Office of Athletics, Health & Physical Education
Home of the "Clippers"
Mr. Robert McIntyre, Director
Welcome to the Athletic Department of the South Country Central School District, home to the Bellport Clippers.
We have an outstanding athletic program, which includes a number of championship teams. Our nationally recognized Bellport Varsity Football Team won the Long Island Championship for the 6th time in 2010. During that same season our Girls Volleyball Team won the Suffolk County Championship. The Varsity Boys Track 4 x 800 Relay Team won the Suffolk County Championship, the New York Relays and the Melrose games the past two years, and in 2012 the team won a league title. Ninety percent of our varsity teams receive the New York State Scholar Team Award on an annual basis. We are proud of our accomplishments and invite you to take a moment to explore our website.
For more information about our programs, please feel free to call my office at (631)730-1597 or email me at rmcintyre@southcountry.org.
Click here to register for Family ID
Summer physicals are scheduled for July 31st and August 7th 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Fall 2019 High School Sports Start Dates:
- August 19th-
JV and Varsity Football
- August 26th
JV and Varsity Soccer, Cross Country, Boys' Golf,
Girls' Tennis, Volleyball and Cheerleading
Fall JV and Varsity Sports First Day Schedule Monday August 26th
Boys' Golf - 9:00 am, Outside the Boys Gym Lobby
Girls' Volleyball - 8:00 am, Girls' Gymnasium
Girls' Tennis - 8:00 am, Tennis Courts
Girls' Soccer - 8:00 am, Turf Field
Boys' Soccer - 8:00 am, Turf Field
Girls' Cross Country - 8:00 am, Boys Gym Lobby
Boys' Cross Country - 8:00 am, Boys Gym Lobby
Cheerleading - 8:00 am, Boys Gymnasium
In The News
Boys' Spring Track 2019 League 4 Champions
Bellport baseball preview
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 3/21/19)
It’s that time of the year again. The weather is getting better, the snow is melting, the clouds are clearing. It’s the most beautiful time of the year, as the famous Vin Scully would say. It is time for Bellport baseball.
The Bellport Clippers will be opening up their 2019 regular season in two weeks, in a nonleague game against West Babylon. Their season has already begun, as they’ve played scrimmages against Center Moriches, William Floyd and Riverhead. After making playoffs their previous four years with a league championship to their name, they want to keep riding that streak and make it five straight.
To do that, they count with the new incorporations of senior Ayden DeGrijze and juniors Nicholas Promutico, Thomas Miller, Matthew Sweeney, Cesar Solorzano, Matt Harper, Sean Vargas, Tyler Walsh and Christian Rountree. They will also be counting with returning players Maxwell Kaczmarek, Maximo Di Giacomo, Thomas Allocca, Samuel Hampson, Christopher Colon and Dimitri Arresto, all seniors.
To add to this, they have three players who will be playing their third and final year on varsity: Justin Maler, Andrew Veit and Brennan Beatrice, who were all vital pieces to the championship in 2017, as well as Carson Nagle, who looks forward to being a utility infielder, and junior Matthew Vasquez, who got the call and trust from the coaches as a sophomore.
This year, Bellport will be in League IV going against Comsewogue, Deer Park, Huntington, North Babylon and West Islip. All of these opponents are familiar; they faced Deer Park and Comsewogue last year and faced Huntington, North Babylon and West Islip in their 2017 championship season.
Last year, the Clippers beat Comsewogue in three out of four matchups and beat Deer Park once. Beatrice, Veit and Maler were part of the team that swept North Babylon and Huntington in the 2017 season. West Islip reached the Class AA Long Island final last year with a 24-2 record, a well-respected rival by everyone on the island.
For the Clippers, Maler ended the season riding a nine-game hitting streak, batting .366 with three doubles and five RBIs. Beatrice batted .365 with 23 hits, 23 RBIs and nine doubles; on the mound he won three games and delivered the game-winning hit that sent the Clippers to playoffs in the bottom of the ninth after beginning the season 3-7. Veit was nothing short of amazing, letting up one to two runs in every start.
“I want to step up more this year as a leader. I want to pass my experience to my teammates so we can be as successful as possible,” said Maler. “It’s my third year on varsity; being a leader is me showing the juniors the day-in and day-out grind of the season,” added Beatrice. He also said how there’s dedication required to make playoffs, and the team has to stick together.
“It means a lot that the coaches have trusted me. My advice to the newcomers is always hustle and play hard — it could go a long way,” added Vasquez.
“There’s no jitters. I know my teammates will have my back and I will have theirs. I am looking to end my last season with a bang,” concluded Veit.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 3/21/19)
Clippers ace it as League 3 champs
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 2/14/19)
With North Babylon’s loss to Deer Park and Bellport’s win against West Isliip, the Clippers are the lone champions of League III, their second consecutive title, but they’re all by themselves this time around.
Regardless of the result of the Deer Park-North Babylon game, Bellport needed a win to ensure at least a tie and repeat their league title. They did it without leaving anyone any doubt, defeating the Lions 95-39. They rolled right off the bat, outscoring their opponent 41-9. They controlled the pace and the rhythm in the first half, which lead to a 52-13 lead at halftime. In the second half, they applied the same textbook defense, limiting their opponent to 26 points while scoring 43.
Jarell White made history, becoming the 12th player on Long Island to score over 2,000 points in their high school career. He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal. Devon Balfour finished with another double-double, nailing 19 points and 11 rebounds along with four assists, two blocks and a steal. Kyle Climan had his highest scoring game of his high school career, finishing with 12 points, three boards and five dimes. Jaylen Trent had 15 points and three rebounds. Andrew Veit had six points, five rebounds and four assists. Shaliq Cochran and Jeffrey Stewart had three points each, while Sean Vargas, Donald Henderson and Mike Alvarado combined for nine points and nine rebounds.
With the Clippers winning their game, they awaited the result of the North Babylon-Deer Park game. After North Babylon built a 10-point lead in the the third quarter, they were outscored 31-13 in the fourth. Malik Edmead, D’Andre Edwards and Jordan Rios scored 28 of the Falcons’ 31 points in the fourth quarter. Edmead and Edwards finished with 25 points each.
Bellport finished with a 15-1 record, while North Babylon finished second with a 14-2 record. The Clippers sacrifice, sweat and extra hours at the gym earned them this league title. They finished the season averaging 77 points per game and allowing 57 points.
Bellport will be the third seed for the Class AA tournament, and their first game will be today against 14th seed Central Islip at 5 p.m. at Randy Smith Basketball Court. With a win, the Clippers would play the winner of the matchup between sixth seed Deer Park and 11th seed Smithtown West this Saturday at noon at Bellport High School.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 2/14/19)
BELLPORT’S JARELL WHITE REACHES 2,000 POINTS & 1,000 REBOUNDS
Section XI News – February 9, 2019
Congrats to Bellport’s Jarell White on two major milestones. He is Bellport’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder!
Jarell White (36 points, 21 rebounds) leads Bellport past Deer Park
By Roger Rubin (Courtesy of Newsday)
Jarell White has mounted a relentless attack on this basketball season. The 6-4, 230-pound Bellport senior has been terrorizing opponents all through it with his unwavering nose for the basket and his untiring passion for the rebound. On Tuesday evening, he was presented with something he could really sink his teeth into: a game against Deer Park.
A year ago, the Falcons did a number on Bellport. First, they ended the Clippers’ unbeaten season in Suffolk AA-III to snare a share of the conference title. Then they showed the Clippers the door in the county playoffs. “After what they did to us last season,” White said, “Deer Park is a team we all get fired up for.”
That was clear as White ran roughshod over the host Falcons, going for 36 points and 21 rebounds in an 84-66 victory. Bellport (14-1) clinched at least a share of the conference championship. Deer Park (12-3) is still bound for the postseason, but the loss means it will finish no better than third.
One-on-one with Trent and Wilson
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 11/22/18)
After
a heartbreaking junior football season last year, the Bellport Clippers
decided that wouldn’t happen again, being led by seniors Myles Wilson
and DJ Trent in their third and final year of varsity football. Earlier
this week, the Long Island Advance was able to sit down and get a word with them.
Long Island Advance: How did losing the first game shape the rest of the season?
DJ Trent: It
was a really close game and we had it. If you bring the call back, we
win the game, or if we executed in the end zone, it didn’t get our hopes
up, it just motivated us. West Islip is a good team.
Myles Wilson: The
loss hurt a lot. It was a home opener, alumni day and we were up, but
after that we battled back and tried to remain focused on the goal.
LIA: After losing against Centereach, it sparked a run and you guys got four straight wins. How did that fuel the fire?
DJT: Going
into Centereach, we were cocky but not confident. We lost a close one
by three, but that was a wake-up call. Anyone was beatable; it doesn’t
matter who’s on the field — every team was good. The quarterback came
out and we thought it would be simple, but they caught us off guard.
MW: It taught us to be more humble and that we were not invincible. We needed to be all in and bounce back.
LIA: What was it like playing your last game on Joe Cipp Field?
DJT: It
was challenging. Lindy had the No. 1 tight end in the nation, but I
like those types of games. The game was pretty emotional for me; a
couple of blown coverages and not finishing lost us the game.
MW: It was a great game. Lindenhurst was a great team and it was a battle.
LIA: What have these three years of varsity football taught you?
DJT: Very
humbling. It’s a sign of relief, since the first time I played football
my teammates told me I was too small and laughed at me for being a
first-string running back. I came out and had a pretty good year. They
told me I wasn’t good enough to be on the team — that fueled the fire
and after that I worked hard and didn’t take anything from anyone.
Coming in second wasn’t an option.
MW: It taught
me to love honestly. I walked in at 15 and ended at 17. Those three
years flew by and I still can’t believe it’s over, but it taught me how
to love and work hard.
LIA: What piece of advice do you have for future Bellport football players?
DJT: With
rich pride and spirit, never let a man take your heart from you. The
coaches will always be there for you; if you see someone skipping laps,
call it out. It doesn’t mean anything; be on their backs. You can’t let
anyone slack off, because you won’t win a championship that way.
MW: If
I have any advice for my future brothers, I just want them to know you
have to work hard and take it serious at any grade or age. If you’re a
starter or not, it doesn’t matter, because it all goes by so fast.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 11/22/18)
Bellport volleyball wins first round of playoffs
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 11/1/18)
This past Monday at Bellport High School, the Clippers played their first round of playoffs, defeating Centereach. Bellport came into this game as the eighth seed after being undefeated in their league with a 10-0 record. Overall, they were 14-4.
The Clippers swept their entire league, defeating West Islip, Deer Park, Huntington, North Babylon and Comsewogue, and clinched the league title in their senior game when they defeated North Babylon in straight sets, 25-14, 25-18 and 25-12. They visited West Islip, where they dropped the first set, 23-25, but came back and won in four sets, 25-13, 25-17 and 25-14.
It was Bellport’s third league title in six years, displaying how dominant the volleyball program has become. After this game, the Clippers awaited their opponent in the first round, Centereach. They faced Centereach in their seventh game of the season, handing the Clippers their first loss, 25-22, 18-25, 21-25 and 6-25.
After Centereach won seven of their 10 games, they were the ninth seed, which meant a rematch with Bellport. The Clippers were home with a full house. They got their revenge, defeating the Cougars in straight sets, 25-20, 25-18 and 25-20.
“We went onto the court knowing we weren’t ready for this season to end and we could accomplish our goal of getting past the first round of playoffs,” said senior captain Alyssa Mantione. “Losing to them during our regular season gave us more motivation to win and move further in playoffs.”
Jaelyn Conquest and Colleen Shaw each had nine kills and 11 blocks, Jamie Trowbridge had eight kills and 22 digs, Mantione had 15 assists and Tamia Lawson had 16.
“It feels great … [I am] proud to have accomplished this with my team. It’s bittersweet that it’s my last year playing, but glad to have a successful season so far,” said Conquest. “As a captain, it’s important to make sure you keep a positive attitude for yourself and for your team.”
With this victory Bellport earned themselves an appointment with Smithtown West, who were ranked the best team for the playoffs after going 11-0 in their league and 16-1 overall. The Clippers on the road have a record of 6-2, winning 19 of 28 possible sets. This game will be held later today at a time to be determined at Smithtown West High School.
“It’s now or never; once we got on the court all the jitters went away. We knew this was our game and it was our time to dominate,” said Trowbridge.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 11/1/18)
Bellport soccer heads to playoffs
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 10/18/18)
Earlier this week, the Bellport soccer team played Deer Park with one thing in mind: playoffs. They had two opportunities to do so, but assured it after defeating the Falcons.
After being 3-3 in the first half of the season, the Clippers decided to flip the switch for the second half, proving that last year wasn’t just luck.
Coincidentally, the first game of the season was against Deer Park, who they beat 3-0 at home with two goals from Jonathan Cruz and one from Louis Velasco. They then visited West Islip and tied 3-3 and defeated Huntington and Centereach 1-0. Against Huntington, Cruz was the hero with one minute remaining in extra time. Against Centereach, midway through the first half Cruz bagged his seventh goal of the season. When they visited Comsewogue, they took a 2-1 victory through goals from Velasco and Cruz, but then had two difficult tasks on the road against two of the best teams in Class AA division: Newfield and North Babylon. They lost 0-3 and 1-2, respectively.
They got back on track against Smithtown East with a 1-0 victory. Justin Barbecho made a 25-yard free kick with two minutes remaining in double overtime.
With two games left, one on the road and one at home, the Clippers needed just one more victory to assure a spot and they did this past Monday, Oct. 15. Maicon Contreras converted from the penalty spot 20 minutes into the first half, which was enough for the Clippers to win. Goalkeeper Sam Hampson had also been key in the win, keeping a clean sheet in five of these nine games, having 72 saves for an average of eight per game.
Bellport (8-5-1) as of press time played their senior game against West Islip yesterday, Wednesday, Oct. 17, and will await their opponent in the first round of the Class AA playoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 23.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 10/18/18)
Bellport football blowout
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 10/18/18)
After an amazing homecoming win, Bellport got back to work last Saturday, on the road visiting Half Hollow Hills East and obtaining another victory.
The Clippers wanted to make another statement, after pouring on 43 points in their last road game. They got off to a slow start, as a series of plays saw Jon Spadafora rush for 2 yards into the end zone as Brandon Peskin added the extra point. But it wouldn’t take much for the Clippers to tie a lead by a couple of rushes between Ka’Shaun Parrish and DJ Trent. A minute later they took the lead, as Parrish aired a 32-yard pass to Myles Wilson; Parrish himself added two more by rushing into the end zone and, with two minutes left in the quarter, Bellport took even more.
Trent created space for himself and rushed for 55 yards across the field to the end zone. Christian Moreno added the extra point to make it a two-possession game. In the second quarter the defense from the Thunderbirds and the Clippers stood out, Trent having an interception and Khyree Wilson with three tackles. Wilson finished the game with 10 tackles, leading the team.
Coming out of halftime, Bellport didn’t want to settle with just a two-score lead. Parrish completed a 19-yard pass to Kyler Pizzo and afterwards rushed for 61 yards into the end zone, as Moreno added the extra point. Five minutes later, Parrish rushed for 14 yards this time and Moreno added the extra point, his third of the day. The Clippers wanted to put the nail in the coffin early in the fourth quarter and after two minutes, Jhamari Bell rushed for 22 yards and scored 40 points for the third time this season. Shaun Bolton rushed for 11 yards into the end zone as well, as Bellport won 47-14.
“After the first loss on the road, we were all brought in and knew we were better than that,” said Wilson. “We started to become closer and started rolling through teams, without taking this for granted.”
Parrish finished the game with five attempts and 148 yards with two touchdowns; Trent finished with eight attempts, 122 yards and two touchdowns as well. Bell finished with 66 yards and a touchdown and Bolton had a touchdown.
Bellport (4-2) will now face Copiague tomorrow at Copiague High School at 6 p.m. The Eagles are winless this season, allowing an average of 35 points per game at home. On the other hand, the Clippers look forward to ending their last road game on a good note before heading back home for the last game of the regular season. The Clippers average 35 points per game on the road.
“We approach every week the same way — records and stats don’t mean anything to us,” said Trent. “We don’t believe in overlooking teams, we celebrate the win and the next day we’re focused on the next game.”
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 10/18/18)
JV and Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team up to fight breast cancer
Bellport football’s homecoming victory
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 10/11/18)
Bellport’s annual homecoming game was celebrated this past Saturday, when they came out on top with a 34-8 victory against Riverhead.
Ahead of the game’s start, Gregg Giannotti of the WFAN “Boomer and Gio” show did the coin toss. Giannotti is an alumnus of the Bellport football program. Although the visiting team began with the ball, it wasn’t long before the Clippers forced a punt. Then, after seven plays and eight minutes of possession, Ka’Shaun Parrish rushed for 10 yards into the end zone, and went for an extra two as Myles Wilson caught the pass.
In the second quarter, the Clippers found their rhythm and, after four plays, Parrish rushed for 41 yards as Christian Moreno added the extra point and Bellport led 15-0. The Blue Waves cut it to a one-possession game when Christian Pace threw a 14-yard pass to Anthony Marcello. Isaiah Barbieri added an extra two with a rush. The Clippers didn’t take long to make it a two-score game again, when a punt return to Parrish saw him end up at the opposing 10-yard line. DJ Trent was in charge of adding six more as he rushed into the end zone, with Moreno adding the extra point.
“We were up two scores, but we humbled ourselves. The game wasn’t over and we needed to put the nail in the coffin,” said Trent.
Bellport did just that coming out of halftime. A miscommunication in the Riverhead offense and pressure by the Clippers defense resulted in a fumble. Jhamari Bell recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. The Blue Waves had the ball once again as Kyler Pizzo intercepted it and rushed for 21 yards and Moreno added the extra point.
“It was very emotional for me thinking about it, being my last homecoming in Bellport. We needed the win to build a streak,” said Trent. “We [have to] stay focused and locked in and we need to have the same approach for the last three games.”
More than 1,000 fans were in attendance. “The crowd was ecstatic,” said Wilson. “It was live, and it felt great to have them support us when we got into slumps or when we were scoring TDs. I love this. It was the best crowd I’ve seen in a while.” Bellport (3-2) now faces Half Hollow Hills East (1-4) on Saturday at Hills East at 1:30 p.m. The Thunderbirds allow an average of 38 points at home, while the Clippers average 29 points on the road.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 10/11/18)
BELLPORT VOLLEYBALL KICKS OFF WITH A BANG
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 9/20/18)
Last year the Bellport girls varsity volleyball team finished with a 9-8 record (8-2 league) and fell in the first round of playoffs. This year they seek to continue the streak of consecutive years in making the playoffs and to be one of the best teams in League IV, as they have been the last four years. They have seven returning players: senior captains Jaelyn Conquest, Alyssa Mantione and Jamie Trowbridge. They also have Anecya Sutton, Tamia Lawson, Madison Baumann, Mia Suarez and Emma Bautista and have added Colleen Shaw, Sofia Gannon, Eva Colon, Samantha Rieb, Hanna Lupo, Isa-bella Caypinar and Emily Gentzel. “It’s always been a privilege playing with these girls; we’ve always had a good reputation for being a competitive team,” said Conquest.
Their first game began at home with a non-league game against Brentwood, who won one game last year. The Clippers won the game in straight sets 25-8, 25-21 and 25-10. Conquest had four kills, two digs, two blocks and two aces. Mantione had two kills, eight assists, five digs, a block and five aces. Trowbridge had two kills and four aces. Shaw, Gannon, Colon, Sutton and Lawson combined for nine kills and five aces. Baumann had a block and with Rieb, Lupo, Caypinar, Suarez, Gentzel and Bautista combined for 13 digs. With one victory in hand, Bellport was confident going into Hills East. Bellport defeated Half Hollow Hills East in five sets, 25-20, 23-25, 22-25, 25-16 and 25-23. Conquest had 13 kills, 15 digs, 11 blocks and three aces while serving. Mantione had 22 assists. Gentzel had 11 and 14 digs. Trowbridge had seven kills and 13 digs. Lawson had nine assists. Gannon, Lupo, Caypinar and Bautista combined for 14 digs. This was a good victory for the Clippers to gain confidence early in the season.
Their third and final game of the week was their first league game, where they played Comsewogue at home. They rolled over the Warriors, cruising in straight sets 25-7, 25-9 and 25-9. Mantione had three kills and nine assists. Lawson had two kills, six aces and nine assists. Lupo had four assists. Conquest had four kills and three blocks. Rieb, Sutton, Gentzel, Colon and Gannon combined for eight kills, while Caypinar, Suarez and Baumann combined for six digs. “Having the support of our fans and schoolmates will motivate us and help us rise to the occasion,” added Trowbridge.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 9/20/18)
Bellport football takes convincing victory
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 9/20/18)
After a war between West Islip and Bellport last week ended in a close loss, the Bellport Clippers got back on track, blowing out Smithtown East 48-7.
In last week’s showdown between the Lions and the Clippers, a rematch of the 2016 playoffs, the Lions outdueled the Clippers 29-28 in a game that went down to the wire. Before heading to the road, Bellport had one more game against Smithtown East, who defeated Copiague 42-13 in their first week of the 2018-19 season.
In the opening possession, Ka’Shaun Parrish threw a 40-yard ball to DJ Trent, which looked to be caught by him, as he had the ball in his hands when the play ended, but the referees ruled an interception. Smithtown East capitalized off of this, scoring a touchdown and leading 7-0, but from there on, the home team brought out its artillery.
After the kickoff, Parrish threw a 75-yard pass to Myles Wilson in the first play of the drive for a touchdown and Bellport trailed by one. In the second quarter, the Clippers scored 29 unanswered points. A factor that started this was Wilson blocking a punt inside the red zone with 11:38 remaining. Parrish then threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Pizzo, who ran for two extra points. Four minutes later, Trent found space and ran for 40 yards all the way to the end zone. Christian Moreno was in charge of adding the extra point.
With five minutes remaining, Wilson blocked the punt from the Bulls as Kyler Pizzo recovered the ball and ran for 44 yards all the way into the end zone and Moreno added the extra point. With a minute left in the half, Bellport got the ball back and reached the red zone, where Parrish rushed for six yards for a touchdown. Moreno added his third extra point of the afternoon.
The defense for the Clippers kept holding it down, refusing to let the visiting team convert on fourth down and on third downs, forcing them to punt or give the ball up. In the fourth quarter with a little under 10 minutes remaining, the Clippers were a threat as Jhamari Bell rushed for six yards into the end zone as Moreno added the extra point. The Clippers weren’t done, as Shaun Bolton rushed 60 yards to add six more to the board.
“We knew the game wasn’t going to be easy, but we battled back after facing adversity and came together and got the job done,” said Wilson. “We started clicking on offense and defense and we were happy with the result.”
Bellport (1-1) will now hit the road for the next two weeks, where they will face Centereach (1-1) and Smithtown West (2-0).
“We have to work hard all week; we need to key in on the little things. Most importantly, we have to be disciplined and focus on the little things,” added Trent.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 9/20/18)
Two victories for Bellport soccer
(By Andres Rivas, The Long Island Advance 9/13/18)
After reaching the playoffs for the first time in nine years, the Bellport soccer team is looking forward to keeping in that direction this season by winning League III. It won’t be an easy task for the Clippers, as they have Newfield, Smithtown East, North Babylon and Huntington in their division. They also have Deer Park and West Islip, who they defeated in their senior game last year to make playoffs and break the nine-year drought. The team is counting on their senior captains Steven Williamson, Samuel Hampson, Justin Barbecho, Jonathan Ulloa and Gerson Granados. Their first game on Sept. 1 was against Huntington, ranked No. 6 in the county last year. The Clippers got the start they wanted, dominating on their half for the initial 15 minutes, playing with through passes and had two shots on target. After 19 minutes, Josiah Igwe got a chance to break the tie and he converted. From there on, there was an aggression-style of football from the away team, but it was 1-0 headed to the break. After the break, the game changed; three minutes in, Huntington made it 1-1 with an effort inside the box. With little less than a half-hour remaining, Huntington found the space they needed to get a breakaway, and after they got inside the box they wouldn’t miss. Five minutes later Bellport had their chance to tie through Leo Argueta, but was denied by the goalkeeper. In the ending minutes, there was a controversy on a cross to the box. The ball ended up in the back of the net for the Clippers to make it 2-2, but the referee called it back and said he didn’t see it. Coaches on the Bellport side claimed the goalie grabbed it from inside the net, but the game rolled on and the Blue Devils took the victory. “After a good season last year, the boys and I want to improve. We have a great team this year and could do big things if we stay mentally strong and have each other’s backs.” said Ulloa. The next game on Sept. 4 was against Centereach, who tied in their first game of the season against Comsewogue. The Clippers managed to defeat the Cougars 3-1. Throughout the game they passed the ball from side to side, looking for through balls and striking first. Igwe scored his second goal and put his team up 1-0 after 15 minutes. Centereach looked for a counter attack, but Barbecho pressed the man at midfield and intercepted it; he then gave a through ball to Argueta to make it 2-0. With five minutes left in the half, there was a foul inside the box and Centereach cut the lead to 2-1 with a penalty from Eric Beukelaer. In the second half, Bellport continued to have possession of the ball and there was a foul inside the box with 15 minutes remaining, and Maicon Contreras converted from the spot. “We need to have the same mentality to win and become better as a team,” said Barbecho. Heading back home on Sept. 6, the Clippers wanted to make it two straight wins and soon took their first win in front of their fans against Comsewogue, with a convincing 3-0 result. Ten minutes in, a cross from Barbecho at the 40-yard line went in the box, where Cruz converted to make it 1-0. Then Troy Zarba took a free kick and Contreras finished it for his second goal in three games. In the second half, the Clippers maintained the lead and increased it when Cruz got a brace off a Williamson assist. But with four games in five days, the fatigue caught up to the Clippers and they were defeated 7-2 by North Babylon on Sept. 8. Contreras scored his third goal of the year, a penalty, and Igwe did as well. “We have a super-talented team and when we’re playing in form no one can beat us. We just have to stay focused and remain as one,” added Hampson. Bellport (2-2) will now face Newfield (3-0) next Monday at 4 p.m. at Bellport High School.
(Courtesy of The Long Island Advance 9/13/18)
