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Football: Babylon blows out Porters, 45-8

Greenport:Southold:Mattituck football 092316

The real Babylon is back.

If the Babylon High School football team’s 49-0 blowout of Bayport-Blue Point and 27-21 overtime defeat of Shoreham-Wading River (snapping the two-time defending Long Island champion’s 25-game win streak) wasn’t evidence enough, Greenport/Southold/Mattituck found out firsthand just how good the Panthers are on Friday night.

Greenport, playing on Babylon’s new field turf with the large orange pawprint at midfield for the first time, had started off promisingly in the game between the two 2-0 Suffolk County Division IV teams. On the Porters’ third play from scrimmage, Sean Sepenoski took the snap from center and tossed the ball back to Jordan Fonseca, who then found the speedy Jake Skrezec for a 74-yard touchdown connection. Skrezec then ran in the conversion and just like that it was 8-0 Greenport.

It went downhill from there, though, for Greenport as Babylon reeled off 45 unanswered points for a convincing 45-8 win.

Babylon, which went 10-9 over the last two years (very unlike the Panthers), looks to be back to its old, dominating self.

Senior quarterback Scott Sasso accounted for 11 points himself. He went 4-for-9 passing for 110 yards and a touchdown, a 59-yarder to Jason Carlock (four catches, 110 yards), who gained separation down the left side. Sasso also ran for a touchdown and gained 87 yards from 12 carries. In addition, he passed for a two-point conversion to Carlock, ran for another two points and went 3-for-3 on extra-point kicks.

Other than Greenport’s touchdown pass, the Porters managed only 30 yards of offense.

It took Babylon only four plays from scrimmage after the game-opening touchdown to reply with a score of its own through Charlie DiPalma’s seven-yard run, set up by a 47-yard keeper by Sasso. Zach Amelia’s two-point run tied it at 8-8.

On the third play of Greenport’s next series, Sepenoski dropped back to pass and was looking for a receiver when Gujuan Booker stripped him of the ball and ran it nine yards to the end zone.

Babylon added to the score with touchdown runs by Chris Costanzo, Sasso and Frank Vano.

The score could have leaned even more heavily in Babylon’s favor if not for a sportsmanlike gesture by the Panthers. With his team already up 45-8 late in the fourth quarter, Babylon’s Justin Vega bolted free for a 12-yard gain before intentionally stepping out of bounds at the Greenport 1-yard line when he could have easily crossed the goal line. Babylon took a delay-of-game penalty and four knees before turning the ball over on downs.

Greenport’s Keegan Syron, who did not practice all week because of an ailing ankle, played mostly defense, with limited time at running back. The bulk of the carries went to Gage Suglia, who picked up 54 yards on 12 rushing attempts.

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Photo caption: Greenport/Southold/Mattituck played on Babylon’s new field for the first time and suffered its first loss of the season. (Credit: Bob Liepa)