The Babylon Panthers seized the day in the season opener, Saturday at Williams Field. They ripped the Greenport Porters 47-8, holding the visitors to 182 yards and only seven first downs. Originally scheduled for Friday night, the game was postponed and rescheduled for Saturday afternoon. In just over a quarter of play, quarterback Greg Griffo rolled up 170 yards on offense (2 of 5 in the air for 104 yards and a touchdown and one carry for 66 yards and another TD).

Babylon scored early and often. Dimitri Rauseo's opening kickoff was taken by Alex Grandal, who turned on the afterburners and raced through a gap provided by a host of blockers. He sped up the middle and went the distance as the Panthers grabbed a quick lead in the first thirteen seconds. Their next possession was stymied when Greenport's Ted Stevens recovered a loose ball at the Babylon 42 yard line. But the Panther defense held and the Cats took over on their own 34. Three plays later, Griffo sped through a wide hole between right tackle and end - gone, 66 yards for a TD. Babylon's next possession also went deep as Griffo hit Mark Panarelli on a right screen. The play went 75 yards aided by a fine downfield block by tight end Kevin Kelland. But the touchdown was called back on a penalty. Babylon led 12-0 at the quarter.

Greenport was thwarted again when cornerback Max Lockwood picked off a pass and the Panthers began their next drive from their own 10. They went 90 yards on five plays, keyed by a 38 yard pass as Griffo gunned to wideout J. T. Pate on a left fly, moving the ball to the Porter 22. JT's brother Jaquan swept the left side to the 10. Panarelli then scooted through an avenue as wide as Main Street, provided by center Wil Dupre, right guard Andrew Cosby and tackle Pat Pietrowski with left guard Mike Augello leading the trap. Grandal kicked his first extra point (he was five for five). After a Porter punt, the Panthers began the next set from their own 34. Griffo needed only one play to find a wide open Stephen Loudon on a left post over the middle. Loudon gathered it in beyond midfield and sped all the way. The Panthers weren't done. J. T. Pate took a punt at the Babylon 37 and hauled it to the Porter 13, a fifty yard return. One play later, Jaquan zipped off left tackle for pay dirt and the Panthers were up 33-0 at the half.

They'd score twice more. Quarterback Dylan Hopkins led a 63 yard drive on ten plays, capping it himself on a 15 yard keeper around the left side. Following a fumble recovery by Jaquan, the Panthers then went 40 yards on nine plays with James Ferri drilling it in over right guard from the three. Greenport finally got on the board late in the game on a 60 yard drive with Dan Letteriello passing 25 yards to Rauseo and capping it on a 35 yard pass play to Sean Heaney. Heaney ran it in for a 2-point conversion.

Other stuff - Babylon backs Cory Rugen (9 carries for 60 yards), Jaquan Pate (5 for 49) and Jim Ainslie (5 for 47) were key in the team's 299 yards rushing on 37 carries. The club totaled 403 yards on 42 plays from scrimmage and had another 150 yards in kick and punt returns. Defensive end Kyle Sherwood batted down a pass in the Greenport backfield. Passing for the Porters, Letteriello was 5 of 13 for 86 yards and a TD.

Babylon coach Rick Punzone commented, "Our defensive start was slow but good. The special teams delivered. It took a while for our line to pick up their slant. They're young, but they came through."

Babylon does indeed have a young team. Twenty-four Panthers made their varsity debut. It was the first game for Ainslie, Cosby, Dupre, Ferri, Hopkins, Loudon, Panarelli and Sherwood. In addition, Drew Alaggio, Ryan Berry, Nick Brennan, Max Bzdyk, Jordan Carlock, Brent Christensen, Justin Ciccone, Zach Daniele, Trevor Delaney, Jose Feliciano, Cody Graham, Colin Greene, Robert James, Jimmy Kelly, James O'Rourke and Paul Ricciardi appeared for the first time.

The next game is Friday night, 7 pm at Williams Field. Babylon will host the Amityville Warriors who beat Shoreham 40-6 in their opener. The Warriors nipped the Panthers in the final 26 seconds of last year's Suffolk County final. They'll be out to prove it wasn't a fluke. The Panthers will be screaming for revenge. Both will be sky

high. Don't miss this one.

SCHEDULE CHANGE

Section XI has made a schedule change. the game betwen Babylon and Glenn, originally scheduled for Oct. 17 has been changed to Oct. 18, 7 p.m. at Williams Field, Babylon.