After Patchogue-Medford (3-3) got on the board first with a field goal, Riverhead (0-6) quickly answered back, taking the lead on a Josiah Rodney 38-yard touchdown pass to William Stackevicius to bring the raucous crowd to their feet. It was an answer that Riverhead struggled to make all season long – showing the fight that everyone knew they had.

The Raiders were able to knock through another field goal before half to make the score 6-6 at halftime. The 6-6 score was the closest they’ve been against an opponent since week two in Central Islip when they went into halftime leading 6-0 before losing that game, 13-12.

In the second half, Riverhead’s resolve was challenged again when Patchogue-Medford’s Brett Rupolo connected on a 20-yard touchdown pass with Andrew Johnstone to take the lead 12-6 following a failed extra point. 

Behind the legs of Kavion Hobbs, Riverhead had an instant response the following drive. The shifty running back came in motion and took a reverse handoff crossfield and outran the entire defense before just stepping out of bounds on the five yard line. Hobbs collected 124 yards over the course of the game. Rodney then connected with Billy Healy on a crossing route to tie the game at 12-12 with just 1:45 remaining in the third quarter.

“We played our hearts out,” Riverhead head coach Don Nelson said. “I truly believe we played 48 minutes of football out there. We knew that we were about the same in terms of talent. Our mistakes have hurt us all year and I felt like for the first time we were able to minimize them. There were just a few things here and there. They didn’t beat us up or anything.”

The fourth quarter, however, was all Patchogue-Medford. After bottling up Aidyn Modeste most of the game, the Patchogue-Medford running back ripped off a 80-yard touchdown on the opening play of the fourth quarter. But this time Riverhead didn’t have an answer. Modeste scored again late in the fourth to put the game away.

“We really wanted this one for the kids, the fans, the parents, the coaches and for the program as a whole, but we just fell a little short,” Nelson said. “I thought we played one of our best games this season. We’re doing our best with the depth that we have. Take away a few of their big plays and it’s a different ball game. We’re going to keep working, though.”

Riverhead has two games remaining on the schedule in search of their first win of the season. On Oct. 25 they will travel to Walt Whitman (4-2) and they will close out their season with a home game against Bay Shore (0-6) on Nov. 1.

“We’re building a program again,” Nelson said. “We’re not going to fix this overnight. We all know that. Sure, getting some wins would have been nice but the main part is we haven’t stopped fighting. Each week we are actively trying to get better and I think it’s showing in our games. We’re going to keep recruiting, keep building up these kids in strength and fitness and most importantly raising their confidence. We’ll be fine. It’s just going to take some time.”

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Shoreham-Wading River — a team that has always had success on the football field, making the playoffs just about every season and even winning a few championships along the way — is now having trouble filling its roster. When you look up and down Shoreham-Wading River’s varsity football roster, there’s 35 players — a very healthy number. The problem is, however, there is no longer a junior varsity team. There’s 35 players in total within all of the high school. 

“We have to practice together now,” SWR head coach Aden Smith said. “We bring everyone on the roster to the varsity games but we have around 13 kids that participate in junior varsity game scrimmages on Mondays. We just don’t have enough to run two full teams.”

Smith has seen a trend of dwindling numbers in his own program. Year after year, fewer kids come out for the football team. Part of the season is that some kids decide to focus on one sport. You rarely see the three-sport athletes anymore. But for others, who knows?

“I don’t know what the reason is personally,” Smith said. “I love football and all these kids love playing football. We have a great program. We send kids to college all the time to play football. It’s just a shift. It’s something we have to deal with, and we’re making the best out of what we have.”

Two sides of the coin were seen in the first two weeks of the Wildcats’ football season. They faced off against Center Moriches in the first week of the season — a team with similar enrollment numbers — and they took care of business handily, coming away with a 60-21 victory. Five different players scored touchdowns. Anthony Mullen scored four on the ground himself. But then this Saturday, they took on Bayport-Blue Point, the reigning Suffolk County champions. The Phantoms have a sideline full of players, a lineup dominated by upperclassmen, and both a varsity and JV team to help with development. The Wildcats couldn’t find the endzone and seemingly stood no chance, losing the game 48-0.  

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Sophomore quarterback Noah Gregorek fires to the sides line. (Credit: Bill Landon) Running back Lucas Diamond charges through an opening for the Wildcats. (Credit: Bill Landon) Senior Running back Anthony Mullen bolts through a hole for the Wildcats. (Credit: Bill Landon) Senior wide receiver George Greene lays out for a catch. (Credit: Bill Landon)

Both teams are in the same division based on school size but because of the athletic enrollment numbers, it makes for very unbalanced matchups. Maybe divisions should be based on athletic participation rather than school size alone. 

“I don’t want to make excuses,” Smith said following the loss to Bayport-Blue Point. “We made a lot of mistakes, and we could have been more competitive today. It’s something that we’re going to learn from and get stronger. A game like today shows how much the little things matter. We need to be locked in and know our jobs from the opening whistle.”

Next week, Shoreham-Wading River (1-1) will host another team that struggled with enrollment numbers in the past years. Hampton Bays (0-2) had to take a two-year hiatus from varsity football and only returned back to Section XI play in 2024, posting a 2-7 record last season. The game will be played on Friday, Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m.

“We need to get back to doing what we do best,” Smith said. “We might be young and we may not have as much experience as the other teams, but we have the athletes to compete with any team. We’ll try to put it all together again for the game against Hampton Bays.”

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Though Riverhead (0-2) came up just short, losing 13-12 at Central Islip High School, they never gave up and played tough, hard-nosed football to the bitter end. 

After Central Islip (2-0) scored a touchdown to make the score 13-6 with just 2:36 remaining in the football game, Kavion Hobbs played the kick return on a hop, changed direction on a dime and started sprinting across the field before eventually getting tackled on the 49-yard line – giving the Blue Waves excellent field position to start their final drive. 

The shifty running back had 78 yards rushing heading into the final drive of the game, splitting carries with Nathan Nentwich to start the game and then taking over the carry load for most of the second half. 

The electric Hobbs sprung a 24-yard gain – to get him over 100 yards on the day – once the Blue Waves earned a 4th down pass interference call that moved the ball to the Central Islip 30-yard line. Then on third and goal on the two-yard line, he cut it up the middle and evaded defenders to punch it into the endzone for his first touchdown of the day to make the score 13-12 with just 58 seconds left to play.

“Hobbs had an unbelievable game,” Nelson said. “He really put the team on his back and gave it everything he had for us. That’s the type of game we expect out of him. He has the ability to do that every week.”

It was something special – that determination that Nelson had preached all summer suddenly had life. That never say die energy was playing out right before their eyes. Riverhead had a chance to win the game and Nelson didn’t think twice.

“We were going to go for the win,” Nelson said. “We felt like this was the best opportunity rather than try to play for overtime. We had all the momentum and we felt like the QB boot would be open.”

Josiah Rodney, the Blue Waves’ QB, scored the game’s first touchdown on a play-action rollout on 4th down from the eight-yard line with nine minutes left in the first half. After featuring Hobbs for most of the second half, Nelson went with that same play-action call that got them the touchdown earlier in the game. This time, however, Central Islip had it covered. Rodney had no room to run and was tackled as he tried to get off a pass, ending the Blue Wave comeback just a point short.

Riverhead lost two starters over the course of the game, including their captain, William Stackevicius, who played tight end and linebacker to injury early in the first half. He suffered an apparent shoulder injury on a tackle. It changed the whole dynamic of the offense and defense.

“We had to change a lot of things up once he got hurt,” Nelson said. “He’s a major part of our team and we had to put people in spots maybe they weren’t fully comfortable with. He’s a two-way player for us and he means everything to our team.”

On Central Islip’s final scoring drive, a Riverhead defender seemingly stripped the ball in a pileup before sprinting in the other direction only to have the play halted by the referees. Trailing by only a point at the time, having that play count would have changed the trajectory of the game.

“The whistle was blown after our guy had the ball,” Nelson said in disbelief. “I don’t understand how that wasn’t our ball there. The play is dead after the whistle is blown. We had the ball when the whistle was blown so I’m not sure how they came up with that call. Nobody could give me a valid explanation.”

But even so, a varsity team with only 27 players registered on it put up a fight that any coach would be proud of.

“I told them after the game we’re that close to winning games,” Nelson said. “The so-called experts had us losing that game, 33-14. A few things go our way and we’re coming out of that game the winners. I’m proud of the kids. We’re only going to get better.”

Riverhead will look for their first win of the season when they play their home opener against Lindenhurst on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

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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 has implemented a regimen in the interim before the fall 2025 season that brings the team together every Monday through Friday for two hours to focus on skills, strength and conditioning. They work together as a whole group, from freshman to seniors.

“Right now, we’re focusing on introducing the new system,” Nelson said. “All of this is new to the guys. I haven’t put a lot of things in just yet. We’re doing basic stuff. There’s a lot that needs to be installed, but right now, we’re keeping it simple.”

The standard for years was that football teams would begin workouts in mid-August two-a-day practices, but Nelson wanted to start earlier at the beginning of July. There’s no pads involved, of course, but it’s more of a preparation for what’s to come when two-a-days roll around.

“This is all new to me, too, being around these guys,” he said. “I’m starting to see what we have and where we can put certain guys. I’m getting everyone looks a little earlier, so we waste less time trying to figure out spots for guys in two-a-days.”

Nelson has hired a new coaching staff in his first season at the helm, though there are some holdovers from last year. Mike Heigh and Edwin Perry, both former Riverhead standout football players, will remain on staff. Heigh was the JV coach last year and Perry was the defensive coordinator on the varsity team. Their roles will change but they will stay on staff.

Taking over the JV head coaching position is Raheim Smith, who used to coach at Rocky Point and Farmingdale. Pete Cahill will also join the coaching staff as the defensive coordinator at the varsity level as well as the offensive line and defensive line coach. He used to coach at Patchogue-Medford, William Floyd and Eastport-South Manor. Joshua Murphy will be the quarterbacks and defensive backs coach. He formerly coached at Newfield.

Part of the reason for the downfall last year was that there simply weren’t enough players to field a proper team. There were many players playing both sides of the ball, and the team in its entirety was very young. During these training sessions, typically around 30 kids have shown up for both JV and varsity which is still low, but Nelson hopes that number picks up closer to the season.

“We got kids that work, so they come in and out,” Nelson said. “We got kids in summer school, so they can’t attend practice right now. We’re getting more and more every week, though.

“We started at around 12 interested players when I first got here,” he continued. “Now we’re at 30. We’ve been working with what we got. We’ve been coaching them up. They’ve been lifting all summer long. We’re going to do everything we can to try to turn things around.”

These practice sessions are hyper-focused. No player is goofing around. Players are hustling from station to station. The commitment to excellence is there.

“We have to have the right football mentality to be successful on the football field,” Nelson said. “To play this sport you have to have discipline. You have to be on time, and you have to work hard for the time you’re here. All we ask for is two hours a day. Give us 100 percent on every play for two hours.”

Nelson, who himself was a Riverhead football star back in the 1980s, has extra motivation to turn this program around.

“It’s great to be home,” Nelson said. “The support is there. There’s a tremendous amount of support from the community. They’re excited. They want to see a change. They want to see kids working hard and disciplined. And that’s what you’re going to get here.”

Riverhead opens its season at Sachem East Friday, Sept. 12.

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Riverhead lax alum Goodale training with Team USA

Growing up on her family farm in Riverhead shaped who Katie Goodale is as she blossomed into a prized Division I recruit. Being a natural defender vaulted her up the depth chart at Syracuse University and she left the school with a few records, including being the all-time leader in caused turnovers. Having graduated, she’s now onto a new goal: making Team USA’s roster. 

Blue Waves win PAL football titles

In the midst of the worst stretch in Riverhead high school football history, help is on the way. Both the 10u and 11u football teams won PAL championships under the leadership of two championship coaches. Rasheen Moore and Mike Heigh both won championships as members of the Blue Waves and now they’re trying to instill that old-school culture into the youth.

Freshman Wildcat Mangano wins national tourney

After winning his first state title during the school season, Gavin Mangano took it a step further and brought home a national title in April after wrestling at the National High School Coaches Association tournament in Virginia Beach. Eighty wrestlers from all over the country were in his weight class and Mangano stood above them all. It was a perfect cap to his freshman season at SWR.

Riverhead alum Julia Morrow earns Hall of Fame honors

After being one of the best pitchers in school history on the softball circle at Riverhead, Morrow continued her domination at the University of Tampa. She is the only pitcher ever to throw a perfect game at Riverhead — and produced two more in college. The two-time All-American was inducted into the University of Tampa Hall of Fame on Oct. 17.

Blue Wave alums make it to The Show

Two brothers from Riverhead’s graduating class of 2013 worked their way up from the lowest ranks of MLB back offices to now being prominent staff members for the Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies. Tyler Carroll is tasked with scouting for Texas and Connor Carroll works on the player development side for the Rockies. 

Softball: Blue Waves cap historic season

For the first time in school history, Riverhead’s varsity softball team went a perfect 18-0 after defeating Half Hollow Hills West in the last game of the regular season. The game went into extra innings and the Blue Waves came out on top 5-6 after Mya Marelli smashed the game-winning hit. Marelli also won Big Schools Pitcher of the Year before Riverhead lost in the Suffolk County semifinal.

Riverhead boys lax squad among school’s best ever

After taking its lumps as a young team for a few seasons, the Blue Waves lacrosse team finally emerged with a strong senior class this year, taking the program to levels it hasn’t seen before. Griffin Sumwalt finished his career as the all-time leader in goals and points scored. The team ended up posting a 11-3 division record — the best in school history.

SWR girls soccer win another title

For the second year in a row, Shoreham-Wading River’s girls soccer team won the Class A Long Island championship, sending the team to play in the New York State Final Four in Cortland. The Wildcats accomplished this feat without their star player last year, Grace Hillis, which made this year’s run that much more remarkable. Mia Mangano scored the opening goal as the Wildcats prevailed over Wantagh, 2-0.

Riverhead alum takes over fledgling track program

Ryan Budd has been a champion at every level. He won a first-ever Long Island championship as a member of Riverhead’s football team. Then,  at Central Connecticut State, he helped the team win its first title in history. He went on to coach at Wagner College and that team also won their first-ever championship. Now he’s up for a new challenge: Budd recently took the head track and field coaching job at Western Connecticut State University – a team that never existed before.

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More spectators filled the stands and lined the fences than at any varsity football game this season to see two PAL football championship games. The 10-and-under Riverhead Blue Waves were taking on West Islip and the 11-and-under team followed right after against West Babylon at the Pulaski Street Sports Complex.

Riverhead has been struggling on the varsity level for years following the COVID budget cuts and two former championship-team members have vowed to turn it around, starting at the youth levels. Former standout tight end/defensive end on the 2003 championship team, Mike Heigh, coaches the 10-year olds and former electric receiver on the undefeated 2008 title team, Rasheen Moore, coaches the 11-year olds.

Both squads won their respective championship games in what looks like a big step toward restoring Riverhead football. Neither game was close: the 10-year old team defeated West Islip, 28-0 and the 11-year old team beat West Babylon, 22-6.

“It’s our mission here at the PAL level to win back our community and regain parent’s trust in our program,” Heigh said. “I take it very personal after growing up here with all the success we had and seeing parents take their kid out of the district for better opportunities. We have the athletes, we just need the parents to buy in and that’s exactly what’s happening now.”

From the first play of the game, the 10u Blue Waves set the tone. Quarterback Miller Sumwalt faked a handoff and kept it himself, taking the ball all the way to the endzone on a 65-yard scamper. 

Riverhead never let up. After Jah’Kari Booker came up with a sack to force a West Islip turnover, Willie Martin chugged his way into the endzone on a 55-yard run from scrimmage. The Blue Waves defense, which was fierce all game, forced a fumble in the next possession which was then picked up by Raskeem Gamble and taken to the house for a 95-yard touchdown. Brendan Murphy scored the final Blue Wave touchdown in the fourth quarter.

“It’s hard when our varsity team is losing because it doesn’t give the younger kids something to look up to,” Heigh said. “We’re trying to bring that winning mentality back to Riverhead. We’re dedicated as coaches and we know that the kids that we have here just need the right mentors to get this thing back on track.”

Heigh even keeps some of the major parts of varsity football in the youth leagues such as the hammer award. Leif Shay, arguably the most successful football coach in Riverhead school history, created the award to recognize the player who delivered the biggest hit of the game. That player’s name would then be painted on the hammer and the award continued throughout the season. Though the hammer is much smaller in PAL, it’s always carried out pregame by the captains.

“We want to make it as close to varsity as possible in the sense of the culture we grew up in,” Heigh said. “We keep them together year round. We’re building that winning mentality and we coach these kids up hard so that way when they do get to varsity, they’re all on the same page. It’s always been one big family for us growing up here on the football field. I think we’ve lost some of that in recent years.”

Though the 11u team allowed West Babylon to hang around for the first half, the Blue Waves were eventually able to pull away behind the elite running of halfback Jayveon Hopkins.

Much like the 10u team, Hopkins scored on the first play of the game, outpacing the defenders by multiple strides. West Babylon had their hands full trying to tackle the shifty Hopkins all game.

After Riverhead forced a fumble to start the second half, it was Hopkins that found a crease and extended Riverhead’s lead to 16-6. With West Babylon trying to manufacture some points to get back in the game, the Blue Waves forced yet another fumble to take over possession.

“These kids worked their butts off all year long and the results are showing,” Moore said. “Look around and see how much of the community came out to support us. They believe in what we’re doing here.”

Riverhead was stuck in a 3rd and 15 on the following offensive possession, and needed one big play to pretty much seal the game. Quarterback Ryan Shields slung it across the middle to Lucas Levesque who earned the first down with the catch. Then it was Hopkins turn again as he found the endzone after shifting gears in the middle of the field, breaking a few tackles and tip toeing his way along the sideline. 

After the game, each player was given a championship ring. And as Moore handed them out, he took his time to thank every player for their contribution this season.

“It’s not easy getting yelled at by a coach all season long,” Moore said. “I just wanted to let them know that I appreciate each and every one of them. They all played a part this year and they worked hard to earn this championship. Success doesn’t happen overnight.”

Though they’re years away from getting to the varsity level, winning two championships in back-to-back age groups bodes well for the future. The hope is that they all stay together.

“What we needed at the PAL level was to get the parents to buy in,” Heigh said. “We have the right coaches in place to set the kids up for a successful athletic future. We’re slowly going to bring this program back – one age group at a time.”

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Moore was the No. 1 option in the passing game during the championship run with his natural speed and ability to create space through precise route running. He caught 34 passes for 684 yards to go along with his 10 touchdowns en route to hoisting the trophy. With his passion for the game still overflowing, Moore wants to impact the area’s youth, giving them the football tools necessary to succeed once they hit the middle school level and beyond. In addition to coaching, Moore is now offering individualized training sessions to any kid who wants it.

“A lot of parents are starting to feel that Riverhead isn’t the place to be anymore as far as sports goes,” Moore said. “They’re moving to other areas where they see not just the community coming together but just being one family from the top down. Riverhead has lost that part of it — a part that I grew up with. When I was growing up the whole community was behind everything we did.”

The dwindling numbers on the varsity football team can be directly correlated with participation in the town’s youth programs. The more kids who get involved at an early age, the more they’re willing to see out their careers through the high school level. 

“If you’re a parent and you’re watching your kid not learn, not grow, not get any better in a program, would you keep them there?” Moore said. “That’s the question we as coaches have to ask ourselves as far as what we’re doing here at the youth levels.”

Moore was thrust into youth coaching seven years ago because nobody else wanted to do it. Over time, seeing the results of his efforts has only encouraged him to push harder to try to impact more young players in the area. He’s been coaching the 10- and 11-year-old football teams exclusively, putting a final imprint on them before they head to the higher levels.

“The first year I got involved, I was shocked to see how bad it was,” Moore said. “The coaching staff I had with me at the time decided to just call it quits. They didn’t want to do it anymore. It was too much of a headache for them. I just have too much passion for the game to give up on these kids.”

Growing up in a winning environment, Moore wants to regain the parents’ trust in the program. He knows that it all starts in the peewee leagues and he’s dedicated to teaching the knowledge he’s gained over his many years of playing football. He went on after high school to play flag football at the highest levels because his passion for the game just never went away. 

“I’m constantly trying to improve and I learn more every day,” Moore said. “The techniques I teach translate to other sports as well. It’s not just football, even though we may be doing football-style drills. Even after that first year, and losing all those games, I still felt great because I knew they all got better in some way and that’s what it’s all about.”

Even with a full-time job at Amazon, Moore still finds time to coach and train because that’s where his passion truly lies. His training sessions include a range of footwork and balance drills that mimic game-time moves impacting a player’s ability to react and make the correct play. 

“Once I was able to see how they use my knowledge and training during games, it’s such a gratifying feeling,” Moore said. “Seeing a kid do something I taught in our training sessions just off of pure reaction, there’s nothing better. Our youth program is going to get back to where it was. We have the right people in place and we’re all determined to bring Riverhead sports back. And I can truly say that the middle-schoolers coming up, they’ve been coached very well. That could be the next group that makes a huge impact on our community. I just hope we can keep them all together.”

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Forty-eight players showed up to the two-a-day workouts last week at Riverhead High School. For a Division I varsity football program, and for Riverhead in particular during its heyday, 40 players was the norm to suit up and compete for a varsity championship. But even with the school’s enrollment growing at a rapid pace, those 48 players were represented the entire program of both varsity and JV combined.

“In all my time here with the Riverhead football program we’ve never had numbers this low — it’s historically low,” Riverhead head coach Ed Grassman said. “We had a lot of kids that weren’t registered right away. We have a lot of kids that didn’t know the season started so early. A lot of freshmen aren’t playing. We have a very small senior group — that’s the group that, because of the failed budget, didn’t have middle school football.”

There’s just less interest in football these days. The program hasn’t had a winning record since the school budget was voted down in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though trophies from Riverhead’s glory years line the hallways at the high school, most of the athletes in the district can’t relate to the success the school once had because they just haven’t witnessed it themselves. The community has always come out to support the football team and during the best of times, it was so packed there was not even and standing room along the sideline. Now, half of the seats are empty. 

“We’ve got to start winning and attracting these kids back to the program,” Grassman said. “I’m not saying we need to win a championship, but in order to get more interest in the program, we need to win some games to make the athletes in the district want to play.”

Some of the best athletes who were Riverhead born-and-raised have left the district to compete elsewhere. Others just choose to stick to one sport rather than juggle the fall-winter-spring regimen that so many area athletes have gravitated to. Some simply just don’t have the time for football because they work summer jobs through Labor Day. When you add it all up, the program is shrinking.

When athletes that were meant to be cornerstones for the program for years to come decide to leave, that is what really throws roadblocks to restoring a semblance of what once was. Grassman called up seven sophomores to the varsity team last year to give them a taste of high-level high school football. He knew they would struggle but felt the reps they were getting so early on in their careers were going to pay off as they grew and matured. 

Six of those seven sophomores have since left the school and transferred elsewhere. Maurice Scott was the first to go. The promising 6-foot-2 quarterback who exhibited the smarts and arm strength to compete on the varsity level transferred to St. John the Baptist. Scott leaving started a domino effect. Damien Moore, who got playing time at running back and linebacker last year, moved to East Hampton to live with his father. Madison Murrell, who was the starting running back last year and showed flashes of greatness, transferred to Longwood. 

“Some were reasonable circumstances and others, I think, thought the grass is just greener elsewhere,” Grassman said. “If your parents just decide to up and move, I get it. It happens. The grass isn’t always greener though.”

But low participation numbers, transfers and any other obstacle that may get in the way of success hasn’t stopped Grassman and the coaching staff from trying to build a product that the community will be proud of. Grassman even brought on Mike Heigh, who starred on Riverhead’s 2003 championship team, as a coach this year.

“He’s been coaching PAL the last few years,” Grassman said. “He’s won here. He’s Riverhead born and raised. He wants to bring the program back. He’s also a substitute teacher in the high school which can help with recruitment.”

There has to be a next-man-up mentality for Riverhead — there’s no other choice. Karter Doyle, who played center last year, will be the starting quarterback for the upcoming season.

“He’s been on varsity since his sophomore year and was always a smart, strong kid,” Grassman said. “But this year he came into camp in tremendous shape and lost a lot of weight. He understands the offense and has the capability to lead. He’s also going to play middle linebacker for us so we expect a lot from him this year.”

Running back duties will be split between Kavion Hobbs and Nathan Nentwich. The two backs have different running styles — Hobbs is more of a downhill runner whereas Nentwich can be characterized as more shifty. In practice squad game against Southampton last Saturday, Hobbs stood out as one of the best players on the field. He hit the holes quickly and his decision-making is precise. Ragene Short also figures to be in a lot of the team’s offensive plans at the wide receiver position.

“We’re definitely going to try to get all of our runners going,” Grassman said. “I think we have guys who, once they get their hands on the ball, they can make a lot of big plays. I think it’s also a big advantage to get most of the offensive line back.”

Kayvon Dennis and Syris Serrano Torres return to the offensive line with another year under their belts. Erik Czyrski, who enters his first varsity year, has had a very strong camp so far and figures to be a major part of the line going forward. 

“Our goal right now is to be able to finish a season with varsity and JV intact,” Grassman said. “I know that sounds horrible to tell people. It’s not about winning a championship or making the playoffs, it’s about finishing the season without having to fold the JV program. Once school starts maybe our numbers will pick up and we can get some more consistency in practice. We have the talent in our school, we just have to get them here to develop.”

Riverhead opens its season under the lights at Central Islip Friday, Sept. 13, at 6 p.m.

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Playing under the lights Friday night at Babylon High School, McDougal and quarterback Aiden Winters took turns scoring touchdowns for Babylon and though the Wildcats hung around, they had no real answer for the dual attack. Whether it was on the ground or through the air, McDougal and Winters looked to be taking Babylon to the Suffolk County championship. But to the Wildcats’ credit, they fought hard to the finish and ended up scoring 18 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to win 36-35 and earn a spot in the championship game.

Something just began to click for Shoreham-Wading River (8-2) in that fourth quarter. Trailing by 17 points, the Wildcat’s offensive scheme of option-style football, suddenly changed to more of a drop back and pass.

“They were playing zero coverage trying to stop the run,” Aden Smith said. “That left opportunities for us down the field and we took advantage.”

Kieran Clifford connected with Liam Kershis on a 39-yard touchdown pass to start the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 11 after a missed two-point conversion. After forcing a Babylon punt, Clifford again found a touchdown through the air, this time to Michael Iberger, which made the score 35-30 with six minutes left to play.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats kicked the ball out of bounds which was subsequently called for a penalty. Instead of taking the ball with great field position already because of the penalized yardage, Babylon (7-3) elected to have Shoreham-Wading River kick the ball again, to give McDougal a chance to potentially run it back. The next kick went right into the shifty, speedy receiver’s hands and you could hear groans from the Wildcats’ spectators. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” one spectator yelled. “Kick it to anyone but that guy.”

McDougal sprinted down the sideline but was met with Mike Casey, who dislodged the ball out of his hands.

“Instead of going for the tackle, I just punched at the ball,” Casey said. “I felt like he wasn’t holding it securely and I gave it my best whack.”

“We work on stripping the ball in key situations like that all the time in practice,” Smith added. “It was a game-changing play that made all the difference in the biggest game of the season.”

The ball bounced about and was recovered by the Wildcats to set up their game-winning drive. After a few running plays and a crucial penalty called against Babylon, the Wildcats were set up on the 22-yard line. Clifford released a pass down the sideline and Kershis corralled it, getting downed on the one-yard line.

“I initially had a flat route,” Kershis said. “But it turned into a wheel to make the linebacker miss. I saw that I had two steps on him and I was wide open.”

“Once I threw the ball, I knew he was going to come down with it,” Clifford added. “I have so much trust in him in a situation like that and I really thought he scored on it.”

Clifford would end the drive on a QB sneak from the 1-yard line which gave the Wildcats the lead by one point, 36-35. Four minutes remained on the clock. 

Casey intercepted a Winters’ pass on the following possession and though the Wildcats tried to run the clock out, they were stopped on a 4th-and-1 attempt to give Babylon one last chance. But on 2nd down and 20, Winters let a ball fly across the field and Alex Kershis snatched it out of the air for an interception to end the game.

Clifford threw for 248 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. He also rushed for 82 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground. Kershis has 146 yards receiving and caught two touchdowns, narrowly missing the third on the last scoring possession. 

Babylon, the No. 2 seed in the conference, was supposed to win the game. The Wildcats were also without one of their best scoring threats and a mainstay at safety in Sean Casey only adding to the high task. 

“When it comes to football you leave it on the field,” Kershis said. “Whatever you hear on the outside doesn’t matter. We had adversity all through practice this week. Injuries, you name it we had it. We had to change all our personnel. Everyone doubted us from the start of the season and we never gave up on eachother.”

Shoreham-Wading River will now take on No. 1 seed Bayport-Blue Point on Saturday at Stony Brook University for the Suffolk County championship. Casey, who is recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, is hoping to be back in the lineup. The Wildcats lost to Bayport-Blue Point, 35-21 during the regular season.

“Right now we’re going to enjoy this victory,” Smith said. “We’re going to enjoy this moment because it’s here right now and we’ll worry about Bayport come Monday. We know they’re there. Everyone is familiar with each other. Beating Bayport is going to be a tall task but I believe we’re up for the challenge.”

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