The rain did not dampen the spirits of the West Islip community as they came out to celebrate the district’s homecoming on Sept. 28. The festivities kicked off with a parade down Higbie Lane to the West Islip High School football field. West Islip administrators, Board of Education members, cheerleaders, football players and the homecoming court did their best to stay dry as they made their way to the field.

The freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes paraded their homecoming banners around the track just before kickoff.  The Lions squared up against the Centereach Cougars and dominated the game from the start. Some highlights include Jake Lella’s three interceptions and Jayson Carlson’s four tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Stephen McDermott had five tackles and a sack, and Max Tate had seven tackles. TJ Sonnenberg rushed for 102 yards and had two touchdowns. Jake Kramer ran for 107 yards and scored a touchdown. The Lions took the victory by a score of 28-0. 

The West Islip crowds stayed loud and proud despite the wet weather conditions. Even though they couldn’t perform their halftime routines, the varsity, junior varsity and middle school cheerleaders stayed on the track to keep the crowd engaged throughout the game.