West Babylon holds off Copiague

After starting the season with back-to-back defeats, West Babylon football hosted Copiague last Saturday afternoon and came away with a 28-14 victory in a rainy Suffolk Division II battle.

“We got out to a slow start but I loved the way we battled,” West Babylon head coach Kevin Delaney said. “As the season moves along, I expect us to get better and better and you saw a little bit of that today.”

The Eagles did not get off to the best start, losing their opener to Smithtown West 42-14, followed by a 26-0 loss to Half Hollow Hills East. Copiague also was winless in its first two contests, falling to Newfield 35-19 and Smithtown East 30-20.

In what was the home opener for West Babylon after playing its first two games on the road, it was Copiague who got off to a good start, thanks to Roger Rowe 27-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Cody Tiringer. “We came out and looked good,” Copiague’s head coach Ken Rittenhouse said. “I thought we owned the first quarter.”

The lead did not last long into the second quarter as West Babylon found its groove. Led by senior quarterback and captain Elijah Outlaw, West Babylon grabbed the lead with two touchdowns through the air, giving them a 14-7 halftime advantage. Josiah Price caught a 40-yard scoring strike and Jaysen Reyes a 19-yarder for the lead.

When the third quarter started, Delaney’s squad made sure to keep its foot on the gas pedal, putting the ball into the endzone two more times, opening a game high 21-point lead. Copiague would add a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, a Rowe 1- yard run, to finish off West Babylon’s first victory of the year.

Outlaw played a role in all four touchdowns his team scored, as he threw for three and rushed for one. “Elijah is such an athletic and gifted kid,” Delaney said. “He’s a guy that opponents have such a tough time trying to defend.”

The humble senior, however, will tell you that everyone played a part in what was a team win. “It was a group effort for sure,” said Outlaw. “It was really important for us to get a win and get some positive momentum.”

Price, Reyes, and Anthony Gerbasio each had a receiving touchdown.

West Babylon will take its positive momentum into this Saturday’s game against West Islip, which is also 1-2. “They’re a tough program and always have been,” said Delaney. “I like where we are though. There are definitely still things we need to get better at but I like our chances.”

As for Copiague, its next chance to get a win will be Saturday against Bellport, which currently sits at 2-1.

“There were some positives we can take from this loss,” Rittenhouse said. “But we’ll take a look at the film to see what did and didn’t work and go from there as we get ready for Bellport.”