Sayville football's Luke Neugebauer catches three TD passes, lifts Golden Flashes to Suffolk Division III title repeat
Luke Neugebauer of Sayville crosses the goal line in the fourth quarter of the Suffolk Division III championship against Smithtown West on Thursday at Stony Brook. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Luke Neugebauer has been a revelation for Sayville’s offense.
Primarily a defensive back last season, Neugebauer didn’t record any offensive stats in last year’s county final.
He filled the stat sheet this year.
The senior caught seven passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns to lead top-seeded Sayville to a 34-7 win over No. 2 Smithtown West in the Suffolk Division III football championship game Thursday at Stony Brook University.
“I knew this year I had to step up because all of our receivers were seniors last year,” Neugebauer said. “I knew I had to take on a big role. Smithtown West is a really good team. I had to step up.”
It’s the Golden Flashes’ second straight county title and 18th overall. It’s the ninth Suffolk crown for coach Rob Hoss, who is in his first year as Sayville’s coach since 2016.
Sayville (11-0) will face the winner of Saturday’s Wantagh-Bethpage game in the Long Island Class III championship game at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Hofstra.
Neugebauer got Sayville on the board when he hauled in a perfectly thrown ball by Patrick Coan on an out route and turned upfield for a 41-yard touchdown. It tied the score at 7 with 6:21 left in the second quarter.
“If he doesn’t hit me in stride, they would’ve tackled me,” Neugebauer said. “I’d still catch the ball, but we’re not making big plays down the field.”
“They came out showing man defense and we have a bunch of great man-beating concepts that Coach Hoss draws up,” Coan said. “Our receivers ran great routes and our O-line gave me a lot of time for them to work the pick routes that ended up open.”
Sayville’s defense forced a punt on Smithtown West’s ensuing drive and Neugebauer returned it 29 yards to the Bulls’ 36-yard line. Seven plays later, Neugebauer ran another out route at the goal line and hauled in a 9-yard TD pass to give Sayville a 14-7 lead with 1:11 left in the half.
“This summer, [Neugebauer] took on such a leadership role. He became a captain,” Hoss said. “He’s our most dangerous receiver right now. At the beginning of the year, he wasn’t putting up these numbers, but as the year went on, he’s gotten better and better. He and Patrick have great chemistry together. He’s played like a captain.”
Much of the passing game early on was directed toward the sidelines to avoid linebacker Michael Cascione in the middle of the field.
“Cascione is a really good player and we knew he was coming down on the run hard,” Neugebauer said. “We worked on rocker steps and opening up the defensive backs’ hips. Once that middle was open, we had to take advantage.”
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Neugebauer streaked down the middle of the field and reeled in a 58-yard touchdown pass from Coan to give the Golden Flashes a 28-7 lead.
Tristan Vitale had 14 carries for 143 yards, including touchdown runs of 40 and 18 yards in the second half.
Coan completed 9 of 12 passes for 177 yards and three scores and Timmy Holahan had two interceptions.
Jake Rearick caught four passes for 135 yards, including an 80-yard TD pass from Nick DeVito in the second quarter for Smithtown West (8-3). Cascione also had 16 carries for 63 yards.
It marked the Bulls’ first appearance in a county final. They ran into a team that has won more county titles than any other Suffolk school.
“They brought a community together,” Bulls coach Craig Perrino said. “They gave a lot of people a lot of fun this year and I’m proud of them.
“When we get into games like this, we’ve got to be more competitive. Sayville is a great program. Great players, great coaches who know what to do with those players. That’s a special program.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
