Politics & Government

Babylon's LI Champion Teams Honored by Officials

Town supervisor, county legislator and village mayor all come out to congratulate high school's three Long Island Championship teams.

Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Babylon Village Mayor Ralph Scordino and Suffolk County Legislator Wayne Horsley were among a handful of notable local officials on hand to recognize three of Babylon High School’s award-winning athletic squads on April 10 in Babylon High School’s Rowe Hall auditorium.

Among the honorees were the Babylon Panthers football team (Long Island champion, Rutgers Trophy winner), the Long Island champion Babylon Panthers girls varsity volleyball team and the Panthers boys basketball squad (Class B Long Island champion, Class B New York State finalist).

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The Panthers football team went undefeated, won the Long Island championship and earned the Rutgers Cup for being the most outstanding football team in Suffolk County. Babylon football was a scholar-athlete team with a cumulative GPA of 93.753. Jake Carlock, Joe Cosby, Jeann Cruz, John Dertinger, Nick Santorelli, Eric Schweitzer, Kevin Smith, Andrew Watson and Luke Zappia were recognized as an All-Division first team, and Brian LosKamp, Matt Pinto and Alec Zamet took All-Division second team honors. Carlock (All-County, All-Long Island), Cruz (All-County), Santorelli (All-County), Schweitzer (All-County, Second Team All-Long Island) and Watson (All-County) earned additional honors. Panthers head coach Rick Punzone was recognized as Suffolk County Coach of the Year, and Zamet earned an additional honor with recognition as a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete.

The Babylon Lady Panthers volleyball team earned 17 victories and defeated the Nassau County champion Oyster Bay Lady Baymen, 3-0, on Nov. 13, 2012, in the Long Island Class C championship game at Carle Place High School. It was their first Long Island championship in school history.

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As for the Panthers boys varsity basketball team, they finished first in Suffolk League VII and captured a New York State finalist plaque. They also had numerous individual achievements, with Jacob Carlock, Brendan Laing and Raymond Wardell earning All-League, and Fernando Vasquez taking home honors for All-County and Second Team Long Island.

“The three teams we are recognizing here today have each done something that has never been done in the long and storied history of Babylon athletics,” said Babylon Athletic Director Michael DeJoseph. “Our football team went undefeated and won a Long Island championship, and also won the Rutgers Cup trophy for the first time in Babylon history. As for girls volleyball, they had never been to the Long Island championship before, so the team and their coaches deserve congratulations. And our boys basketball team finished second overall in New York State, falling just short in a tough overtime loss in the state finals, so again, congratulations to the coaches and players.”


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