Salute to the champions: Fall 2025 season

Massapequa boys volleyball

After falling short in pool play in 2024, the Massapequa boys volleyball team set a goal: to play in the 2025 state championship match. They achieved that goal and took it one step further, winning the program's first state title. 

Massapequa claimed the Division I state title in a five-set thriller against reigning champion Penfield (Section V) on Nov. 23 in Rochester. Senior Logan Coady had 20 kills, including one on match point in the 22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 15-13 win. "I set a goal for my team last year. It was to play volleyball at 3 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2025," Massapequa coach Elissa DiSalvo said. "We reached that goal and beyond."

Massapequa went undefeated at 21-0, including a win over Connetquot in an all-Long Island state semifinal match. Then it found a way to win the fifth set of the state final.

"It's very, very surreal," said senior Jack Stanley, who had 10 kills in the final. "To bring Massapequa its first state title is very special and I'm so glad I got to help lead this team."

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

County final: def. Great Neck South, 3-0

State pool play: Clinched top seed, 5-1

State semifinal: def. Connetquot, 3-0

State final: def. Penfield, 3-2

Commack girls soccer

Commack didn’t take the traditional road to a state championship — earning an at-large bid after losing in the Suffolk Class AAA final — but once the Cougars got another chance, they made it count. They defeated Section III’s Cicero-North Syracuse, 2-0, on Nov. 16 at Homer High School in Cortland to secure the program’s first state Class AAA title.

“It’s just so special to bring this back to the community,” coach Joseph Brandofino said. “We always talk about leaving it all on the field and playing for the person next to you, and that’s exactly what they did.”

Valentina Castelli put Commack ahead with a second-half penalty kick and Melena Cerulli added the insurance goal minutes after checking in. Behind seven saves from senior goalkeeper Rebecca Gillon and a relentless back line, the Cougars posted their 10th shutout and completed a historic run.

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

At-Large final: def. Ithaca, 2-1

State semifinal: def. Lancaster, 3-1

State final: def. Cicero-North Syracuse, 2-0

South Side girls volleyball

South Side trailed by four points in the final set of the state final. For a moment, it seemed as if the story it had been writing would have its ending penned by a different author.

But the Cyclones flipped the script and took the fifth set, 15-12, to bring home the state title for the first time since 1993.

“It still hasn’t sunk in for many of us. We all still can’t believe it,” libero Maeve Britt said. “We never expected it to happen, but once we started advancing further, we just gave everything we had.”

The Cyclones trailed in the Long Island championship and regional final before mounting comebacks to advance to the state semifinals pool play round. After going 2-1 in pool play, South Side achieved its ultimate goal.

“If there was a year to do it, it was this one,” outside hitter Keira Mullaney said. “This team deserved it. Everyone worked for each other and this was the perfect way to end my senior season.”

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

County final: def. Plainedge, 3-0

LI final: def. Half Hollow Hills West, 3-2

Regional final: def. Rye, 3-1

State semifinals (pool play): 2-1

State final: def. Williamsville South, 3-2

Bayport-Blue Point football

Bayport-Blue Point will look back on this season and remember two fabulous second-half comebacks in the playoffs and one wonderful, record-setting final kick. Tommy Steyert etched his name forever in the annals of Bayport-Blue Point football history when he nailed a 47-yard field goal as time expired to beat Seaford, 20-19, to capture the Long Island Class IV championship. It was the longest made field goal in the history of the LIC, which began in 1992.

It was the third Long Island title in four years for the Phantoms, who have become the measuring stick within the classification.

“Boom!” Bayport-Blue Point coach Mike Zafonte said excitedly. “We knew Tommy had that in him. And wow — he just drilled that kick. We came a long way as a team, improving each week.”

Bayport-Blue Point shrugged off a midseason lull in which it lost two consecutive games for the first time in six years.

The Phantoms erased a 14-point deficit to score 23 unanswered points to upend Babylon, 23-14, for the Suffolk Division IV crown.

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Semifinal: def. Mount Sinai, 23-7

County final: def. Babylon, 23-14

LI final: def. Seaford, 20-19

Hauppauge-Smithtown girls swimming 200 freestyle relay

Clockwise from left: Sarah Lucca, Julia Lucca, Avery Wilcox and Olivia Chiofolo.

They shattered the Webster pool record in the 200 freestyle relay, finishing in 1:34.72 to surpass the 2014 record of 1:35.38. They also broke the county record that they had set last season (1:35.79).

Julia Lucca, Hauppauge-Smithtown girls swimming: 100 backstroke

Lucca sliced nearly two seconds off last year’s third-place 55.84 to win the 100 backstroke in an All-American automatic 54.06. “It feels really good every time you’re able to take time off,” said Julia, Sarah's twin sister. “Winning with all my friends and family around me is even more special.”

Hauppauge-Smithtown girls swimming 200 medley relay

From left: Ellianna Esposito, Julia Lucca, Sarah Lucca and Olivia Chiofolo.

Hauppauge-Smithtown wasted no time making its presence felt at the state championships. The 200 medley relay team powered the program to its fourth straight state title in the very first event of the meet. With a winning time of 1:43.43, they cut nearly two seconds off last year’s mark.

Victoria Wang, Manhasset: 1-meter dive

Wang climbed the board for the final time, ending her senior year by realizing a long-chased dream. Her 526.30 points sealed the state 1-meter title at last, completing a rise that began with a third-place finish as an eighth-grader, a second-place finish as a freshman and a second-place finish as a junior (she took a year off in between).

"This is so special. It's the cherry on top of my senior year," Wang said. "I've always wanted this. Every year I work harder and improve, and it's great that this year I finally got my dream to come true."

Sarah Lucca, Hauppauge-Smithtown girls swimming: 100 butterfly

Lucca made a splash at the state swimming championships once again, defending her title in the 100-yard butterfly with a winning time of 54.72 seconds. It was the junior's second consecutive state crown in the event, solidifying her status as one of the state’s top swimmers.

Una Diaz, Long Beach girls swimming: 200 individual medley

Diaz made her mark at the state championships, claiming her first state title in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:01.98, nearly three seconds ahead of the runner-up.

“It’s really surreal that I’m a state champion,” Diaz said. “I feel like all of my hard work has paid off, and I’m just thrilled.”

Vivienne Zangaro, Long Beach girls swimming: 200 free, 500 free

From the moment she hit the water at the Webster Aquatic Center on Nov. 22, Zangaro made it clear that her return to the state stage would be bigger than last year’s run. The junior not only defended both of last year’s titles in the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle but improved her times.

She finished first in the state in the 200 free in 1:48.18, dropping more than a second from last year’s time of 1 minute and 49.54 seconds. She was first in the state in the 500 freestyle in 4:44.60, shattering the previous Nassau record of 4:46.97 set in 1995 by Jessica Foschi of Friends Academy.

Port Jefferson boys cross country

Until further notice, the boys’ side of Class D will continue to run through Port Jefferson.

The program has been in the lowest public school classification by population for two years now and has won the state title each year. It was going to be more difficult for Port Jefferson to repeat this year after graduating its top two runners, Colin Veit and Max Joyner. Not only did it overcome the two tough losses, but it actually got better.

The Royals scored 51 placement points to win the team Class D championship in Queensbury on Nov. 15, which was two points better than its 2024 title. Junior Sean Grossman and seniors Sviatoslav Zalizniak and Christopher Nam utilized their experience as underclassmen from last year to make such an improvement for this year possible.

“One thing different from last year is we were able to balance our training; it wasn’t 100% effort all the time,” Nam said. “It was more about being smart about our decisions of when to go fast and when to save our legs. I think that played a big part in helping us get to this place.”

Sayville football

It was almost as if Sayville coach Rob Hoss was saving halfback Tristan Vitale’s best for last. Vitale was let loose against Wantagh and rushed for 239 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-35 win in the Long Island Class III championship at Hofstra University on Nov. 28. Wantagh went blow for blow with Sayville, but the Golden Flashes were just too much with quarterback Patrick Coan adding another 229 yards rushing and a score.

Sayville was making its third trip to the LIC in the last five years and finished with a perfect 12-0 season. Coan, the engineer of the offense, totaled 3,019 all-purpose yards and 38 touchdowns this season.

“Coan was a fantastic leader and an absolute warrior for us,” Hoss said. “He played through an injury that would have stopped most people. Super-tough kid and I’m going to miss him.”

Sayville has the most wins in Suffolk football history with 524 since 1928. The Golden Flashes have also won the most playoff games (74) in Suffolk.

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Quarterfinal: def. Westhampton, 41-21

Semifinal: def. East Hampton, 28-14

County final: def. Smithtown West, 34-7

LI final: def. Wantagh, 42-35

Garden City football

The Garden City football program continues to be the model for success. The Trojans won an unprecedented fifth straight Long Island championship with a 10-7 win over East Islip at Stony Brook University on Nov. 29. They extended the nation’s longest win streak to 66 games.

It was the program's 13th Long Island title.

“We had to find a way this year,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. “We had some key players that were injured and others stepped in and did a great job. The program from the youth level through the middle and high school levels is a model of hard work, dedication, commitment and pride.”

Garden City has won 10 straight county titles. Harvard-bound Zach Olson, a dominant two-way lineman, may have summed it up the best.

“The winning streak started with my brother’s class and there was no way it was going to end with my class,” said Olson, who is the only player to win four Long Island titles. “And that’s pretty much the mindset of every player out here. We know what’s at stake every time we take the field.”

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Quarterfinal: def. Baldwin, 31-0

Semifinal: def. East Meadow, 48-0

County final: def. Long Beach, 27-12

LI final: def. East Islip, 10-7

Boys cross country: Manhasset's Blake Sealy

Sealy is just a teenager, but he is already a consummate professional. Though he won the Class B New York State public school championship on Nov. 15 in Queensbury by winning the 5-kilometer run in 15 minutes, 24.2 seconds, the senior he walked away disappointed.

Sealy led Manhasset to a Class B team title in 2024, and the program’s goals have been sky-high ever since. He sought to lead the team to a repeat, and his determination to do so pushed him to place first overall. However, his team fell just six placement points shy of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.

“I’m happy I was able to do what I planned for myself today," Sealy said, "but as a captain and a leader of my team, I would give this up any day to have won it as a team.”

Bayport-Blue Point girls tennis

Lily Castka sealed Bayport-Blue Point's first state title, and then summed it up perfectly: "This is something our program has never done, so it's pretty cool to be a part of it." 

Bayport-Blue Point defeated Section I’s Edgemont, 4-1, in the small school state championship at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Nov. 7. Castka's win at first singles was the clincher for a Phantoms team that finished 21-2.  

"I've been proud of this team from the start, and they did a phenomenal job today," Bayport-Blue Point coach John Selvaggio said. "They stayed calm, cool and collected, but also got fired up when they needed to." 

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

County final: def. Ross, 4-3

LI final: def. Cold Spring Harbor, 4-1

State semifinal: def. Honeoye Falls-Lima, 5-0

State final: def. Edgemont, 4-1

Syosset girls tennis

For the past three seasons, Syosset fell just short in the state championship match. This year, it left no doubt.

Syosset earned the program's first state title by defeating Section I's Horace Greeley, 5-2, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Nov. 7.

"I'm just super excited for the girls," Syosset coach Shai Fisher said. "We've been here four out of the last five years, and I think being here before, knowing what it takes to be committed throughout the season, they learned from that."

Syosset finished the season 21-1. 

"This is all of the hard work we've put in over the season, and for me, over the last five years," said Stephanie Marcheret, who won her first singles match in straight sets. ". . . So it's definitely well-deserved."

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

County final: def. Port Washington, 5-2

LI final: def. Half Hollow Hills East, 6-1

State semifinal: def. Pittsford Mendon, 7-0

State final: def. Horace Greeley, 5-2

Chaminade boys soccer

This Chaminade season ended in the same game and at the same place as last season did, but with a whole lot happier outcome.

After tripping on the last step in 2024 and falling to Fordham Prep 1-0 in the CHSAA ’s state championship match at Belson Stadium on the St. John’s campus, the Flyers were flying high emotionally following their return to the final.

Junior wing Hudson Keefer scored in the first half en route to a 1-0 win over Canisius of Buffalo on a chilly, windy November day for — Chaminade’s first state title since 2021.

“It means everything,” senior midfielder Jack Dorsey said, “especially after we fell short last year.”

Last year’s edition went 17-2-1 with 15 shutouts. This year’s edition went 17-1-2 with 15 shutouts.

“The No. 1 thing I can say about this team is we were gritty,” senior striker Gianluca Falanga said. “I mean, we fought until the end every single game.”

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

NSCHSAA final: def. St. Anthony’s, 3-2

State CHSAA semifinal: def. Monsignor Farrell, 2-0

State CHSAA final: def. Canisius, 1-0

Garden City boys soccer

It took Garden City’s successful boys soccer program until 2024 to finally claim a state championship. Now the Trojans win one every year.

Well, at least two years in a row.

Obviously, it’s hard enough any season to be the last team standing in the state in a particular classification. So for Garden City to repeat, as it did this season in Class AA, was a monumental accomplishment.

The Trojans went to Middletown in November and beat Harrison, 4-1, in their state semifinal. The next day, they climbed from behind in the second half to edge Cornwall Central 2-1, finishing the job — again. “They’re big-game players,” assistant coach Sean Brady said, “and they got it done.”

Jack Klein’s goal with 9:09 left made them repeat champs. “It just proves that Garden City is a winning town,” Klein said. “Our senior class is just amazing, the best class of all time in Garden City history.”

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

County final: def. Calhoun, 4-1

LI final: def. Northport, 3-1

State semifinal: def. Harrison, 4-1

State final: def. Cornwall Central, 2-1

Commack boys soccer

Ryan Schalk had an idea early on that Commack boys soccer could be something special this season — a team that could rule the largest classification in the state.

“Since the first practice of the year,” the senior wing said, “I saw the intensity we had at practice, the talent we had. I knew this is the squad.”

This was indeed the squad.

It was Nov. 16, the state Class AAA championship match, contested in the crisp air at Middletown High’s Faller Field. 

Commack scored its only goal in the seventh minute and conceded none through 80 to topple previously undefeated Fairport, the Section V team that ruled this classification the previous November. prior.

The 1-0 win gave the Cougars the program’s first state crown since 2014.

“It’s a family,” Schalk said. “That’s been our motto the entire season, ‘Family.’ That’s truly what it is. This is brothers and friendships for life.”

— Brian Heyman

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

County final: def. Brentwood, 2-1

LI final: def. Herricks, 5-0

State semifinal: def. Baldwinsville 3-0

State final: def. Fairport, 1-0

Massapequa football

The key to Massapequa’s run to a third straight Long Island Class I championship can be found in the program’s depth. Massapequa used a fierce defense to beat Ward Melville, 14-12, at Hofstra University on Nov. 28. It enabled Massapequa (12-0) to become the first Nassau Class I team to win three straight Long Island championships; the LIC event began in 1992.

“It’s all about the depth in our program,” Massapequa coach Kevin Shippos said. “We have good football players that don’t see the field until senior year. And we don’t skip a beat. Those players understand the process, and we give them enough evaluations of where they stand that it keeps them working for playing time and sometimes it comes sooner than later.”

Shippos said the turning point for this year’s squad was in a 36-33 comeback win over Oceanside midseason. Anthony DiNello scored on a short TD run and Cole Villalta caught the two-point conversion pass from Luke Garguilo with less than a minute remaining.

He also said moving tight end Jack Mulligan to offensive tackle solidified the offense. He didn’t catch any passes at tackle, but he did have two pick-6s against Oceanside in the Nassau title game.

ROAD TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Quarterfinal: def. Hempstead, 35-20

Semifinal: def. Syosset, 42-7

County final: def. Oceanside, 55-18

LI final: def. Ward Melville, 14-12