The Long Island Class A Championship game was this past Saturday at Farmingdale State College and it featured Southampton HS against Friends Academy HS. These two squads dominated in league play and both came into the game 19-4 on the season. We couldn’t believe the ending of this one.

Friends Academy had seized their opportunities, made a bunch of threes and found themselves up 34-25 at the half. Quakers were led by 6’6” F Jackson O’Brien (Friends Academy HS, NY ’24), and 6’3” G Dom White (Southampton HS, NY ’24) who had 12-points to lead all scorers while the Mariners were yet to make a three.

When 6’2” PG Naevon Williams (Southampton HS, NY ’25) hit a shot, Friends missed, the Mariners hit their first three, and the Quakers scored. Southampton missed two free throws and O’Brien scored inside. Williams scored and found his big for two. Friends hit a three, Southampton hit one as well and the Quakers split a pair at the line. The junior playmaker hit two throws, Friends buried a three, and the Mariners missed. O’ Brien scored but Williams got by his man for two. The Quakers drew a tough foul, missed them both, and fouled Williams. He went 1/2 to end the third quarter.

Friends Academy led 47-42 to start the fourth quarter. White scored over the defense, the Quakers missed, Williams threw down a big slam but Friends hit a huge triple. The Mariners hit a shot inside, O’ Brien made two free throws, White had an athletic finish and O’ Brien added two free throws. Southampton banked in a floater, White took charge, and the Mariners scored. The Quakers went 1/2 from the line. Friends led 55-54 with under three minutes left in the quarter when O’ Brien had a huge slam. White finished for two plus got fouled but missed the freebie.

The Quakers turned it over, Mariners went 1/2 from the line and tied the game up but they fouled for being too aggressive. While it was 47.3 left on the clock, Southampton was over the foul limit and called multiple timeouts to ice the Quakers but they made both. Williams ran down the court killed some clock, drove to hoop, scored, got fouled and made the free throw. Southampton led the game, the Friends drove to the basket and dropped it off to a big who finished for two around the defense giving the Quakers a 61-60 lead with 3 seconds left.

The Mariners called a time out, they set up a play and actually got a look to win it off the glass but it bounced out. When the buzzer sounded Southampton was devastated and the Quaker student section went wild. Friends Academy really spread it out with their guards especially from the perimeter but got a big 18-points from O’ Brien. White was so tough on both ends of the floor and ended up with 18-points. Williams was sensational as well with 17-points. Southampton had their opportunities to pull off this comeback but ended up falling a bit short. They return a ton of their rotation back and should be set for another state title run. The Quakers capture the Long Island Championship and will head up to Glenn Falls to see if they win states.