Newsday's top 10 high school sports teams across all seasons from 2025-26
Zach Olson helped lift Garden City to its fifth straight Long Island football title. The Trojans have won 66 consecutive games. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
It was another all-around stellar high school sports year on Long Island, with over 30 teams winning a state championship. Here are Newsday's picks for the top 10 overall teams across the fall, winter and spring seasons.
1. Garden City football (12-0)
Garden City etched its name into the record books by winning a New York State record 63rd consecutive game. It currently holds the nation's longest winning streak at 66, after a win over East Islip earned it a 13th Long Island championship.
The Trojans have now won five straight Long Island titles and 10 straight county titles. They finished with an average margin of victory of 33.4 points per game.
2. St. Anthony’s girls lacrosse (18-1)
St. Anthony’s win over Kellenberg gave the program its seventh straight CHSAA Class AA title. The Friars lost a game for the first time in three seasons, suffering a one-point overtime loss to Darien (Conn.), the No. 1-ranked public school. The team responded by winning 14 straight to end the year.
St. Anthony’s featured 26 Division I recruits and finished the year as the nation’s third-ranked team. With 13 of those players returning next season, expect just as dominant a season from the Friars.
St. Anthony's players celebrate after winning the program's seventh straight CHSAA title. Credit: Derrick Dingle
3. Half Hollow Hills flag football (19-0)
A perfect season for Half Hollow Hills at certain points felt inevitable. The state champions defeated Shaker, 26-12, in the final and won all but two of its games by double digits.
Samantha Heyman threw 70 touchdowns and Zoe Franks was the recipient of 27. The team scored 679 points and the defense had six shutouts. After finishing as runner-up for the state title in 2025, nothing could stand in Half Hollow Hills' way this time around.
4. Massapequa football (12-0)
Massapequa became the first Nassau Class I team to win three straight Long Island titles. Massapequa could get the job done in various ways. It defeated Oceanside, 36-33, in the regular season and then edged Ward Melville in the Long Island title game, 14-12.
Massapequa will have a chance to climb this list next year if it can topple Garden City in one of the most anticipated Long Island football matchups (circle Sept. 26 on your calendar).
5. St. Anthony’s boys lacrosse (12-4)
St. Anthony’s earned a 13-12 victory over Chaminade to secure its seventh consecutive state title, yet again in impressive comeback fashion as it finished ranked No. 7 nationally by USA Lacrosse.
Seven Friars, including Newsday’s NSCHSAA/Private Player of the Year in Maryland, commit Danny Rooney, were named to Newsday’s NSCHSAA/Private All-Long Island team.
6. St. Mary’s girls basketball (22-3)
St. Mary’s beat a Christ the King team that featured UConn commit Olivia Vukosa in the CHSAA state Class AA championship. Kayla Solomon secured her 2,000th point in the winter and had 29 points in the final.
The Gaels had been knocking on the door of a state title for multiple years. They kicked that door down in 2025-26.
7. Sayville girls lacrosse (21-0)
Every team has its flaws, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find many for a Sayville squad that went undefeated for the second time in three years.
The Golden Flashes won their first state title in 2024 and added their second this past spring. Sayville won all but four of its games by at least five goals as Sophia Buffardi earned Newsday’s Player of the Year award, with the UNC commit recording 59 goals and 18 assists.
8. Ward Melville co-ed cheerleading
Ian Licavoli helped Ward Melville earn its third conesutive state co-ed cheerleading title. Credit: Alexa M. Hernandez
Ward Melville’s co-ed cheerleading team proved it’s the best in the state for the third year in a row. Newsday’s cheerleader of the year Ian Licavoli, a University of South Florida cheer commit, provided terrific athleticism and leadership.
Whether the Patriots were chanting “Let’s go Melville” or providing an emphatic “P-A-T-S,” the green and gold of Ward Melville’s cheerleading team shined brighter than most this year.
9. Commack boys soccer (20-1-1)
Commack’s boys soccer team dominated en route to its first state Class AAA title since 2014, averaging a whopping four goals per game. The Cougars outscored their playoff opponents 16-3 across six playoff games and allowed more than one goal just twice across 22 contests.
Newsday Player of the Year Brayden O’Boyle, the first five-year varsity player/starter in Commack’s history, led the way with 10 goals and 19 assists.
10. Massapequa boys volleyball (21-0)
Massapequa’s boys volleyball team won 60 of 69 sets on the way to the program’s first state championship, sealed with a five-set thriller over Penfield.
Massapequa has been a consistent contender, winning its second straight county title and sixth in the last seven years. This year, behind Newsday’s Player of the Year Logan Coady, Massapequa finally made it to the mountaintop.
Honorable mentions:
• Chaminade boys soccer (17-1)
• Commack boys bowling (15-0)
• Massapequa baseball (25-3-1)
• South Side girls volleyball (18-1)
• Syosset girls tennis (21-1)
• Massapequa boys wrestling
