Top 25 moments in Long Island Championship history
The Long Island football championships have brought so many outstanding individual performances since their inception in 1992.
So many players have etched their names in LIC lore. There have been fantastic finishes, including game-winning kicks, defensive returns for touchdowns, goal-line stands, big throws, better catches and dazzling runs all leading to victory.
Freeport, Floyd, Garden City, Half Hollow Hills West, East Islip, Wantagh, Seaford and Shoreham-Wading River all seek glory this weekend in the 25th edition of the Long Island football championships.
But first, here’s a look back at the top 25 moments so far in LIC history.
25. Nov. 23, 2007: Longest run in LIC history
Halfback Tim Moller set the LIC record for longest rush with a 97-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter as East Islip beat Lawrence in the Class II LIC, 35-7.
24. Nov. 25, 2005: Chris Schuville’s 62-yard TD catch
Cold Spring Harbor’s Brett Vecchio passed for 246 yards and five touchdowns, all of them to Chris Schuville, who totaled a record 229 receiving yards as the Seahawks beat Babylon, 41-0, in LI Class IV. Schuville’s first TD, a 62-yarder, gave the Seahawks a 14-0 first quarter lead.
23. Dec. 3, 1993: Tim Glisker’s pick-six
Tim Glisker’s 55-yard interception return with 1:53 left in the first half gave Garden City a 14-0 lead on its way to a 14-9 win over West Islip in LI Class II. West Islip kicker Scott Coppo kicked three field.
22. Nov. 29, 2015: 76 yards by Khalil Owens kicks off 47-point run
Longwood trailed Farmingdale, 14-0, and Khalil Owens went 76 yards for a second-quarter touchdown to begin a run of 47 straight points for the Lions in a 47-28 win in the LI Class I final. Owens finished with 278 yards rushing.
21. Nov. 29, 2015: Elijah Riley’s respectful kneel-down
Newfield’s Elijah Riley recovered an onside kick and ran it 45 yards to the MacArthur 6-yard line with 53 seconds left, then took a knee before scoring. It sealed Newfield’s 41-33 win for the LI Class II title. “I knew the game was over when I recovered the onside kick,” said Riley, who had three touchdowns. “MacArthur had no timeouts left and it was the right thing to do against a great opponent.”
20. Dec. 3, 1994: Chris Maisch’s 60-yard TD catch
In the lowest scoring game in LIC history, Harborfields topped Manhasset, 6-0, on Chris Maisch’s 60-yard TD pass to Jim Pribyl in LI Class IV.
19. Nov. 26, 2010: Six TDs for Freeport QB Isaiah Barnes
Freeport scored 62 points and gained 533 yards in a wild 62-35 shootout with Floyd in LI Class I. Isaiah Barnes scored a then-record six touchdowns for Freeport, capped by a 48-yarder with 1:47 left in the third quarter. Floyd’s Stacey Bedell scored four times for Floyd, including a 91-yard kickoff return.
18. Nov. 29, 1996: QB draw for score by Kevin Cassese
A QB draw by Kevin Cassese on the second play from scrimmage went for 49 yards and a touchdown to set the tone as Comsewogue upset previously undefeated Bethpage, 15-13, in LI Class III.
17. Nov. 30, 2013: Sachem North blocks punt in 4th quarter
Malik Pierre and Jasheem Banks blocked a fourth-quarter punt to set up a 15-yard touchdown run by Trent Crossan as Sachem North came back from 20 points against Farmingdale, 27-21 in LI Class I. The blocked punt keyed the win.
16. Nov. 27, 1999: Eugene Nottingham’s double
Halfback Eugene Nottingham scored twice in the final 5:48 to lead Amityville to an 18-16 comeback win over Garden City in LI Class III.
15. Nov. 24, 2000: Chris DeSimone’s TD run
Chris DeSimone of Bethpage scored the winning touchdown on a 47-yard run with 9:31 left in a 29-28 win over Amityville in LI Class IV. DeSimone had 124 yards rushing.
14. Nov. 29, 2013: Jake Carlock’s one-handed winning catch
With 17 seconds left in the third quarter, Jack Carlock caught the decisive touchdown pass as Babylon beat Roosevelt, 27-26, in a Class IV LIC thriller. He also had a game clinching interception with 1:36 left at the Panthers 49. Carlock caught a record 10 passes. QB Nick Santorelli of Babylon completed 26 of 41 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns.
13. Nov. 26, 2011: Stacey Bedell’s hop, skip and jump TD
Stacey Bedell rushed for a record 412 yards on 29 carries and scored four touchdowns as Floyd outlasted East Meadow, 54-47, in LI Class I. His 51-yard TD gave the Colonials a 14-7 lead and announcer Carl Reuter called the dazzling run, “with a hop, skip and a jump,” as Bedell hurdled his way through the East Meadow secondary. Bedell also had two 80-yard touchdown runs and a 59-yarder.
12. Nov. 30, 2013: Joe Capobianco’s 100th TD pass
Joe Capobianco passed for 353 yards and three touchdowns to bring his career total to 100 as Lawrence repeat as Class III LI champion with a 41-32 win over Huntington. Elijah Jones had 189 yards receiving.
11. Nov. 25, 2005: Ed Gowins’ 74-yard TD run
Ed Gowins’ 74-yard TD run was the only score as Bellport beat Garden City, 8-0, in the LI Class II championship. The big TD run came with 7:47 left in the first half.
10. Dec. 3, 1994: TD pass in double OT for West Islip
West Islip edged Garden City, 7-0, on a Mike Kinney 5-yard TD pass to Scott Coppo in the firstdouble OT game in LI Class II.
9. Nov. 27, 2004: Jason Gwaltney’s TD catch and one-handed INT
Long Island’s all-time scoring leader, Jason Gwaltney, closed a brilliant career with a five-touchdown, 237-yard effort as North Babylon beat Garden City, 43-14, for its sixth LIC crown in seven tries in Class II. His fantastic TD catch made it 13-0 in the first quarter and NB opened a 29-0 first half lead.
8. Nov. 26, 2011: The last of Zach Sirico’s six TDs
In the highest scoring game in state history, Sayville topped Lawrence, 78-61. Records fell as Lawrence QB Joe Capobianco threw for 541 yards and seven touchdowns in LI Class III. Zach Sirico scored six TDs for the Golden Flashes, including a 55-yard run for a 71-49 lead in what would be likened to a video game. Sayville’s Steve Ferreira finished with Long Island career records of 73 touchdown passes and 6,407 yards.
7. Nov. 27, 2009: Ryan Norton’s winning FG
Sophomore Ryan Norton hit a 38-yard field goal on his first varsity placekick with 6:50 remaining to give Garden City a 9-6 win over North Babylon in a battle of unbeatens in LI Class II.
6. Nov. 26, 1999: Dwaine Reed’s 77-yard TD run
Dwaine Reed’s 77-yard TD run in the final minute clinched Brentwood’s 13-6 win over Farmingdale in LI Class I.
5. Nov. 30, 1996: Division FB boots Bellport
Division’s Pat Hegarty kicked a 30-yard field goal in the final seconds to shock Bellport, 31-28, in LI Class II. A halfback option pass from Eric Wedin to Tom Bruckbauer for a 14-yard TD with 47 seconds left had tied the score at 28 for Division. An interception by Wedin on the next possession set up Hegarty for the winning kick.
4. Nov. 30, 2012: Ed Robinson INT return for TD
Ed Robinson returned an interception for a touchdown with 5:25 left in the game to enable Lawrence to edge Sayville, 21-20, in a battle of unbeaten teams for the LI Class III title. Lawrence finished the season with a Long Island record 581 points.
3. Nov. 25, 2000: Eddie Gordon sacks Mike Prahalis in OT for the win
Freeport’s Eddie Gordon crashed through the line and sacked Commack QB Mike Prahalis on a two-point conversion in overtime, giving Freeport the 20-19 win and the Class I LI title. Prahalis completed 16 of 35 passes for 201 yards.
2. Dec. 2, 1994: Bill Martin’s game-winning FG
After Connetquot took a 21-20 lead with 58 seconds left, Massapequa QB Jim Chase drove the Chiefs into scoring position and Bill Martin kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired for a 23-21 win in LI Class I. Chase passed for 259 yards.
1. Nov. 28, 2014: Melik Mavruk fumble return for TD
Defensive tackle Melik Mavruk returned a fumble recovery 82 yards for a touchdown with 1:06 left as Lawrence beats Sayville, 40-35, to win a third straight LI Class III title.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
