much improved this season.

NASSAU III

Wantagh at Division, Saturday, 2 p.m.: Both teams are 3-0 but seventh-seeded Division has emerged as a conference title contender behind quarterback Christian Stancarone and halfback Jack Pendergrass. Wantagh back Tyler Martini has been the big playmaker. Division hasn’t beaten Wantagh since 2005.

NASSAU IV

Seaford at North Shore, Saturday, 3 p.m.: The top two preseason seeds meet, but North Shore is looking to rebound from a stunning 14-13 loss to Cold Spring Harbor. Seaford has rolled to a 3-0 start.

With Andy Slawson

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.