North Fork Football Team Battles Manpower Shortage While Community Rallies

Luxury yachts crowd the eastern docks while endless farmland and cornfields stretch to the west.

The Porters take the field on a modest grass patch that could double as sod, with fans seated on aging wooden bleachers reminiscent of the Bush Sr. era — and during Tuesday’s practice at Greenport High, a herd of deer grazed behind the end zone.

Yet locals refuse to view their only varsity football team as insignificant.

“It’s electric,” said Porters lineman Emmett Tramontana. “Looking up into the stands, we can fill them. It’s a great feeling to have the whole community behind us.” He added, “Farmers and owners of four‑story yachts alike turn out to support us.”

For year‑round residents, the local teens’ football games offer a welcome escape from autumn weekends overrun by droves of visiting tourists.

Each year, the town’s character diminishes as visitors flock for fall foliage, vineyards, pies, and pumpkin picking, creating BQE‑level traffic congestion in once‑quiet neighborhoods that have become upscale waterfront retreats.

“We see tourists everywhere,” said head coach Brian Olshefsky. “But when football season arrives in the fall, it’s just us and our team. We can become the town’s main attraction.”

A real drought

The three tiny school districts of Mattituck, Southold, and Greenport field a single combined program, yet even that sometimes falls short. In 2025, the Porters lacked sufficient players for a varsity squad as tourism continues to dominate the rural landscape.

“Enrollments at all three schools have declined over the past decade,” Olshefsky noted, adding that 11th‑grade players were forced to compete on the junior varsity last year.

“The community takes great pride in its athletics, and everyone is thrilled to have varsity football back. The atmosphere in the fall feels different now that the team is back.”

Olshefsky leads a thin roster of about twenty players who fill both offensive and defensive roles in his inaugural season as head coach, following several years as an assistant.

To address their shortages, the Porters have gotten creative—for instance, soccer player Matt Malinowski also handles kicking duties, a practice permitted in Suffolk County.

Southold senior Emmett Tramontana entered two‑a‑day practices with six years of experience, while fellow senior lineman Aaron Cruz is suiting up for the first time.

Cruz, who plays bass in the Greenport band, was recruited by his music teacher.

“Everything is new to me right now,” Cruz admitted. “I don’t know much, but I’m eager to learn. It’s exciting, though the pressure of playing varsity is palpable.”

Upperclassmen who played junior varsity last season serve as the team’s lifeline, helping newcomers like Cruz adjust, according to the coach.

Even if that means learning through trial by fire.

“If you get them accustomed to contact,” Tramontana said, “they won’t be afraid during games.”

Although the Porters lack the size of larger schools, Olshefsky compensates with a wing‑T offense that emphasizes skill and speed.

Quarterback Brayden Kruk has confidence in his offensive line.

“With the weeks of training we’ve completed, I feel they’ve found their rhythm,” said Mattituck junior Brayden Kruk.

“I believe we can push for a playoff berth, and finishing with a winning record is my goal,” he added.

Planting the seeds

A contributing factor to the roster shortage is the absence of a local youth development league; the nearest alternative requires traveling miles up‑island to Riverhead, Olshefsky explained.

“At this age, sparking interest is our primary objective. Our aim is to grow the program from the ground up rather than trying to impose a top‑down structure,” he said.

Numerous small Suffolk programs are facing difficulties in the lowest division.

The Port Jefferson School District eliminated its varsity squad this season, and Southampton switched to a junior‑varsity‑only format in 2025.

The South Fork team merged with Hampton Bays for 2026 and is scheduled to meet the Porters in Week 1.

Several of the island’s smaller programs have advocated for modified eight‑on‑eight leagues, which already exist upstate and feature championships.

The Porters’ priority remains the present: delivering a Friday night lights experience that the North Fork has long awaited.

“We have a rich history,” Olshefsky said. “In the 1950s and 1960s the program was strong, we own a Rutgers Trophy, and we have won championships here.”

“When we last fielded a varsity team two years ago, the entire town came to a standstill,” he added.

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