Logan Borruso, Jack Fifield lead Babylon boys soccer to 9th straight win
Logan Borruso of Babylon, left, celebrates with John Stricoff after scoring a goal during the fist half of a boys soccer game against Southampton on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Babylon. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
Babylon’s sensational streak of six straight league titles was over. Southampton had clinched Suffolk VI on Tuesday and had gone undefeated through 11 league matches. But now these two tough soccer teams were meeting for the first time.
Southampton was missing its injured star, James Garvin. And Babylon had been rolling, taking down the previous eight teams that stood in its way.
Make that nine teams now. The Panthers turned in another strong game, emerging with a 1-0 victory on Thursday behind Logan Borruso’s first-half goal and Jack Fifield’s eight saves.
They’ve outscored the opposition 41-3 in this run.
“For us, this is the time of year we usually do well,” coach Dennis McGovern said. “We’ve won six straight county titles. We have a lot of guys returning from there.”
Could this have been a Suffolk Class B championship game preview? Southampton (12-3, 11-1) expects to be the top seed and Babylon (10-4, 10-2) expects to be No. 3.
“Like my coach said, and what we go by, I think this strikes fear into the league,” said Borruso, a junior center back and captain. “This shows our team that we can do it, beating the league champs in our last [league] game of the season on senior night, our last home game.”
Edwin Orellana sent a free kick into the box, and Borruso headed it in with 4:08 left in the half.
Then Fifield made a difficult save in the second half, tipping a ball over the bar. The sophomore is a new element, having replaced standout Trace Cerrone, who graduated.
“Just kind of getting to learn from him, being called up [from the JV] for the playoffs last year and getting to be a part of the experience of the Long Island championship team last year, that helped me a lot,” Fifield said.
Southampton expects to have Garvin for the postseason.
“He means so much,” coach Dave Riley said.
The senior forward/midfielder, the owner of 15 goals and 14 assists, suffered a bruised right foot and strained Achilles in Tuesday’s double OT win vs. Center Moriches, Riley’s 200th in 25 years as the head coach or an assistant with the Mariners.
“This team is loaded with potential,” Riley said. “Our bench is deep. When we can connect and when our chemistry is on, we really are a force to be reckoned with. So I think the best is yet to come.”
