West Islip coaches Jake Rossi and Greg Ziems of West Islip High School in West Islip have been named this week’s New York Jets High School Girls Flag Coaches of the Week presented by Visa.

The duo will receive a combined $2,000 donation to benefit West Islip’s girls flag football program. Along with the monetary award, both Ziems and Rossi will be invited to attend the Jets Play Football preseason game in August, where they will be honored on-field at MetLife Stadium.

In its third year, the Jets High School Girls Flag Football Coach of the Week presented by Visa award is given to coaches in the Tri-State area who serve the best interests of the game through the teaching of sound football fundamentals, the motivation of young players to achieve, and the promotion of youth football by way of dedication to their community, their school, and their student-athletes.

A native of West Islip, Coach Rossi attended West Islip High School where he played varsity football for the Lions. He returned to his alma mater as a coach after attending SUNY Cortland, where he received his degree in physical education. Coach Ziems grew up around the corner in Holbrook, New York and played football for Sachem High School. He went on to play college football at St. John’s University, and has since been a teacher and tackle football coach for both the Lions and Sachem.  Ziems and Rossi are in their second year as the co-head coaches of West Islip’s girls flag program.

After leading the Lions to the playoffs in their inaugural season, Coach Rossi and Ziems’s team is off to a dominant 8-1 start in 2025. West Islip dropped their first game of the season, but have since been undefeated. The West Islip Lions look to extend their win streak in this week’s game versus Eastport South Manor.