The Bellwood Cup goes to Longwood

Before Opening Day arrives, there is one annual Suffolk County high school football tradition that gives players and coaches a chance to get a little extra work in while also playing for some hardware.

The Bellwood Cup was up for grabs once again, and this year it belongs to the Longwood Lions.

Longwood defeated Bellport, 21-0, in one of the most anticipated scrimmage matchups of the preseason, putting together a tough, physical performance on both sides of the football.

While the game doesn’t count toward either team’s regular-season record, there is always plenty of pride involved when these two programs get together.

Longwood head coach Sean Kluber and Bellport head coach Jamie Fabian brought their teams together for a competitive afternoon that allowed both programs to test themselves against quality competition before the games begin for real.

The result was a defensive battle, with Longwood ultimately finding enough offense to pull away while keeping the Clippers off the scoreboard.

Kluber also pointed to the connection between the two programs and the coaching history that makes the Bellwood Cup more than just another preseason scrimmage.

“Both programs share many of the same branches of the Joe Cipp Jr. coaching tree, and it’s always nice to get together and make each other better,” Kluber wrote.

That shared coaching history has helped make this matchup an annual tradition, but the bigger goal remains getting both teams ready for the season ahead.

For Longwood, bringing home the Bellwood Cup provides an early confidence boost heading into Opening Day.

For Bellport, the scrimmage provided an opportunity to see where the team stands and what needs to be cleaned up before the games begin counting.

Now, however, the Bellwood Cup can take a spot on the shelf and both programs can turn their attention toward the regular season.

Kluber wished the Clippers the best for the upcoming season, and there is little doubt both teams will be looking to make their own mark once the games begin to count.

The Bellwood Cup may have gone to Longwood this time around, but the real goal for both programs is what comes next.