East Islip vs. West Islip: The matchup all eyes will be on in Suffolk Division III
East Islip offensive linemen Evan Gordon, left, and Dylan Bayer double-team Jack Cromeyn of Northport in a Suffolk Division II semifinal in Islip Terrace. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
East Islip and West Islip are back in the same conference. Brace for impact.
Top-seeded East Islip is set to host the second-seeded Lions in a renewal of one of Long Island’s toughest and most thrilling rivalries at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17. East Islip’s 38-7 win in the 2024 opener was the first time these teams had met in nine years.
“When I was growing up watching my father coach and then playing for him, that was the rivalry. That was the game that you would look for when the schedule first came out every year,” East Islip coach Sal J. Ciampi said. “It was a little different two years ago having not played them for so long. You had to educate the kids a little bit on what it was all about.”
West Islip limped into that game after a few key players suffered injuries, but there are no excuses when these teams meet up.
“My senior year, I blew my knee out one game before we played East Islip,” said West Islip coach and 1992 graduate Steve Mileti. “It was crushing to me because that’s how much you looked forward to playing East Islip. It’s something I still miss to this day.”
East Islip is coming off a Suffolk II title and West Islip went 7-3 and reached the Suffolk III semifinals after posting a 1-7 record in an injury-riddled 2024 season.
If both teams are healthy when they meet in Islip Terrace, expect a tighter battle that fits the rivalry’s rich tradition.
“It’s a great thing for high school football when the two teams are playing each other and they’re both pretty good, which will be the case the year,” Ciampi said.
“Even as someone who is not from West Islip, I’ve learned very quickly how important the tradition of the rivalry is,” said Steve Fasciani, who joined the Lions’ coaching staff five years ago. “Hopefully, we’re both at full strength when we play each other. That will be the game to watch in Suffolk that week.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
