Panthers Football Finish Ranked Third Statewide

The 2012 season will go down as one of the best in the history of the football program for the Babylon Panthers, especially with the honor of the Rutgers Trophy bestowed upon them and the titles of Suffolk County and Long Island Class IV Champions.

Even Head Coach Rick Punzone got in on the awards, being named Coach of the Year at the same event as the Panthers were awarded the Rutgers Trophy, given to the best team in Suffolk County.

Now the Panthers have one more honor to be proud of – the third-best team in New York State.

The New York State Sportswriters Association awarded the Babylon Panthers (12-0) the third-overall ranking in Class C football across the entire state. The Panthers final, decisive, win came on December 1st at Stony Brook University as the Panthers defeated the Roosevelt Rough Riders 48-18 for the Long Island Championship.

The Panthers came in behind number one Hoosick Falls (13-0) and number two Hornell (12-1), who played each other for the State Championship on November 24th.