Sayville flag football wins Suffolk Class B title
Sayville's Olivia Moynihan runs the ball in the first half during the Suffolk Class B flag football final against Hauppauge on Wednesday at Longwood. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Through a steady rain the No. 1 Sayville girls flag football team found a way to its second consecutive Class B Suffolk County title on Wednesday.
With less than 30 seconds remaining Golden Flashes quarterback Olivia Moynihan knelt in victory formation to seal Sayville’s 33–13 victory over No. 2 Hauppauge at Longwood High School.
“We’ve been waiting for Moynihan] to have that clutch attitude all year and she really brought it today,” Sayville coach Reade Sands said. “Her stepping up like this in a big game is epic for her.”
Sayville opened the scoring on its first possession. Moynihan found Ava Vadyak with a 3-yard touchdown pass and then added the one-point conversion run to give the Golden Flashes a 7–0 lead early in the first half.
Hauppauge responded with a long touchdown drive capped by Taylor Mileti’s 2-yard run. Mileti tied the score with the one-point conversion pass.
On the ensuing play from scrimmage, Moynihan raced down the home sideline and eluded three flag pullers on her way to a 60-yard touchdown run to regain the lead, 13–7. The one-point conversion pass failed.
Moynihan said her effort in Wednesday’s game is a testament to everything her team has been working for all season. Memories and motivation from past seasons have culminated into this moment.
“Hauppauge has been our longtime rival,” Moynihan said. “When this program first started three years ago, they were the first team we ever lost to. Ever since then, we’ve always wanted to get at it and win.”
Sayville extended the lead to two scores when Moynihan fired a 4-yard touchdown pass to the leaping Trinity Ricevuto for a 19–7 lead with 8:01 remaining in the half.
Hauppauge climbed to within a score as Mileti drove the Eagles 60 yards in five plays, punctuated by Lindsay Adams’ 4-yard scoring run to make it 19–13 with 31 seconds left in the half.
But Sayville’s strong defensive play made it impossible for the Eagles to score again. The Golden Flashes held Hauppauge scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Sayville will play Division in the Long Island Championship game on Saturday, where Moynihan said she hopes to continue the Golden Flashes’ tradition of success.
“We’re setting a standard,” Moynihan said. “With two undefeated regular seasons in a row, we’re super excited to keep this rolling.”
