Sayville football QB Frank Hanley runs wild, defense makes key stops in win at Babylon
Frank Hanley of Sayville celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Babylon during a Suffolk Conference IV football game at Babylon on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. Credit: David Meisenholder
Two of Long Island’s storied football programs got together for the first time in 43 years on Thursday night. And a packed house was treated to an old-school smackdown.
Sayville, playing its first-ever game in Suffolk’s Division IV, received a rude welcome from one of the South Shore’s toughest teams at host Babylon.
Many believe Sayville could run the table in Division IV and win another Long Island title. Babylon had other ideas and made the Golden Flashes very uncomfortable all night.
Babylon controlled the clock, and often won the battle up front. The game plan to minimize Sayville’s possessions worked to perfection, but it still wasn’t enough.
Sayville was outplayed and still found a way to win.
Quarterback Frank Hanley scored on two touchdown runs and Tim Holahan added a late fourth-quarter TD as Sayville beat Babylon, 20-0. The victory extended the Golden Flashes’ win streak to 13 games.
Babylon, with the second-best winning percentage in Suffolk since 2000, was the first real challenge for Sayville. And for the first time in 31 years, Babylon started the season at 0-2.
“Babylon had an amazing offensive game plan,” Sayville coach Rob Hoss said. “They controlled the clock and outplayed us, and we found a way to win. They disrupted our timing and rhythm. That’s an incredibly smart coaching staff.”
Sayville (1-0), the defending Long Island Class III champion, opened the scoring when Hanley went off right tackle for an 11-yard TD run to cap a six-play, 80-yard drive with 1:59 left in the first half. The kick was blocked and Sayville led 6-0 at halftime.
The score came after Babylon went on two long marches and came away empty. The Panthers used an 11-play, 41-yard drive to take 8:32 off the clock. On fourth-and-1, the Sayville defense stuffed quarterback Nick Longo at the line of scrimmage.
And then Babylon put together a 10-play, 36-yard drive to take another 7:03 off the clock. Linebacker Sal Calicchio batted down a fourth-down pass to halt the drive.
“I am so proud of our guys,” Babylon coach Rick Punzone said. “We were one play in the second half away from taking the lead and we couldn’t get one inch. That was the difference. We are the smallest school in the division. I thought we gave them a game.”
Trailing 6-0 in the fourth quarter, Babylon went on a 13-play, 65-yard march to Sayville’s 24. On fourth-and-inches, the Sayville defense stopped the run for no gain.
“I circled this one as a great way to open the season,” Hoss said. “Babylon is very similar to us. We’re two physical, South Shore teams with tough kids. They have a winning pedigree and love their football. This is a new division with a lot of unknowns.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
