Westhampton Beach Falls to Sayville Football in Game's Final Minutes

A 19-18 loss in the final minutes of a Saturday matinee at Sayville left a sour taste in the mouths of the Westhampton Beach football team members. But it also provides a bit of motivation for the remainder of the season, especially heading into a potential rematch with rival Golden Flashes in the Division III playoffs.

“They’re a great team, and it’s always fun to compete with them, but if or when we see them again, we know it’s going to be another battle that this time we’ll be ready for,” said senior quarterback Will Gambino. “The game was a tough pill to swallow, especially being that close of a game, but I know we will rally together and finish the year strong. The team knows what we’re capable of, and I think regardless of the outcome, the team played very well. I’m excited to finish out the year with my guys.”

The Hurricanes (4-2) got on the board first with a 26-yard field goal from senior Mike LoRusso, and regained it when Gambino (16-for-28 passing for 229 yards) faked a handoff and found senior running back Nolan Michalowski for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

“I saw the opening down the left sideline, and Will gave me a great ball in open space,” Michalowski said, adding it was a great call from assistant coach Mark Johnson.

Gambino also touted his coach for organizing the next scoring drive, where he found senior wide receiver Kevin Smith in tight coverage in the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown catch and an 18-13 lead with 6:07 left to play.

“Once coach called the play, I knew I had to be open and I knew I had to make the catch. I saw the safety was more toward the middle of the field, which made it a little easier for me to get open, and I gave it everything I had left,” Smith said, adding the elation was nurtured by the play being made in front of the Hurricanes’ student section. “I felt so accomplished. I could feel the energy and excitement on the Westhampton Beach side of the stadium.”

His field general said he was nothing but confident in his receiver, being that Smith has been making game-altering plays all season.

“It’s good to have the trust in him to outrun his defender and make a great catch,” Gambino said. “It was definitely a thrilling moment for us. Getting that score was big. But there was still time on the clock, so we knew there was still more game to be played.”

Michalowski added he loved the vitality of his team as the Hurricanes battled in the wind and rain.

“It’s not easy for most teams to play in the mud, but it was fun to play out in those conditions,” he said. “And our game plan was to stop their run in these conditions, and our guys up front on defense did a great job of that.”

But Sayville’s (6-0) tacklers were also up to the task. After quarterback Jake Tripptree found Kyle Messina for a 51-yard catch-and-run for the score that put the Golden Flashes out front, 19-18, with 2:23 to go, defensive tackle Landon Garrett bulled through the offensive line and sacked Gambino on the Hurricanes 48 for a 15-yard loss. Then, Tripptree iced it with an interception with 35 seconds remaining. It was Gambino’s third of the game.

“We knew we have to make the most of every opportunity,” Gambino said. “The team has been in moments like that before. We knew it was going to be a physical game, and I think on many occasions our guys stepped up to that challenge and we really came together this week. We were flying around to the football and knowing our responsibilities. It’s just the little mistakes are what can cost either team to lose.”

Smith echoed his teammates’ sentiments, adding that the will to win was that much greater given head coach Bryan Schaumloffel’s and Johnson’s pregame speech, in which the Hurricanes were told that while Westhampton has only topped Sayville twice in the last 50 years, if any team was going to give it to the Golden Flashes, it’d be this one.

“I love how much effort everyone put in and how dedicated we all were to winning. We all wanted it so badly,” Smith said. “Everyone played their hearts out, and even though we lost in a devastating way, I am proud of everyone on my team. They won’t beat us if we see them again.”

But the senior also said his Hurricanes, with their 20-plus returners, know they can’t afford another loss if they want to be in a good position heading into the postseason.

“We have strengths everywhere, and play well as a team. I think we have great team chemistry and our collective love for the game helps us win, and I’d bet we see them again, and we’ll be ready,” Michalowski said. “We hit a few bumps, but at this point, I don’t feel we’re going anywhere but uphill.”

Westhampton Beach travels to Kings Park (3-3) on Friday, October 20, for a 6:30 p.m. contest before closing out the regular season with a home game against Half Hollow Hills West (5-1) Friday, October 27, at 6 p.m. The Division III qualifying round is the following weekend, November 3-4.

“This is only going to make us want it even more,” Gambino said. “We’re going to keep pushing hard in practice and push each other for the rest of the season. Us seniors want to go all the way. The goal is still a Long Island Championship.”