For the past two years the Hampton Bays football program has only been able to have a junior varsity team. This led to many seniors who wanted to play football not being able to play during their final years at Hampton Bays. This year things changed with Mr. Gil leading the new and improved varsity football team being back for the first time since 2021. Mr. Gil sees varsity football as not just a sports team but as an opportunity to bond, grow, and play an awesome game that anyone can participate and succeed in.
Mr. Gil has been coaching football and teaching at Hampton Bays since 2017. He gained his passion for football playing in high school and that passion grew when he went to play college football for Ithaca. Mr. Gil coaches because he wants to give back to the kids and be a role model for them, something he had and found important when growing up.
Assistant coach Mr. Robert Sutton, who has worked alongside Mr. Gil for seven years, has also been a part of the program’s revitalization. Both coaches have strived to improve the team everyday and create a lasting program that will make an impact on and off the field. When talking about Mr. Gill, Sutton notes that, “He’s not only building a solid football program, but he is helping create better young men. Hampton Bays School District is lucky to have him.”
Junior Josh Reyes, who has been playing football since his freshman year, expressed his excitement for the revitalized program. “I’m very excited to play at the varsity level with guys I’ve been training with these past two years. It’s great to have the program back and be able to play in front of the community.”
The Varsity Football team just missed the playoffs this season with a 3–5 record. They had two big wins that really brought the excitement of football back to the town: the homecoming game against Wyandanch and the Mayor’s Cup against local rivals Southampton. Mr. Gil was very happy with the group of players he had this year and said that it was good working with the players that have been there since 9th grade and played for him when there was only a junior varsity team.
