Thursday, October 1, 2026
After what’s been a roller coaster season so far, the Long Beach football team has found itself in position to get to the postseason following a 26-6 Homecoming win over Sewanhaka last Friday night, improving its record to 3-3.
“We got the lead early which was big,” head coach Scott Martin said. “We have had to treat every game like it’s a playoff game.”
The advantage to this is the hope that going into postseason play, the Marines will be playing at their best. “The way that they’ve prepared allows them to be focused and stay in the game,” said Martin. “They’re willing to learn after losses and listen to the coaching staff which has only made us better.”
One of the key contributors this season has been captain Wyatt Katzen. The senior has been huge on both sides of the ball as a running back and linebacker. “He’s been huge on offense in short-yardage situations,” Martin said. “Combining that with the fact that he’s the quarterback of the defense, he allows the guys around him to stay calm.”
While Katzen has been the short-yardage option, sophomore Brody Riedel has stepped up nicely and become the lead back for this offense. “He’s a tremendous player already who has become the best running back on the team.,” said Martin. “He was held back at first due to his inexperience but he’s blossomed so nicely. There’s still more to learn but we have loved what we’ve seen in terms of his progression.”
In his first year under center, junior quarterback Charlie Conway has had a good year as well. “He does so well in the pocket,” said Martin. “He gives reassurance to everyone else on the field that gets the chance to play alongside him.” He has connected with both Zack Silva and Maximus Schimmel for passing touchdowns this season. Both Silva and Schimmel are juniors who have made big jumps in their production to the Marines this season.
The Marines also added senior kicker, Jayden Zarco. The two time All-County soccer player kicks field goals and punts which can go a long way in helping the special teams department.
With any .500 football team, there is always room for improvement. Martin knows that and wants to work on that the rest of the regular season. “We can definitely get better with our communication on defense,” he said. “We have had some breakdowns in our secondary but they’re a young group so I expect them to learn from it in the future.”
As for the positives, the line of scrimmage has played a huge role in all that success running the football. “It’s important to have a strong push at the line of scrimmage,” Martin said. “We continue to get better and better each week.”
Long Beach will finish its regular season with games against MacArthur, which is also 3-3, this Friday on the road at 7 p.m., and Mepham, which currently sits at 5-1 on Nov. 2 at 11 a.m., also on the road.
