Senior Ward Melville quarterback Hudson Philbrick had been touted all summer long as a leading candidate for 2026 most valuable football player in Suffolk County.

He certainly did nothing to dispel that on Homecoming Saturday in Setauket as he ran for four touchdowns and threw for another in the Patriots’ 44-27 win against arch-rival William Floyd.

Philbrick carried the ball only 10 times but racked up 161 yards, including a 92-yard gallop to begin the game. The Stony Brook commit had another touchdown run in the first quarter, as did Patriots running back Chris Retzlaff, giving Ward Melville a 21-7 lead.

But it would not be so easy against the Colonials, who have battled the Patriots in the last two Suffolk County championship games. Floyd QB Alex Salamone hit Derek Glock with a 14-yard touchdown pass, and running back Davonte Medlock ran on a short one to tie the score at 21-21 at the half.

In a game that featured explosive plays from start to finish, it was a bad snap on a Floyd punt that gave the Patriots the point to put them ahead for good. Midway through the third quarter, Floyd punter Isaac Monroy was unable to field a high snap, and the ball rolled out of the end zone for a two-point safety, giving Ward Melville a 23-21 lead. Philbrick scored two more on the ground later in the quarter, and in the fourth, he hit receiver Angelo Sorbera for a 56-yard touchdown, giving the Pats a 44-21 lead with nine minutes to go in the game. Philbrick was 7 for 15 for 225 yards through the air.

One of his main targets, senior Joey Karpowicz, was back in the lineup after a two-game absence. He caught three passes for 101 yards. LJ DePaul had two grabs for 57 yards. Karpowicz also had an interception on defense.