Newsday's top 10 running backs on Long Island for the 2026 high school football season
Xavier Bala of St. Anthony's. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
1. Xavier Bala, St. Anthony’s, Sr.
The Boston College commit led CHSFL AAA in rushing yards (1,318) and touchdowns (26) last season. His size and strength put him at the top.
2. Luke Martini, Wantagh, Jr.
He was the first sophomore to win Newsday’s Thorp Award. In four playoff games, he rushed for 670 yards and six touchdowns. For the season, he ran for 1,954 yards and 22 touchdowns.
3. Jayden Bryan, Hills East, Jr.
Bryan had a breakout season, consistently slicing through the defense on his way to 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns. He earned Division I offers from UConn and Syracuse.
Clockwise, from top left: Chace Morris, Anthony Asaro, Luke Martini, Jayden Bryan.
4. Anthony Asaro, Garden City, Sr.
Most of Garden City’s games got out of hand quickly, but Asaro regularly scored touchdowns in the first half and helped Garden City extend the nation’s longest active winning streak to 66 games. He scored 16 touchdowns, and averaged 13 yards per carry.
5. Chace Morris, Oceanside, Sr.
An explosive back, Morris led Nassau in rushing touchdowns with 28. He ran for 1,300 yards. With Oceanside graduating four-year quarterback Shane Harmon, the Sailors will rely heavily on Morris.
6. Isaiah Smith, Malverne, Sr.
Smith is a game-changing transfer for the Mules. He rushed for 1,727 yards and 24 touchdowns, and totaled more than 2,000 yards of offense for Christ the King (Queens) last season.
7. Justin DePietro, Carey, Sr.
DePietro is one of Long Island’s best at gaining yards after contact. Over the last two seasons, he has totaled more than 2,000 rushing yards.
Clockwise, from top left: Isaiah Smith, Liam O'Connor, Brody Riedel, Kyon Sarwari, Justin DePietro.
8. Liam O’Connor, Hauppauge, Sr.
He burst onto the scene during his junior season, running for a single-season program record 1,145 yards with 17 touchdowns. He had a memorable 296-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win over Half Hollow Hills West, which sparked a four-game winning streak to end the regular season.
9. Brody Riedel, Long Beach, Sr.
He saved his best performance for Hofstra, rushing for 195 yards and four touchdowns in the county semifinals against Mepham. He ran for 1,097 yards and 15 touchdowns to help Long Beach reach its first county title game in 39 years.
10. Kyon Sarwari, Longwood, Sr.
Sarwari, the feature back for an efficient Longwood rushing attack, ran for 971 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is a slippery runner who will be leaned on behind a big offensive line.
