When I grew up in Riverhead, as a son of two Polish immigrants, football wasn’t something I was interested in playing. I played PAL soccer early on, and then got into little league baseball and CYO basketball as I grew older. But something in me was always curious about the sport because of the town I grew up in.

Back then, every Saturday during the fall, the stands at Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field were packed with spectators. Cow bells echoed down Pulaski Street as the football team crashed through the Blue Waves banner and onto the field to the tune of ACDC’s “Hells Bells.” Being on the football team was a big deal. 

I remember watching crazy legs Eddie Wansor at quarterback, the bruiser Mike Owen at halfback and soft-hands Mike Heigh at tight end in 2003 when they won the Suffolk County championship at Stony Brook University. I was in the stands — watching with pride and admiration. Longtime radio voice of the Blue Waves Pat Kelly took me along to watch the game, as I was very good friends with his son. 

It was mind-boggling for me to see the support this town gave its football team. It wasn’t just family in the crowd at Stony Brook University. It was regular town residents, alumni, students — anyone with any connection to Riverhead, they were there. That’s how much it meant to everyone. There’s nowhere else they’d rather be on a Saturday. 

Though I played some football in middle school to try to be like my idols, being so new to the sport, I decided it wasn’t for me. I continued watching the games, seeing guys like Miguel Maysonet, Tyler Gilliam, Andrew Smith, Timmy Velys, Rasheen Moore and countless others find success.

So, my junior year in 2007, I decided to give it another go. It was the best decision I ever made. The memories I made that season will last a lifetime. 

Even though I was a newcomer, I was brought right into the brotherhood. There’s no team sport like football. Everybody has a role, from the headliner to the last person on the bench. It was the first time I understood what it meant to be on a team.

We practiced hard. Coach Leif Shay was strict and expected nothing but perfection. If one person on the team messed up, we all paid for it. We had to hold each other accountable. If you were on time, you were late — a philosophy I still hold in my life today. 

The 2008 group I was a part of was coached up since they were kids. They already built the foundation from youth football. It was led by parents who were committed and all in. By the time they were all on varsity, we had a shot at greatness.

I wanted nothing more than to be like my idols and win a Suffolk County championship. As the wins began to stack up, the potential of doing just that became a reality. We not only won the Suffolk County championship that season, but we were the first team in Riverhead history to win a Long Island championship.

When I tell you we were rock stars, that was an understatement. When we won it all, there were thousands of people at the Liberty Bell at Pulaski Street elementary school to ring off the 42 points we scored on Elmont. As we pulled up with a police escort, people were honking their horns, cheering, crying — it was like a movie. All the blood, sweat and tears paid off. Those guys will be my brothers for life, and it was only my first season.

Riverhead went on to win two more Suffolk County championships in 2012 and 2013.

The next big group was supposed to come through, but then COVID hit, austerity measures shocked the district, cutting sports and forcing parents to leave. We’ve been picking up the pieces ever since. 

It’s been a while since Riverhead was the team to beat for football, but we’re a football town. We’re due.

The coaches are committed to bringing that back from the bottom levels to the top. There are champions at every level coaching the youth. When I speak to the parents at those lower levels, they’re committed. Those groups of parents and kids need to lead the charge and not leave the district. The talent is here. They will become those idols for the next generation and so forth. 

But even though there have been championships won in PAL football, some parents have still decided to move based on the varsity team’s performance. Why not be the change and lead the charge to bring this program back to its glory days? Winning a championship with your friends will always mean more than winning a championship with complete strangers. 

It takes a village to turn things around. And we have it. Anyone with any association with Riverhead will tell you — we all bleed blue.

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Though Duff left the district to attend St. Anthony’s when sports were cut after two failed budgets, he continues to put Riverhead’s homegrown talent on the map. Though his high school may say St. Anthony’s on his bio, his hometown of Riverhead is right there next to it.

The 6-foot-6 wide receiver left his mark at St. Anthony’s, finishing with 132 catches for 2,606 yards and 26 touchdowns in his career. All three categories were the highest in school history. He helped St. Anthony’s win its first ever NYCHSFL Championship during his junior season. 

After becoming the No. 1 football recruit in all of New York, Duff had the luxury of sifting through nearly 40 collegiate scholarship offers. He eventually settled on Rutgers University to continue his athletic and academic career. Though many schools saw him as more of a tight end, Rutgers gave him their word he would play wide receiver there, which helped sway his decision. Ian Strong, Duff’s high school teammate, had committed to Rutgers a year earlier, so there was instant familiarity in the wide receiver room.

Now in his sophomore season at Rutgers, Duff has played his way onto the watch list for the Biletnikoff Award, which is presented to the nation’s most outstanding college football receiver. With his size and speed, he’s a nightmare matchup for any defense — too fast for a linebacker and too big for a cornerback. 

On Oct. 25, he brought in six catches for a career-high 241 yards and a touchdown in a win over Purdue. That was the second-highest receiving total in school history. Through 10 games this season, Duff has corralled 53 passes for 923 yards and scored six touchdowns. The 923 yards receiving is good for fifth in all of the NCAA. 

Playing in the Big 10 conference, Duff plays against the best of the best. Rutgers currently holds a 5-5 record and is one win away from becoming bowl eligible. They will face off against Ohio State and Penn State to finish out the season. 

Even though he’s hundreds of miles away, Duff donates to the Riverhead PAL football program year after year. 

“Riverhead will always be my home,” Duff said after signing the national letter of intent with Rutgers two years ago. “I’ll never forget where I came from.”

He’s stuck to his word. The PAL program says there’s also been talk of him doing a skills camp in town. 

Still only 19 years old, Duff will be eligible for the NFL after his junior collegiate season. Ethan Greenidge, an offensive lineman who starred at Villanova University, is the most recent home-grown Riverhead talent to make it to the NFL. Every indication thus far points to Duff being the next. 

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“Hey, I get it, it’s a results kind of business,” Riverhead athletic director Hans Wiederkehr said. “But beyond the scoreboard, things are changing. Kids are committed to getting better. Don [Nelson] is doing a great job bringing pride and accountability back. It’s going to take time. I know we’re all tired of hearing that, but the proof at the lower levels is there. And though maybe we didn’t get a win on varsity this year, those kids worked hard as hell and will be the foundation of what’s to come.”

Coach Nelson is committed to turning things around. This is the town he grew up in. This is the team he suited up for. But the change can’t happen without a focus on the youth programs. 

During one of the Riverhead football parents’ meetings this year, the seniors on the team were asked how many of them played PAL football growing up — only two players raised their hands. 

“We have a lot of things working against us,” Nelson said. “We have a varsity team with only 24 players and most of them picked up the sport late. We got guys playing both ways and getting exhausted against teams that have 40-50 guys on their roster and can keep their guys fresh. It’s not an excuse, it’s just reality.”

The football foundation at Riverhead has been building for the last few years. The youth programs are winning. Last year, the 10- and 11-year-old PAL football teams won championships in their respective divisions. This year, almost every team made the playoffs. Former Riverhead alum, Mike Heigh, who won the Zellner Award for the most outstanding lineman in Suffolk County in 2003 and won a Suffolk County championship at Riverhead as a player, has been involved in the PAL program, holding various titles over the past 15 years. He has witnessed a major change.

“The people in charge the last three years at the PAL level are committed to building every kid on the team, not just theirs,” Heigh said. “The sixth and seventh graders we have now have what it takes to win it all, if not at the very least put our name back on the map. They’re all being coached by guys that had success here as players. We’re here for the kids. We want nothing more than to bring Riverhead back to where we once were. We just need the parents to believe and have patience.”

Though the football program is still building, it’s hard to ignore what major steps have already been taken across all the other sports. And it’s being led by parents and kids that have decided to stay here and spearhead a renaissance. 

Riverhead softball won its first Suffolk County championship last year in school history. Riverhead baseball made the playoffs for the first time in 10 years last year. They hadn’t won a playoff game in 20 years. Last year, they won two. Riverhead boys basketball made the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and won its first-round playoff game.

The Riverhead boys’ golf team has won six consecutive league titles and advanced to the Suffolk County team semifinals in three of those six years. The golf team sent both boys and girls representatives to states.

The Riverhead girls’ wrestling team had its first Suffolk County champion last year. The track and cross-country teams have set school records. The list goes on and on. Maybe football is not there yet, but it’s coming.

Even with the chips stacked against them, Riverhead had chances to beat several teams this year. In the loss against Central Islip, Riverhead missed a two-point conversion that would have won them the game in the final minute. Against Patchogue-Medford and Brentwood, the Blue Waves went into halftime with the lead. 

“Those wins are going to come,” Nelson said. “I haven’t even had a full year here yet. We’re going to keep recruiting and keep getting these kids bigger, stronger and faster. Nobody is giving up. I’m not giving up. The coaches aren’t giving up. The kids aren’t giving up. They fought for a full 48 minutes every game. I’m proud of every one of these kids. We got a lot of talent coming back, and we’re going to work like hell to get this thing right next year.”

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Riverhead (1-7 Division I)

Coming off of a disappointing season, Riverhead has a new coach and a new philosophy heading into 2025. The Blue Waves open the new year Sept. 12, which is a Friday night under the lights at Sachem East High School. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m. 

The two teams didn’t face off last season despite being in the same division. Sachem East posted a 2-6 record last year and is looking to rebound after a down year. 

Here’s the rest of the schedule for Riverhead:

• Sept. 19: Riverhead at Central Islip, 5 p.m.
• Sept. 27: Lindenhurst at Riverhead, 1:30 p.m.
• Oct. 4: Riverhead at Brentwood, 2 p.m.
• Oct. 11: Longwood at Riverhead, 1:30 p.m.
• Oct. 18: Patchogue-Medford at Riverhead, 1:30 p.m. (homecoming)
• Oct. 25: Riverhead at Walt Whitman, 6 p.m.
• Nov. 11: Bay Shore at Riverhead, 1:30 p.m.

Shoreham-Wading River (4-5 Division IV)

Last season Shoreham-Wading River was able to sneak into the playoffs with a 4-4 record in division play. They met their match in round one when they faced off against a senior-heavy Miller Place. The Wildcats got knocked out by the score of 36-12. 

Led by now sophomore quarterback Noah Gregorek, Shoreham-Wading River is trying to right the ship and get back to winning football. They will open the season against Hampton Bays at Shoreham-Wading River High School Thursday, Sept. 11, at 6 p.m. The Baymen closed out last season with a record of 3-5. The two teams faced off last year in the first game of the season as well. The Wildcats won that game, 40-12.

Here’s the rest of the schedule for Shoreham-Wading River:

• Sept. 20: Shoreham-Wading River at Bayport-Blue Point, 1 p.m.
• Sept. 26: Shoreham-Wading River at Kings Park, 6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 3: Southampton/Ross at Shoreham-Wading River, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 10: Miller Place at Shoreham-Wading River, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 18: Shoreham-Wading River at Port Jefferson, 1 p.m.
• Oct. 24: Babylon at Shoreham-Wading River, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 31: Shoreham-Wading River at Greenport/Southold/Mattituck, 6 p.m.

Greenport/Southold/Mattituck (4-4 Division IV)

With the 4-4 record in the division last season, the Porters made the playoffs and had to match up against top dog Bayport-Blue Point. Though they lost 42-14, it was a major stepping stone for the program as it was the first time they made it to the playoffs in 11 years. 

Getting a taste of the playoffs inspired the group to take another step forward for this season. The Porters will open up the season with a home game Friday, Sept. 12, against Elwood/John Glenn at 7pm. The two teams didn’t match up last season in Division IV play. Elwood/John Glenn ended their season with a 5-5 record following one win and one loss in the playoffs last year.

Here’s the rest of the schedule for Greenport/Southold/Mattituck

• Sept. 19: Greenport/Southold/Mattituck at Hampton Bays, 6 p.m.
• Sept. 26: Port Jefferson at Greenport/Southold/Mattituck, 7 p.m.
• Oct, 3: Center Moriches at Greenport/Southold/Mattituck, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 11: Greenport/Southold/Mattituck at Mt. Sinai, 1:30 p.m.
• Oct. 17: Greenport/Southold/Mattituck at Southampton/Ross, 6:30 p.m.
• Oct. 24: Greenport/Southold/Mattituck at Miller Place, 6 p.m.
• Oct. 31: Shoreham-Wading River at Greenport/Southold/Mattituck, 6 p.m.

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Nelson was born in Riverhead. He wore the Riverhead blue and white. He left blood, sweat and tears on coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field, playing running back in the ’80s. He was part of Riverhead’s coaching staff in 1988 when the team won the Rutgers trophy, which is awarded to the best team in Suffolk County. He bleeds blue.

“When we interviewed all the applicants, I was looking for a coach with discipline, organization and a belief that we can be better,” Sacks said. “For Don, this is extremely important for him. Bringing Riverhead back to its football roots. He is someone that knows how to build a football program. He’s a dynamic person. When you’re talking to him, you have to get excited. You truly believe what he’s saying.”

After four years playing running back at Slippery Rock University, Nelson returned back home to coach the Blue Waves and proceeded to work various coaching jobs all over the island for the next 30 years. After winning the 1988 championship in Riverhead, Nelson took a job at Westhampton Beach High School and won a small schools title. After some time, he went back to Riverhead in the ’90s to coach the JV football team. The team he coached went undefeated and it appeared he was next in line to coach the varsity team when the head coach job became available, but the offer never came.

“It’s still something I think about today,” Nelson said of the 1996 job opening. “Coaching my hometown team was always my dream job. It didn’t matter where I was coaching at the time, I was always keeping an eye on the Riverhead scores. My family has been in Riverhead forever. Football has been in my blood all my life.”

Even though Nelson was discouraged, he kept coaching. He went to Bellport High School and helped lead that squad to three Suffolk County championships. From there, he started up the football program at Eastport-South Manor High School.

“I learned so much over all my years of coaching,” Nelson said. “I learned so much from Joe Cipp and my years at Bellport. I want to take everything I learned and implement it into the program here. There’s going to be major changes going forward.”

Before he formally applied, Nelson asked his wife, Tracy, what she thought of him taking the helm of the Riverhead football program.

“I asked her what her thoughts were,” Nelson said. “I stepped away from football for a few years, and life was different. I had more time with my family. But she told me, ‘Do it. It was always your dream.’ I told her that it would require a lot of time away. I’m going to really give my all to this. She understood. That’s all I needed to hear.”

After the Blue Waves 1-7 season last year, Nelson has a steep hill to climb to turn things around. He knows things won’t change overnight.

“There’s going to be a major shock to these kids,” Nelson said. “I won’t tolerate the nonsense. We are going to be focused and driven. We are going to be competitive in every game. I need each of these kids and parents and community to buy in to what we’re trying to accomplish here.”

Nelson has already adopted a slogan for the team: “Together we win.”

“We have to do it all together,” Nelson said. “When you’re down two scores with five minutes to play we have to believe that the game isn’t over. You have to be able to look over to your teammate and know that you guys have each other’s back. We’re going to play a full 48 minutes. There will be no giving up around here because we’re all in this together.”

Filling out a coaching staff is one immediate need for Nelson. Applications have been sent in and Nelson will be reviewing everything with Sacks next week.

“Having people with Riverhead roots on staff is a major plus for us,” Nelson said. “I think growing up here and having success here gives you a sense of understanding for the community. It gives you a sense of pride when you coach. We’re going to take everything into account when we make our decisions.”

In the last few years, low participation in the football program has been a major concern. Because of the limited roster, many players had to play both offense and defense through much of the last two seasons. For that reason, Nelson is already recruiting in the hallways. He’s revamping the weight room and making his presence known throughout the school.

“I’m doing everything I can to promote the football program,” Nelson said. “I’m going to be involved at every level, from PAL to junior high and varsity. We have to be one program from top to bottom. We’re going to get people excited to play football again. It’s going to be a grind, but I’m confident we can get things back on track to how it’s supposed to be in Riverhead.”

Nelson is hosting a “meet and greet” at the high school for parents on April 3 at 5 p.m. in room 133.

“This is a full circle moment for me in my life,” Nelson said. “I need to get the parents to buy into what we’re trying to do here. I’m all ears and I’m ready to work. I want to not only prepare these kids for football but prepare them for life. That’s what this is all about.”

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But none of that mattered on Friday. Trailing 14-7 with five minutes left in the game, Riverhead emerged from the ashes. It was an effort that could make former players from the golden era proud. Up to that point, the tide was running against them — whenever a good drive was coming together, a penalty killed to momentum. Riverhead had two first-half scores called back due to penalties.

The Blue Waves put the ball in the hands of last year’s center, Karter Doyle, who is this year’s quarterback, his first season playing the position. He slimmed down from last year but the switch from snapper to signal caller was very much a question mark.

“The original goal for me was to play running back coming into camp,” Doyle said. “They asked me to step in to play quarterback and I just took the job and never looked back. Studied the playbook, studied the film and memorized everything. But everyone knows a quarterback is nothing without their offensive line. I thought they did a great job today.”

With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the coaching staff put the ball in Doyle’s hands to try to tie the game. Riverhead was finding success on the ground from both running back Nate Nentwich, who notched 70 yards on 11 carries, and Doyle, who racked up 108 rushing yards. 

On the first play of the drive, a designed quarterback keeper drifted Doyle over to the sideline for a five yard gain before he took a hard hit to the stomach. He only sat out one play and hopped back into the lineup. Kevin Qualey got a few runs to move the sticks before Doyle eventually punched it in from 15 yards out for his second rushing touchdown of the day, leaving Riverhead down by a point with just one minute remaining on the clock.

“After talking to the coaches we felt good about just kicking the extra point there instead of going for two,” head coach Ed Grassman said. “We had faith in our kicking game and we felt like they were really tiring down and that we would win in overtime.”

That plan took a left turn when the kick was blocked, leaving Riverhead trailing, 14-13. 

“I saw the kids walking off the field dejected like they just lost the game,” Grassman said. “I was like ‘hey we still have three timeouts guys. This game is not over.’ Coach McCormick looked over to me and said ‘we’re winning this game.’”

Three offensive snaps went nowhere for Central Islip on the ensuing possession, which ended with a monster sack by Kayvon Dennis to make it fourth and long. With timeouts called after every down, Riverhead was left with 47 seconds to play that dwindled down to 40 after the punt went out of bounds. The Blue Waves had a chance — with 45 yards to go and no timeouts.

On the first play of the drive, Doyle dropped back and connected with Qualey on an out route. He sprinted toward the sideline, trying to get out of bounds and conserve time. But at the last second he changed his mind and cut back inside.

“Coach told us get out of bounds and stop the clock,” Qualey said. “I looked up and saw one guy to beat in an open field. I trusted myself to be able to do that and get in the endzone.”

Qualey got past the defender and it was a sprint to the end zone from there.

“I’m not gunna lie, my hands were shaking going into that last drive,” Doyle said. “I’ve never had that much pressure on me for anything. When I saw that he was that wide open on the route I had to get him the ball. KQ took care of the rest.”

Qualey sprinted around the field following the score with the ball stretched out to the sky, his teammates chasing him. The only sophomore from last year’s team who returned this season, it was only fitting that Qualey scored the game-winning touchdown.

“We respect the decisions my classmates made and we wish them the best wherever they went,” Qualey said. “Our focus through camp has always been trust in the guys that we have here. We can only control what we can control.”

Riverhead is off to a solid start with the opening victory. But it can’t stop there and the will need this momentum to carry over into next week against Commack.

“We definitely have things to work on and we’re hard workers here,” Qualey said. “But I believe we’re going to get better every week and have a strong season.”

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The last name says it all. It’s hard to imagine Amari Funn having more fun than he did Saturday. The Riverhead senior ran for a career-high five touchdowns as the Blue Waves ushered in a new season by throttling visiting Central Islip, 43-20, in a Suffolk County Division I football game at sun-splashed Coach Mike McKillop Memorial Field.

“I was motivated, our first game back, new coach,” said Funn, who along with teammate John Booker both rushed for well over 100 yards.

It all made for a nice memory for Ed Grassman, who made his head coaching debut for Riverhead.

“My mind was spinning,” said Grassman, who woke up “extra early” on this special game day. “I didn’t really know what to think.”

Grassman may have been wondering what to think when the game started in just about the worst possible way for 10th-seeded Riverhead against No. 11 Central Islip. Central Islip’s Kevin Mills scrambled back to retrieve the opening kickoff — and then broke tackles for an 85-yard touchdown return. Making matters worse, Riverhead was called offside as an extra point attempt was about to be snapped. Central Islip then decided to go for two points, which it secured on a Steven Fries run.

“That’s not the way I wanted to start my career,” said Grassman.

But Riverhead responded immediately with a six-play scoring drive that Funn finished with a 2-yard run. Funn also ran in the two-point conversion.

On Riverhead’s next possession, which started at the Central Islip 8-yard line after a snap sailed over punter Elvis Hernandez’ head, it took the lead for good when Funn surged through a gaping hole on the right side from 2 yards out. The first of Charlie Garcia Cerna’s five extra points made it 15-8.

The score didn’t stay that way for long. Mills took the ensuing kickoff back 74 yards for another TD return.

Riverhead scored on its third straight possession when Angelo Confort recovered a Riverhead fumble in the end zone.

Funn, listed on the roster as a running back and linebacker, started at quarterback, taking shotgun snaps and sharing time at QB with Kevin Johnson before John Lennon III took some snaps in the fourth quarter with the win in hand.

Putting Funn at QB was offensive coordinator Scott Hackal’s idea. “You need to have the two best guys on the field, so that’s what Coach Hackal came up with and then we went with it,” said Grassman.

The plan worked. Before the first half ended, Funn darted in for a 5-yard score. On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, he broke free for a 43-yard TD. Later in the quarter, Funn zigzagged 61 yards through traffic for his fifth TD.

“He played incredible,” Grassman said. “He’s a great running back. He broke some big runs. I mean, I got to go back on the film. It’s a blur to me right now, you know, how many touchdowns he had. It’s fun watching him.”

Funn finished with 160 yards from 15 carries. After a TD run by Central Islip’s Ryan Antwi, Funn intercepted the attempted two-point conversion.

Booker, a bruising senior, gained 144 yards on 14 carries despite twice exiting the game after his wrist was banged up and his right calf cramped up.

Booker said Funn is the fastest player on the team. “I love blocking for him because I know if he follows me he’s going to get in the end zone,” said Booker.

Funn repeatedly gave kudos to the offensive line of Karter Doyle, Matthew Nunez Varela, Sean Keane, Michael Pace and Connor Golz that helped generate 396 yards worth of offense. “I definitely got to give a big shout-out to the O=line,” he said.

The Blue Waves sported an old-school look with an “R” on their new blue helmets and new blue uniforms with white numbers and white stripes on the shoulders and white pants.

Five TDs is impressive, but when asked what was the most important thing to come out of the game, Funn said: “A win. We needed that.”

While his players rang the victory bell at nearby Pulaski Street Intermediate School, Grassman was asked what he liked best about the game. “Our ability to come back,” he said.

Said Booker: “I’m definitely satisfied with the way we played today. We got our coach a first win. We’re ready for the next game.”

The fun continues.

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