High school sports round up: Oct. 21, 2023
Football
Oct. 14: Brentwood 9, Riverhead 0
In a game impacted by heavy rains and poor field conditions, both Riverhead and Brentwood had a tough time moving the ball as defenses reigned supreme with the weather acting like the 12th man. Brentwood (2-4 Division I) scored the only touchdown of the day with Chris Ayala scampering in on a rush. A late field goal by Josh Almendarez sealed the Blue Waves fate with just 3:23 remaining on the clock. Riverhead (2-4 Division I) had a handful of opportunities to score points in the red zone but just could not capitalize. Remaining Schedule: Oct. 20: Riverhead at Connetquot 6:30 p.m., Oct. 28: Lindenhurst at Riverhead 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 14: Shoreham-Wading River 34, Islip 7
Shoreham-Wading River continued to ride the momentum with another lopsided victory over a Division IV opponent in Islip. This win marks three in a row for the Wildcats as they make a bid for a playoff spot. SWR (4-2 Division IV) scored in every quarter and refused to let up off the gas pedal. Liam Kershis rushed for 156 yards and caught three passes for another 53 yards in the victory. Kieran Clifford threw for 112 yards and connected on two touchdown passes. Mike Casey and Sean Casey combined for four touchdowns. Islip (1-5 Division IV) only managed to score one touchdown in the third quarter. The Wildcats will need to finish out their season strong for a top playoff seed. Remaining Schedule: Oct. 21: Southampton at Shoreham-Wading River 1 p.m., Oct. 27: Shoreham-Wading River at Miller Place 6 p.m.
Boys Soccer
Oct. 12: Hampton Bays 2, Shoreham-Wading River 1
After such a promising start to the season, Shoreham-Wading River (8-3 League VIII) ended on a sour note with a loss to Hampton Bays. The game soared into double overtime before Jordy Villa found the back of the net to seal the Wildcats’ fate. Sam Palmer scored the lone goal for Shoreham-Wading River. Ten games into the season SWR was unbeaten and thriving – sitting at the top of the division. The loss to Hampton Bays (7-5 League VIII) made it three losses in a row to finish the season. With a spot in the playoffs earned a long time ago, the Wildcats can close the book on the season and get a fresh start in the playoffs.
Oct. 17: Sachem North 2,
Riverhead 0
Riverhead’s season has come to a close with a tightly-contested loss against Sachem North. After beating Eastport-South Manor, 4-2 the game before, Riverhead hoped to bring that scoring prowess into the final game of the season but ultimately came up short. Edwin Trujillo and Nick Rojas both scored goals for Sachem North (2-5-1 League II, 4-8-2 overall). It was a promising season for Riverhead that managed to get their team to five wins this season – more wins than their past three seasons combined. Led by junior Lesther Rivera, who scored 15 goals this season, Riverhead should continue to improve going into next season.
Girls Soccer
Oct. 16: Walt Whitman 1,
Riverhead 0
Alexis Ré’s final season as a Blue Wave didn’t go exactly the way she hoped with the end of the season looming and Riverhead (5-8 Division I) on the outside of the playoff hunt looking in. After starting out 4-1, the Blue Waves only managed to get one more win the rest of the season as they struggled with the toughest schools in Division I. It didn’t stop Ré from putting together one of the most memorable seasons in Long Island history. With one game remaining, Ré tallied 31 goals to lead all of Long Island. Her nearest competitor is Olivia Bozzo of Smithtown East with 21. The University of West Virginia-bound senior will leave behind a program that will without a doubt miss her in the years going forward.
Oct. 17: Shoreham-Wading River 1, Bayport-Blue Point 1
In the final game of the regular season, Shoreham-Wading River fought to earn a draw against one of the top teams in Suffolk County but in the process lost one of their stars. Grace Hillis, an All-State defender heading to Old Dominion University, suffered a brutal leg injury that ended her season and required transport by an ambulance to the hospital. Bella Sweet scored the game-tying goal minutes after Hillis was carted off the field in the second half. The result will be a positive as the seeding committee will determine where Shoreham-Wading River (10-2-2 Division III) will start their playoff journey. Unfortunately, they’ll have to fight without their captain.
Field Hockey
Oct. 16: Commack 3, Riverhead 2
After a slow start to the season, Riverhead (3-11 Division I) substantially improved by the season’s end with a close loss to a formidable opponent in Commack. The Blue Waves actually led most of the way until Commack scored three goals in the third quarter to take the lead. Julianna Kramer and Zuleika Herrera Rodriguez scored the goals for Riverhead. Kerry Stavracos made nine saves in the loss. In the month of October, the Blue Waves beat West Babylon and lost four very close games. The games were not that close early in the season, which is a clear sign of improvement going into next season.
Oct. 16: Shoreham-Wading River 3, Bridgehampton 0
In their final tuneup before the playoffs, Shoreham-Wading River (12-2 Division II) took care of business against Pierson/Bridgehampton. Maddie Herr scored twice and Sophia Minnion added a goal of her own. The win secured a top spot and a home playoff game in the first round of the playoffs though their actual seed has yet to be determined. In the Division II standings, the Wildcats currently sit in third place, behind Eastport-South Manor and Bayport-Blue Point. The Wildcats will continue to rely on top point-getter Herr who has scored 16 goals and assisted on nine others during the season.
Girls Tennis
Oct. 16: Riverhead 4, East Hampton/Bridgehampton/Pierson 3
In a major upset, No. 21 seed Riverhead knocked off the No. 12 seed in the first round of the Section XI playoffs. Natalie Sztorc was a key reason why Riverhead (6-5-1) emerged victorious with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 performance in the second singles match-up. On Tuesday however, their season came to an end against No. 5 seed Connetquot.
Girls Volleyball
Oct. 16: Riverhead 3,
Walt Whitman 1
With the playoffs on the horizon, Riverhead (8-5 League I) picked up a very important win over Walt Whitman (7-6 Division I) that will without a doubt impact the playoff seeds for both teams. Riverhead powered past Whitman, 25-18, 20-25, 25-19 and 25-10. The Blue Waves closed out the final set handily, leaving no chance to push the game into the overtime set. Adriana Martinez collected 21 assists and Olivia Smith added 11 others. Claire Normoyle (12 kills), Kaysee Mojo (10 kills) and Lucia Mannetta (six kills) were impact-makers up front. Riverhead will play one final game against Patchogue-Medford before the playoff brackets are announced.
