The fall varsity sports season is back in full swing and student-athletes and their teams have been competing against schools from across Long Island. The Colonial student-athletes and coaches have spent months in preparation and all aim to put together competitive seasons filled with hard work and sportsmanship with the ultimate goal of coming out on top at season’s end. 

Football (Head Coach: Paul Longo)

The Colonials once again have championship aspirations. Led by Suffolk County Hall of Fame head coach Paul Longo, returning to the helm for his 29^th year, the Colonials got off to a great start this season, winning their first two games decisively over Connetquot (31-0) and Ward Melville (31-21).

“The team has worked the entire year since our last game,” said Coach Longo. “My expectations for this year are to compete again for a county and Long Island championship. We will have as good a shot as anyone.

Coach Longo noted key players including do-it-all safety, running back & kicker/punter Caden Lesiewicz, standout offensive linemen Derek Amato and Aaron Fisher and a plethora of talented young receivers in Geo Alvarez, Jake Yourison, Tyri Hubbard and Terrell Collum to help lead William Floyd this season. “We are very confident in our two junior quarterbacks AJ Cannet and Jack Molini,” Coach Longo added. The talented Colonial defense will be led by linebackers Wally Crane and Jevon Delaney. The rushing attack is spearheaded by Jaden Montalvo, Caden Lesiewicz and Jason Pratt. The Colonials also have an advantage in the kicking game with Caden Lesiewicz's strong leg. He broke the William Floyd school record in the opening game with a 52-yard field goal. He is 2 for 2 on field goal attempts and also been perfect on extra points (PATs) so far this season.

Newsday High School Sports ranked William Floyd varsity football fourth on their “Long Island Elite 11 Teams for 2023” and named three student-athletes – Caden Lesiewicz (S/RB/K/P), Wally Crane (LB/TE) and Jevon Delaney (LB/TE) among the top 100 high school football players for 2023.

Girls Soccer (Head Coach: Mark Dawson)

Second-year head coach Mark Dawson worked with his players throughout the summer to improve their skills and fitness level. The Colonials believe that hard work will pay off early on this season.

“Our expectations each year remain the same,” said Coach Dawson. “We focus on getting better every day and on the game in front of us. We feel if we are able to do that at the end of the season, we can be proud of what we have accomplished.”

Team captains Kayla Gilmore (midfielder) and Kayden Meyer (midfielder) will be the coaches on the field for the Colonials. The two have played many years together and their experience and leadership will be vital for the success of the Colonials this season.

Newsday High School Sports named senior Kayla Gilmore as one of the top 100 high school girls’ soccer players for 2023.

Boys Soccer (Head Coach: Paul Paniccia)

To help prepare them for this season and build team chemistry, the boys’ varsity soccer team once again competed in the Town of Brookhaven Summer League. The student-athletes had a rigorous preseason that started each morning with conditioning and tactical play in the evening.

“We graduated a lot of starters last year,” said Coach Paniccia, “However, we have many returning players who are ready and excited to represent William Floyd soccer in 2023.”

With a new and inexperienced starting group, Coach Paniccia says his teams will take it one game at a time, learn from each game and always put forth their best effort. The team is aiming to have another successful season and return to the playoffs.

On the pitch, the Colonials will lean on the experience of senior forward Matteo Higueros, described by Coach Paniccia as a “big target player with speed, skill and strength.” Higueros led William Floyd in goals over the summer. Senior Daniel Cruz will man the midfield alongside returning starter Izack Fernandez. Coach Paniccia describes Fernandez as a “dynamic player with quick feet who can attack and defend well.” On defense, seniors Sebastian Lagunas and Diego Alvarenga will be relied upon to protect the Colonial net.

All-conference senior center-back David Umanzor is retuning and will play a major role in the Colonials’ success. “We are very excited to have him playing for William Floyd this fall,” said Coach Paniccia.

The Colonials have recorded two wins so far on the season with victories over Bellport and Longwood.

Field Hockey (Head Coach: Maria Carucci)

In preparation for the upcoming season, Coach Carucci had her student-athletes playing in the Town of Brookhaven Summer League at Bay Shore High School on Tuesday nights throughout the summer. Add in morning workouts on Mondays and Wednesdays and the Colonials are well-prepared to compete this fall.

“This year we return a solid core from last year’s starting lineup that have been working hard all summer and have their eyes set on the playoffs,” said Coach Carucci. “Our newcomers add speed and depth to our lineup.”

Coach Carucci mentioned senior Victoria Nelson (forward), senior Madison Cizan (midfield), senior Addison Ferrari-Fattizzo (defense) and sophomore Gianna Trotta (forward/midfield) as key contributors to the Colonials’ success this season.

The Colonials are off to a great start with a 4- 2 record so far, with victories over West Babylon, Riverhead, Half Hollow Hills and Southampton.

Girls Tennis (Head Coach: Dave Pia)

The William Floyd varsity girls’ tennis team is coming off back-to-back stellar seasons. In both seasons, the Colonials have secured two division titles and two final four appearances with a combined 30-2 record. Legendary head coach Dave Pia returns to the helm to lead another Colonial team with high aspirations.

“This year the team is led by senior and first singles player Adrianna Filippelli,” said Coach Pia. “Outstanding freshmen Anabel Van Cott, Lydia Van Cott, Gianna Martin and Tatiana Sanchez will help lead the way now and in the future.”

The Colonials’ doubles lineup of Olivia Phillips, Drew Wiegand, Nadia Da Gama Paes, Christina Dyakiv, Alexa LaValle, Madison Lockwood and Trinity Lyons are constantly improving and will be instrumental to the team’s success this year.

Sophomore Corrine Neidig and eighth grader Khloe DiMaio will be playing both singles and doubles this season and are coming off a great summer improving their tennis skills.

The Colonials are off to an impressive 5-2 start with wins over Ward Melville, Southampton, Mattituck, Sayville and Smithtown East. Coach Pia is hoping to continue improving the team’s fundamentals and expects the student-athletes to play up to their abilities this season.

Girls Volleyball (Head Coach: Matthew Van Horne)

Returning as head coach of varsity girls’ volleyball, Coach Van Horne hosted open gym four days per week over the summer. The team also participated in volleyball camps and went through a summer workout routine every day.

“Our goal this year is to make it into the playoffs and then hopefully win it all,” said Coach Van Horne. “We will stay extremely competitive in each match and hopefully the outcome will be in our favor.”

In order for the team to reach their goal of making the playoffs, senior captain Allison Filosa (outside hitter) and senior Angelina Rodriguez (setter) will have to be key contributors to the team. Also, the

Colonials are hoping to see great play from senior Marissa Caufield (right side hitter), junior Genesis Alfaro (setter) and sophomore Libero Claira Parente this season.

The Colonials recorded two wins so far this season with wins over Pierson/BH and Central Islip.

Cheerleading (Head Coach: Jessica Catalano)
The reigning Suffolk County Champions are back! To help prepare for this season, the varsity cheerleaders competed in the UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) Camp for the first time. The student-athletes worked on all skills needed to be well-rounded and experienced cheerleaders.

Coach Catalano’s expectations for this season are to see strong commitment from the student-athletes and to continue to see successful growth of the program. “As far as key players go, I think each member of the team play a key role in our success. Cheerleading is an extremely team-based sport and all athletes play a huge role.”

Girls’ Cross Country (Head Coach: John Ryan)
The girls’ cross country program has had outstanding success recently, winning back-to-back League I championships over the past two years. Longtime head coach John Ryan and his team are aiming to repeat that feat again this season, with the talented student-athletes practicing four days a week since late June.

Coach Ryan believes senior co-captains Destiny Samuels and Karen Jackson are in great shape and set to have their best seasons yet. “Both girls are coming off a strong spring season in track & field. They were both a part of our county champion 4 x 800-meter relay team. Destiny really turned heads this spring when she ran 2:19 [in the] 800-meter at the Suffolk County State Qualifier.”

The Colonials will once again be led by star student-athlete Zariel Macchia. The junior co-captain is the defending New York State Cross Country Champion and the only William Floyd girls’ runner to ever earn an individual state championship in cross country. She is also the defending Long Island Runner of the Year, a First Team All-American, a member of the U20 Cross Country United States National Team and is currently the No. 12-ranked high school cross country runner in the United States.

The Colonials have started strong with a victory over Middle Country in their first meet of the season. It will be another very exciting year for William Floyd cross country!

Gymnastics (Head Coach: Rich Daly)
William Floyd varsity gymnastics will once again be led by head coach Rich Daly and is excited to compete this season! In preparation, the student-athletes have been participating in year-round competitions for travel teams. Coach Daly believes by doing so, the team has created new routines and have been fine tuning old ones while developing skills that will help them at the varsity level.

“My expectations are for tremendous growth from all of our gymnasts this season,” said Coach Daly. “We have the largest team in school history but we also have the youngest team in Suffolk County with 17 girls in grades 7-9 competing on varsity. This is a great opportunity as it shows growth in the program and will allow for depth within each event for years to come.”

The Colonials expect to be competitive in their league and have many student-athletes who have the ability to qualify for individual county championships.

Boys’ Golf (Head Coach: Thomas Short)
The varsity golf team is excited for this season. Three starters from last year’s team have graduated, so younger team members are ready to step up in their roles. This year, the Colonials have Nick Kolongowski, a fifth-year varsity player, returning for his senior season along with fellow senior Aidan Russo to lead the team on the course. Matt Filosa, a 10^th grader entering his third year on varsity is expected to also make great contributions. Coach Short, who hit a hole-in-one himself over the summer, looks to continue to work toward improving the program and competing against other schools in a competitive League VIII! 

The Colonials recorded their first match victory of this season – out of two tries – with a decisive victory over Center Moriches at the Rock Hill Country Club.

Boys’ Cross Country (Head Coach: Ed Noll)
The boys’ cross country team has all of their student-athletes from last season returning and is looking forward to being competitive in League I this season. Coach Noll said that the team is led by underclassmen who have been working extremely hard and getting better each time they race. Right now, the Colonials’ top runners include Holden Lentini, Andrew Marino, and Matthew Aichroth.  

Girls’ Swimming (Head Coach: Taylor Buckley)
The girls’ varsity swim team is ready to make some waves this season. The Colonials practiced hard all summer, meeting regularly as a team to build up their strength and endurance. Coach Buckley, with a solid foundation of underclass swimmers, has the Colonials swimming hard, working to achieve their personal best times and putting forth a competitive season. Junior Ashlyn Manion, who has stepped up as a team leader this year, has been practicing a new event – the 100 fly. “She has been giving it her all to achieve her goal time,” said Coach Buckley. Freshman Abigail Wiesman, a Colonial swimmer since seventh grade, has made tremendous strides in the water. “This year, she started off the season faster than last. We are looking forward to a great season with her.”

Good luck to all the student-athletes and coaches this season!