Anthony Raio helps Half Hollow Hills become perfect state champions
Anthony Raio works against the West Genesee defense. Credit: Bridget M. Fetsko
GENEVA — Even when you work and claw to achieve your dream, it doesn’t always come true.
But when it does, hardships become stepping stones. Past failures become lore. Half Hollow Hills boys lacrosse wrote their own history this spring, and it’s one that’ll never be forgotten.
Tested and unbeaten, scratched at but only rarely bleeding, Half Hollow Hills completed its 23-0 season and defeated West Genesee (21-1) of Section III, 15-10, at Hobart and William Smith’s Boswell Field Saturday in the state Class A championship.
“I’m sad it’s over, but coming out on top is the way I dreamed about,” Anthony Raio said. “It’s such a special group, and it showed today.”
It’s the first state title in the program’s history, becoming the first team since Cold Spring Harbor in 2017 to win an undefeated state title and the first since Ward Melville in 2013 to do so in Class A, according to Newsday’s records.
“It’s just one more step in our journey to complete that, which is perfection,” Raio said. “And we did that.”
And as always, Long Island’s all-time leader in goals played a significant role in doing so as Raio finished with six goals and two assists, scoring four in the first half.
“You don’t get to coach guys like Raio,” coach Connor Hagans said, overcome with emotion. “He makes my job easy. That’s what he brings. He’s phenomenal. It’s not about him. It’s never about him. It’s about the team … he does everything we ask him to do.”
Hills led West Genesee 10-4 at halftime, marking the fifth time the RedColts logged double-digit first-half goals across seven playoff games. FOGO Nico Ghicas began the game 10-for-10 and finished 18-for-28. Nick Haugen’s playmaking featured throughout the game, finishing with a team-high four assists.
Zach Marco was brilliant throughout the afternoon, scoring four goals which included a thrilling behind-the-back finish off Haugen’s feed to give Hills a 13-4 lead midway through the third quarter.
“I saw the cut forming so I went there, and I saw Nick Haugen, and we locked eyes,” Marco said. “It was a little bit of a late pass, though, so I caught it and I knew I had no angle, so I went around the shoulder.”
Luke Bradley cleared the ball well, and Ben Vogt, Jake Casamento and Sal Caiazzo swarmed on defense behind him.
“It’s been that defense for the last three years,” Casamento said. “We’re together all the time, outside lacrosse and during lacrosse, we’re best friends.”
Casamento forced two turnovers in the first quarter alone and disrupted even more Wildcat possessions, setting up Hills’ first goal by forcing West Genesee into its own half before Ryan Chung (two goals, one assist) caused the turnover leading to Raio’s opening goal just over a minute into the game.
It helps that goalie Sal Santoro had one of his best playoff games in the win, saving 14 shots.
“We joke around that he’s eight feet tall and he’s got a wingspan of 10 feet,” Hagans said of Casamento. “He bought into what we asked him to do … all six guys on defense and [Sal Santoro] in the goal. I’ll take my chances with that group any day of the week.
Before the season, Hagans told Newsday that Hills had “unfinished business” after its 2024 season ended in the Long Island championship.
As attackman James Bruno stood at the 20-yard line, looking down at the plaque in his hands at 4:55 p.m., more than 230 miles away from either Half Hollow Hills schools, Hagans can say that his RedColts finished the job.
“We said we wanted to be the last team standing,” Hagans said. “And today we are.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
