Smithtown West gets new test in Division III

Smithtown West’s Air Raid offense landed in Suffolk Division III this season, where it will fit right in among some of the top scoring offenses on Long Island.

Led by the senior duo of quarterback Brayden Stahl and receiver Jack Melore, the Bulls are looking to improve on last season when they went 5-4 and averaged 29.9 points per game in Division II. Stahl threw for 2,663 yards and 29 touchdowns, and Melore caught 69 passes for 1,230 yards and 12 scores.

“Those stats are great, but we can make them better if we’re playing 12 games and making it to the LIC,” Stahl said. “Especially in my senior season, I’d like to give myself the opportunity to play as much high school football as I can.”

The Bulls  allowed 43.3 points in their four losses last season. A lack of size up front was a problem then, but Martin Schook, a 6-foot, 250-pound lineman, figures to make the Bulls better equipped in the trenches this season.

“We’re a lot bigger and stronger this year,” head coach Craig Perrino said. “If we’re going to be successful defensively, we’re going to have to stop the run. Hopefully, the time these guys have spent in the weight room is going to help in that aspect.”

Throughout the summer, Smithtown West has kept its  focus on a Week 1 matchup at Comsewogue, but it’s hard not to think about what will happen when the Bulls’ high-powered offense meets with the likes of Sayville, Westhampton and Half Hollow Hills West later in the season.

“When the schedule first came out, those were the games that jumped out the most,” Stahl said. “It’ll be cool to go toe-to-toe with some of the best quarterbacks and best offenses on Long Island and give everyone a show.”