The South Fork Islanders boys lacrosse team, a Southampton-based squad that includes players from high schools on the East End, was in playoff contention going into this week at 6-3.
Going into Friday's game with North Babylon and Sunday's game with Patchogue-Medford, both of which the Islanders won, Matt Babb's boys were ranked 13th among the power-rated Division 1 teams. The top 11, he said, make the playoffs.
"Definitely they can," Babb replied when asked if he thought the Islanders could do it. They've won three of their past four encounters, defeating Longwood along with those mentioned above, while losing to Sachem North. "We've got the talent. Making the playoffs has been our goal. The kids are excited."
The coach was thinking that his charges had played their best game thus far versus North Babylon, a team they trounced 17-5 on Friday, until they put Patchogue-Medford away 15-5 on Sunday.
Jack Cooper, an East Hampton freshman who handles the face-offs, won 18 of 21 in Sunday's game and "dominated the face-offs in both games," said Babb. Bryan Pannasch, another Bonacker, scored three goals -- a rarity, Babb said, for a long-stick midfielder -- and assisted on two.
The chief scorer, though, was Charlie Corwin, an East Hampton freshman, who netted four goals and had one assist.
Zac Mobius (two goals and one assist), Jack Freel (one and one), Cooper Brindle (one and two), Chance Brindle (one and two), Andre Aponte (one goal), and Jai Agoglia (two goals) also contributed to the rout. The goalie, Hudson Brindle, made 14 saves and "did a great job of directing the defense and clearing the ball."
Babb said he was pretty sure the Islanders would earn power points as a result of Sunday's convincing win given the fact that Patchogue-Medford received a higher preseason ranking.
Jack Freel, an East Hampton sophomore attack, was the hero in the 6-5 win over Longwood on May 17, making "a one-handed interception, and, with two hands on the stick, scoring behind his back."
That electrifying goal, made with about two and a half minutes to go, proved to be the game-winner.
Versus North Babylon, Owen Koszalka, a Southampton senior, led the way with four goals and one assist; Chance Brindle had three goals and two assists; Corwin had two goals, and Mobius, a Southamptoner, had two goals as well and an assist.
Others in on the action were Luke Marro (one and two), Freel (one goal), Cooper Brindle (one and one), Pannasch (one goal), Aponte (one and one), and Agoglia (one goal). Hudson Brindle made 10 saves in that game.
"They're playing very well," Babb said. "On-goal, off-goal . . . in every phase of the game."
The Islanders were to have played at Huntington, the undefeated division leader, on Tuesday, are to play at Walt Whitman today, and are to play host at East Hampton to Middle Country on Saturday at 10 a.m.