Connetquot football returns with close loss

The Connetquot HS football team played its first home game of the season, under the lights, on Friday, Sept. 17 in front of a loud and supportive standing-room-only crowd. 

The T-birds played one of the finest games community residents can remember against Division II North Babylon, but fell to the visitors 30-29. Connetquot was down one point at the half (14-13) and played them even (16-16) in the second half for the final score.

Scoring for the T-birds were Shaun Hill, Nick LaMantia and Devin Shapiro, who scored on a 75-yard kickoff return to bring the home team within one point of North Babylon.  Tyler McCarthy passed for 50 yards on nine passes; Shaun Hill had 24 yards on three passes; and Mike Ross had 13 yards on two passes.

Connetquot is now 1-1 in Suffolk League II and plays its next game at Half Hollow Hills East on Saturday, Sept. 25.

Prior to tip-off, the Connetquot community held a celebration in memory of two of Connetquot’s finest teachers and most successful coaches, best friends who died within weeks of one another this past year.  The families and friends of Bob Ambrosini and Nick Masi attended the celebration, and accepted colorful plaques and photos to commemorate Masi’s and Ambrosini’s contributions to the Connetquot community.

Ambrosini coached baseball from 1982 to 2015 and is the winningest Suffolk County coach with 602 wins.  He had been named Coach of the Year 20 times in his Connetquot career. Masi coached football from 1982 to 1998 and won the LI Class I Championship, Rutgers Cup, three county championships, five league championships and was named Coach of the Year twice in his Connetquot career.