Jake Calloway of Westhampton Beach drops back to pass during...

Jake Calloway of Westhampton Beach drops back to pass during a Suffolk Division III football game at Half Hollow Hills West on Sept. 14, 2024. Credit: David Meisenholder

Despite missing four games because of an injury he suffered while playing defense, Westhampton quarterback Jake Calloway had a strong sophomore season.

The lefty threw for 600 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 400 yards and 10 touchdowns in six games. When he returned from his Week 1 injury, he led the Hurricanes to five straight wins.

Calloway’s health will be a key to Westhampton’s success this season. Luckily, he will be protected by a massive offensive line.

The line of JP Peters, Ben Magee, Jaedyn Cobb, Liam Brand and Blake Gilks has an average weight of 272 pounds. Peters stands at 6-5, 310 pounds and Magee and Cobb each stand 6-3, 280.

“Our line is amazing,” Calloway said. “We have two big boys in Magee and Peters that are gonna lead the line.”

Magee and Peters are both seniors, and the rest of the starting line are all juniors.

“It’s great, we’re hoping that we can move some people around and force our will on people,” coach Bryan Schaumloffel said. “Ever since Magee and Peters] were little, they wanted to be a Westhampton Beach Hurricane and now it’s their senior year and it’s their time to shine.”

Schaumloffel expects Calloway to make an impact with his arm and his legs, like he did during Westhampton’s five-game winning streak. And with a new running back in Nic Simone — who started at outside linebacker as a sophomore — having a big, experienced offensive line will only make Simone’s transition easier.

“We returned a lot of guys. Me, [JP] and two other linemen are returning from last year,” Magee said. “We have great chemistry and we communicate well.”

Though always in the mix when November rolls around, the Hurricanes haven’t won a Division III title since 2017. They haven’t beaten reigning champion Sayville since 2018.

“We love playing Sayville,” Schaumloffel said. “We haven’t had the success in the last few years, but we’ve had some great games with them. We’re looking forward to playing them again this year.”

INSIDE THE DIVISION

Coaching Spotlight

Jamie Lynch, Islip

Lynch graduated from Islip in 1993 and was a captain on Islip’s football team when the Buccaneers won back-to-back Suffolk III titles in 1991-92. The former quarterback won the Hansen Award in 1992, given to Suffolk’s top player. He played collegiately at Colgate. Entering his 20th season as head coach, Lynch is not slowing down.

“Every year, I get that knot in my stomach and I know it’s football time,” Lynch said. “When that knot goes away, I’ll stop coaching. But right now, I still have it.”

GAMES TO WATCH

Half Hollow Hills West at Sayville, Friday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m.: What better way to open the season than with a rematch of last year’s Suffolk III championship game under the Friday night lights? Both teams will look different without the likes of Joseph Filardi and Kyle Messina, setting the stage for newcomers to make a name for themselves.

West Islip at Smithtown West, Friday, Sept. 26, 6 p.m.: Smithtown West won when these teams met in Suffolk II last year. Coming off a down year, West Islip will look to show that it is better than its preseason seed.

Hauppauge at Islip, Friday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m.: A rematch from last year’s quarterfinals, in which Islip scored a touchdown with 58 seconds left in its win. With two high-powered offenses looking for another playoff berth, expect another close one.

Westhampton at East Hampton, Saturday, Oct. 11, 1 p.m.: Westhampton won last year's matchup. After making the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, East Hampton is looking for more success, and what better way than to knock off a perennial contender?

Westhampton at Sayville, Friday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m.: A semifinal rematch, Westhampton will look to make a statement with its first win against the reigning champs since 2018.

Five-Year Trend

2021 spring: Sayville
2021 fall: East Islip
2022: Sayville
2023: East Islip

2024: Sayville

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