Division III Preview: New Coaches, Proven Leaders and Plenty of Teams Ready to Make a Run

Division III might be one of the most interesting divisions in Suffolk County this season because there are so many different storylines playing out at once. There are new coaches taking over established programs, veteran coaches trying to push their teams to the next level and several teams that believe they are capable of making a deep playoff run.

There is also no shortage of quarterback questions. Some teams have experienced signal callers returning, while others are turning to players who are making the jump into the position for the first time. In a division this competitive, that could ultimately be what separates the contenders from everyone else.

Comsewogue Head Coach: Sean Tremblay

Comsewogue usually wants to make you defend the run, but Anthony Martinelli gives Coach Tremblay a reason to open things up a little more this season. The junior quarterback brings another dimension to an offense that already has some important pieces.

Iziah Iacono will be one of the most important players on the team as he anchors the offensive line. His play up front will determine how much freedom Martinelli has to make plays. Robert Di Fazio and junior receivers AJ Davis and Dylan Giorlando give Comsewogue some weapons on the outside.

This is a team that can beat you in multiple ways, and if Martinelli can make defenses respect the passing game, Comsewogue could be a difficult matchup come playoff time.

East Hampton Head Coach: Jaron Greenidge

There is a changing of the guard at East Hampton after Joe McKee retired following 15 years as head coach. The new man in charge, however, is hardly new to the program.

Defensive coordinator Jaron Greenidge takes over after six seasons on the staff, so he knows the players and understands the system. What was interesting at Media Day was how much Greenidge focused on the offense despite coming from the defensive side of the ball.

Tiger Brew and Sully Matthews will give the team strength up front, while Jackson Ronick and Jackson Carney are expected to provide playmaking ability. We already know what Greenidge can do with a defense. If he can get the offense moving quickly, East Hampton could make the transition look easy.

East Islip Head Coach: Sal J. Ciampi

East Islip is back in Division III after spending time in both Division IV and Division II, and Coach Ciampi believes all that movement has prepared his team for whatever this division throws at them.

Kristian Burnett is the player I will be watching closely. Ciampi moved Burnett into the starting lineup as a sophomore and said, “That's when we really took off as a team.” East Islip won seven games after that move, and now Burnett enters the season with another year of experience.

The Redmen know this division well, and with Burnett leading the way, they have the experience to compete.

Eastport-South Manor Head Coach: Guy Buckley

If there is one word that describes Eastport-South Manor heading into this season, it might be energy.

Buckley has a lot of new faces, but the increased numbers have created plenty of excitement around the program. More importantly, he still has some veterans who can help bring the younger players along.

Three-year starter Cole Klein is one of those players, while seniors Tommy Powers, Joseph Green, Joe Hershey and Victor Cepeda Lohman provide additional experience. Jayden Durham returns at quarterback, and Buckley was very complimentary of his skill-position group, calling the running backs and receivers “pretty, pretty good.”

That is a good combination. The question is whether the offensive line can keep pace with the skill players. If it can, ESM could be one of those teams nobody wants to see late in the season.

Half Hollow Hills West Head Coach: Bradley McCoy

There may not be a bigger rebuilding story in Division III than Half Hollow Hills West.

Gerald Filardi is no longer on the sidelines, and now Bradley McCoy takes over a program coming off a winless season. McCoy knows there is work to do, but he also sees something that can be built.

The first step has been creating excitement, and the numbers are already up. The Wolfpack have several multi-sport athletes who can help change the personality of the team, including Samuel Seid. Justin Zeva and Logan Bihn will be counted on to make plays and stretch the field.

This won't happen overnight, but McCoy has a chance to establish a new identity. If that new energy translates onto the field, Hills West could be a completely different team.

Hauppauge Head Coach: Chris Diesso

Coach Diesso enters his fourth season and has established one thing at Hauppauge: the offense is going to be fun to watch.

Christian Mooney will be a key weapon at wide receiver, while Liam O'Connor will handle plenty of the work in the running game. The offensive line could be the difference-maker, with senior Cruz Vargas and junior Dom Green helping create running lanes.

The offense should produce. That part isn't really a question. The bigger question is whether the defense can make enough progress to allow the Eagles to turn those points into wins.

If it does, Hauppauge could surprise some people.

Islip Head Coach: Jamie Lynch

Islip has an intriguing situation at quarterback with Jack Halpin making the transition back to the position. Halpin played quarterback at the JV level, but last season he was used as a skill-position player.

Now he is being asked to lead the offense.

That is a major adjustment, but the Buccaneers believe he has the athletic ability to become a dangerous dual-threat quarterback. He also has a veteran group protecting him, led by Jhon Elmounce and Christian Orosovich.

The offensive line could make Halpin's transition much easier. If he gets comfortable early, Islip could have a much more explosive offense than people expect.

Rocky Point Head Coach: Anthony DiLorenzo

Rocky Point is one of those teams where experience and continuity could make a major difference.

The Eagles have two captains who have been in the program since sixth grade, and senior captain Peyton Reisinger is ready to finally get the opportunity he was supposed to have years ago.

Reisinger was expected to start as a sophomore before an injury changed everything. Now healthy, he is the centerpiece of the offense.

Rocky Point went 4-4 last season and missed the playoffs by just a few points. That should give this group plenty of motivation.

Evan Cruz also returns after leading the team in tackles last season. As a three-year starter, he will be one of the leaders of the defense.

For Rocky Point, the formula is pretty simple: stay healthy, get Reisinger comfortable and let the veteran players lead. If that happens, this is a playoff team.

Smithtown West Head Coach: Craig Perrino

Smithtown West is coming off an excellent season, but this year brings a completely different challenge.

The Bulls graduated 24 seniors, which is a massive amount of production to replace. Still, Coach Perrino believes the players stepping into those roles have already shown they are ready.

Luke Brown, Colin Murphy and Will Noto will be among the players asked to take on larger responsibilities. Perrino called their offseason “phenomenal,” and that work could be the difference.

The expectations might be different than last year, but this group doesn't seem interested in using graduation as an excuse. They want to prove the program has enough depth to reload.

West Babylon Head Coach:

West Babylon might be the most intriguing team in the division because the National Football Foundation has already put a target on its back by naming the Eagles the preseason Surprise Team.

This is their first season back in Division III since 2019, and they have the experience to make that return interesting.

Senior Jahavi Reyes has been on varsity since his freshman year and has started every game during that time. Now he moves under center. Xavier Estevez is another player with four years of varsity experience, giving the Eagles two players who have seen just about everything at this level.

The first-year head coach wants a physical, smash-mouth team, and that style could fit this group perfectly.

If West Babylon adjusts quickly to the new division, don't be surprised if the preseason honor looks pretty smart by November.

West Islip Head Coach: Steve Mileti

West Islip might have one of the best leadership groups in the division.

Jake Kramer, Matt Marker, Pete Malone and Luke Tate are all three-year starters, and that kind of experience is something every coach wants.

Ryan Gaffney will take over at quarterback, and the good news for him is that he won't have to figure everything out by himself. Tate and Colin German are part of a veteran offensive line that should give him time to develop.

The Lions have the experience. Now they have to turn that experience into wins.

Westhampton Beach Head Coach: Bryan Schaumloffel

If you're looking for one of the biggest offensive storylines in Division III, look no further than Westhampton Beach.

Jake Calloway was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and the senior quarterback will be the engine that drives the Hurricanes.

The only question is health.

Calloway has missed significant time over the past two seasons with injuries, but when he has been on the field, the talent has been obvious. This year, Westhampton wants to finally see what he can do over an entire season.

And he won't be alone.

Nic Simone returns after carrying much of the offense last year when Calloway was out. Simone rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns, showing that Westhampton has a legitimate weapon in the backfield.

If Calloway stays healthy, the Hurricanes can be dangerous. If Simone continues to run the way he did last season, defenses won't be able to simply focus on the quarterback.

The Division III Picture

There are plenty of different paths to success in Division III this year. Comsewogue has an opportunity to become more balanced, East Hampton has a new coach who already knows the program, East Islip has a proven veteran coach and quarterback, while ESM has the numbers and skill talent to surprise.

Then there are the teams with something to prove.

Rocky Point wants to turn last year's near miss into a playoff berth. West Babylon is returning to a division where it believes it belongs. Smithtown West wants to prove last year's success wasn't simply the result of a great senior class. West Islip has the veteran leadership to make a run, while Westhampton Beach could have the division's most explosive quarterback-running back combination.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it are the teams trying to figure out whether they are contenders or simply hoping to get into the postseason.

That is what makes Division III so interesting this season. There isn't one obvious path to the championship, and there are several teams that can make a case.

The team that handles the quarterback questions, stays healthy and wins the close games could very well be the one playing for the title when the season reaches November.