SUFFOLK I Preview
DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 01 Sep 2019
2. LONGWOOD LIONS
2018 record: 6-4
Coach: Jefferson Cipp, sixth season
KEY PLAYERS:
Noah Rattmer, QB, 6-0, 201, Jr.; Zach Soriano, S/WR, 5-7, 185, Sr.; Elijah Stokley, OLB/WR, 5-9, 190, Sr.; Anele Nwanyanwle, DE/ILB/TE/HB, 5-10, 220, Sr.; Mike Loughran, OT/DE, 6-2, 244, Sr.; Chris Alvarado, OG, 6-1, 240, Sr.
ABOUT THE LIONS
With significant returners on offense and a difference-maker on both sides in Stokley they are primed to compete for the division crown. Loughran and Alvarado anchor the offensive line. Longwood (6-4) – Quarterback Noah Rattmer, one of Suffolk’s top passers in 2018, has top receivers Zach Soriano and Elijah Stokley and a huge offensive line to make a run at the top spot in Suffolk Division I.
Sachem East 7, Longwood 0: Adriel Robinson rushed 24 times for 122 yards and scored the lone touchdown on an 8-yard run after a six-minute, 65-yard drive to open the second half for Sachem East in Suffolk I. Ryan Paolella rushed for 101 yards on 13 carries, while Rob Atwood and Jay Bruno had six tackles apiece for the Flaming Arrows (1-1). Sept. 22
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 29 Sep 2019
Anele Nwanyanwu, Longwood: He rushed for 288 yards and five scores on 16 carries in a 55-34 win over Brentwood. He also had 12 tackles and a sack.
Nwanyanwu carries Lions
O’Brien, Owen. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 06 Oct 2019:
Anele Nwanyanwu was told he needed surgery. But he had other plans.
The Longwood running back/linebacker wasn’t going to miss his senior year. After suffering a torn ligament in his thumb in a scrimmage before the season, Nwanyanwu said doctors told him he’d need surgery. That would have put this season in jeopardy. He went a different route.
“It was scary,” Nwanyanwu said. “But the doctor told me I could just wrap it up and I can play so I picked playing instead of surgery.”
But even with his right hand taped and surrounded by additional green protective padding — a color he chose to match the Lions’ colors — Nwanyanwu was one of the toughest players to bring down Friday night. He rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries as host Longwood defeated Ward Melville, 27-21, in a Suffolk Division I football matchup.
“He’s just been a warrior the last few weeks running the ball,” coach Jeff Cipp said. “He has a thumb injury. They said he was going to have to have surgery, might be out for the season. But he opted not to have surgery. So he’s just been playing through that and he’s really emerging as one of the top tailbacks in the county.”
Nwanyanwu was rarely brought down by the first defender Friday, including breaking multiple tackles en route to touchdown runs of 35 and 42 yards.
“I have to push through to help my team win, at all cost,” he said. “I don’t want to be taken down by the first guy.”
Ward Melville (2-2) blocked a punt and then opened the scoriing with the first of three touchdown runs by Michael Fiore, giving the Patriots a 7-0 lead with 4:13 left in the first quarter. Fiore finished with 182 yards and three scores on 35 carries.
Longwood (3-1) responded with a 72-yard punt return touchdown by Zach Soriano followed by Nwanyanwu’s 35-yard touchdown run to take a 14-7 lead into the half.
Fiore and Nwanyanwu each traded touchdown runs in the third quarter before Fiore’s 5-yard touchdown run tied the score at 21 for Ward Melville with 11:21 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Fernando Rodriguez broke a 41-yard touchdown run with 7:40 remaining for the game’s final score for Longwood. And he credited the offensive line of Michael Loughran, Aaron Basar, Kory Stevenson, Chris Alvarado and Neal Brown for creating the lane.
“Once it opens up and the hole is there for me, I’m gone,” said Rodriguez, who rushed for 152 yards on 16 carries. “I’m scoring. I’m giving it all I have.”
Ward Melville had a chance to score late following a fumble with the ball at the Longwood 36-yard line with 30 seconds remaining, but the Lions recovered a fumble one play later on a hook-and-ladder play.
After losing to the Patriots in the Suffolk I semifinals last season, Longwood had no shortage of motivation Friday.
“We’ve been losing to them two years, back-to-back,” defensive tackle Vishnu Wilson said. “They knocked us out of the playoffs.”
Nwanyanwu added, “You never forget about th
Longwood 33, Sachem North 19:
Anele Nwanyanwu’s 55-yard touchdown run extended the lead to 20-14 at the end of the third quarter for Longwood (4-1) in a win Saturday. Nwanyanwu had 15 carries for 136 yards and three TDs. Fernando Rodriguez rushed for 66 yards on 13 carries. Noah Rattmer completed 8 of 14 passes for 92 yards and two scores. Sachem North fell to 1-4. –Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 13 Oct 2019
A RUNAWAY: LOPEZ’S 4 TDs POWER FLOYD: Multi-talented rusher finishes with 172 yards
Rubin, Roger. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 20 Oct 2019: 10.
It’s a little hard to exactly put a finger on Tyshawn Lopez. There are the times when the Floyd senior running back seems like a punisher, running between the tackles and bruising all who try to halt him. And then there are the times he seems like a burner, getting around the outside edge to break off a run or cutting back to leave would-be tacklers in his dust.
The Longwood defense had its share of trouble putting fingers on Lopez on Saturday as he ran both inside and out, finishing with 172 yards and four touchdowns in the host Colonials’ 42-14 Suffolk Division I victory. Lopez had touchdown runs of 7, 4, 8 and 30 yards.
“He’s a really, really good player – he’s been a good player for us for a couple of years,” Floyd coach Paul Longo said. “He’s got tremendous ability at running back. He’s a power runner, but yet he’s elusive. And he also can break stuff for long runs.”
“Last year we had [Newsday All-Long Island] Nick Silva and he cast a really long shadow and I played in that,” Lopez said. “Now the shadow is gone and the lights are shining on me and I am going to keep giving it my all.
“I realized in the offseason that this year would be my last chance, my final year of football. I got much more serious about it,” he added. “Now I feel like I can run all day.”
Lopez didn’t need to run all day, though. Running back Jezayd Hall took a dozen carries and went for 95 yards. Quarterback Tommy Verga ran the ball nine times for 30 yards and a 1-yard touchdown, and was 4-for-7 passing for 66 yards, an 18-yard touchdown to Devin Brown and one interception. Wayne Bristel also had an interception for Floyd (6-0).
Quarterback Noah Rattmer was 7-for-15 passing for 123 yards, an 18-yard touchdown to Kaisean Cobb and one interception and Elijah Stokley made an interception for Longwood (4-2). Anele Nwanyanwu rushed 10 times for 56 yards and a 1-yard touchdown and had a 50-yard reception for the Lions.
The reason the Colonials were able to roll up so much yardage was their skilled blocking. Floyd lost three regulars on the line to injuries and others have filled in well. Santiago Strick, Zachary Hoerter, Isaiah Sadler, Ryan Amato and Corie Crews “were opening holes big enough to drive a truck through,” Hall said. And tight end Andrew Minelli and fullback Eddie Longo also threw some key blocks.
“We lost talented people, but there’s a next-man-up attitude on this team,” Verga said. “Today they were awesome – it was like we were getting seven and eight yards a pop.”
Lopez’s 7-yard score capped the game’s opening drive, and after Bristel’s interception gave Floyd the ball back it was intercepted by Stokley on a pass into the end zone. The Lions tied it on Cobb’s touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter. But Floyd scored two more TDs before halftime – on Lopez’ 4-yard rush and Brown’s 18-yard reception – for a 21-7 lead.
When Longwood had to punt the opening possession after halftime, Lopez returned it 50 yards to the Lions’ 32. Four plays later, Verga scored on a sneak and the Colonials were off to the races.
Just two weeks ago Floyd escaped with a victory against Sachem East on a Verga touchdown pass with five seconds left to play. That victory has rekindled the fire in the defending Suffolk County champion.
“That was our eye-opener,” Verga said. “It made us realize that we’ve really got to come to play every time and that ‘Floyd’ on our uniform doesn’t mean we’re just going to roll over teams. We have to take care of business. We did today.”
Football: Longwood overpowers Riverhead in playoff opener
Friday night’s playoff opener between Riverhead and Longwood could have been billed as the battle of elite running backs.
On one side, the sixth-seeded Blue Waves featured Albert Daniels, who came into the game with 21 touchdowns and a Suffolk County-leading 1,550 rushing yards, according to Newsday stats.
On the other side, the third-seeded Lions featured Anele Nwanyanwu, a 224-pound bruising back who is a likely candidate for the Hansen Award as the top player in the county.
On a frigid night that felt more like late November when the Long Island championship games are played, it was Nwanyanwu and the Lions who emerged on top.
Nwanyanwu’s touchdown late in the second quarter at Longwood High School was all the Lions would need in a 20-0 victory. The senior carried the ball 27 times and gained 165 yards, single-handedly outgaining the entire Blue Waves offense.
The Blue Waves (6-3) couldn’t generate any openings for Daniels to operate and the senior was limited to a season-low 34 yards on 19 carries.
Longwood (7-2) dominated at the line of scrimmage and its defensive line overwhelmed Riverhead.
“They were more physical then us up front,” Riverhead coach Leif Shay said. “That’s what I was worried about in [Division] I.”
The Lions feature four players on their roster above 300 pounds. That’s a lot of size to contend with.
Senior Chris Alvarado, at 6-1, 245, and junior Kory Stevenson, at 6-1, 303, both caused problems for the Blue Waves.
Riverhead ended the game with just three first downs.
Still, the Blue Waves were hanging around late, thanks to a formidable effort on defense. For as tough as Nwanyanwu was, the Blue Waves made him earn his yards.
Longwood led 7-0 at halftime and opened the third quarter with a 16-play drive that ate up nearly the entire quarter. Junior Fernando Rodriguez capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it a 14-0 game.
Nwanyanwu’s season has been remarkable for Longwood and a bit of an oddity, considering how it started. Nwanyanwu, who’s a standout linebacker on defense, said he had never been a running back until this season. He started the year as a tight end.
In Week 3, the coaches challenged him to take on running back duties. A week earlier, the Lions were shut out against Sachem East in one of their two losses on the season.
“I’m very new, very raw,” Nwanyanwu said. “Each game I get more acquitted to it. It’s new, I like it.”
Shay said he thought Nwanyanwu and Daniels are equal players, but the line play was the difference Friday night.
“He’s tough to bring down,” Shay said of Nwanyanwu.
Nwanyanwu ran with patience and he has the strength to bounce off defenders and a quick burst to elude tacklers.
With the temperature around 34 degrees at kickoff, Nwanyanwu knew he’d be in for a heavy workload as the passing game likely wasn’t going to be a huge factor.
“It was a ground and pound game,” he said. “So I had to get my mind right for the carries.”
It was a defensive battle throughout the first half and the Lions finally gained some momentum after a Riverhead turnover. The Lions recovered a fumble on a passing play to give themselves a short field with 5 minutes left in the second quarter.
On fourth-and-4 from the 8-yard line, Nwanyanwu broke through the left side and found the end zone.
Fourth down conversions were huge for Longwood throughout the game.
The Blue Waves committed three turnovers, putting themselves in a tough position against a strong opponent.
“We hurt ourselves in the first half,” Shay said. “The penalties hurt us in the first half, the fumbles hurt us. We didn’t play well today.”
Longwood added its final score with 3:39 left in the fourth quarter when quarterback Noah Rattmer ran up the middle for 12 yards on a fourth-and-1 play.
The Lions advance to play No. 2 Sachem East next Friday in the semifinals.
NWANYANWU: 164 YARDS IN LIONS’ WIN
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 10 Nov 2019
Anele Nwanyanwu rushed for 164 yards on 28 carries as third-seeded Longwood (7-2) blanked No. 6 Riverhead, 20-0, in a Suffolk Division I quarterfinal on Friday.
Nwanyanwu, who opened the scoring with a 6-yard run in the second quarter, added seven tackles from his defensive end position.
Longwood, which recovered three fumbles, held Riverhead (6-3) to under 100 yards of total offense for the game.
Fernando Rodriguez capped a 12-play, 76-yard drive that took 10 minutes with a 2-yard scoring run for Longwood, which led 14-0 after three quarters. Noah Rattmer‘s 8-yard run capped the scoring in the fourth quarter for the Lions. Longwood will travel to Sachem East for a semifinal.
Floyd 48, Commack 19: Tyshawn Lopez ran for 170 yards and three touchdowns on nine carries, including a 72-yard burst on the first play of the second half to help lead No. 1 Floyd (9-0) over No. 8 Commack (3-6) in a Suffolk I quarterfinal. Floyd led 21-19 at the half before scoring 27 unanswered points in the third quarter. Jeyzad Hall ran for 97 yards and a TD on 11 carries and Tommy Verga ran for 83 yards and two TDs on six carries and also tossed a 19-yard touchdown. Randy Russo had eight tackles, a forced fumble and blocked a PAT, Eddie Longo had five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble and Nick Muelthaler had six tackles and a forced fumble. Floyd will host Patchogue-Medford 1 p.m. Saturday in a semifinal.
Sachem East 37, Brentwood 7: Adriel Robinson rushed for 125 yards on 13 carries, including a 37-yard touchdown to give No. 2 Sachem East a 9-0 lead over No. 7 Brentwood (3-6). Ryan Micheli recorded a safety for the opening score for Sachem East (7-2). He also had an interception. Ryan Paolella had 11 tackles and rushed for 30 yards on five carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run, and Sachem East totaled seven sacks in the win.
Nwanyanwu, Soriano give Longwood ‘O’ lift
Fessenden, Nick. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 16 Nov 2019
Two defensive juggernauts were in the spotlight Friday night, and they did not disappoint.
The Longwood defense held on just long enough to extend its season, defeating host Sachem East, 14-12, in a Suffolk I football semifinal. It was the second barnburner between these teams this season. Sachem East beat Longwood, 7-0, in their first matchup.
Third-seeded Longwood (8-2) will play the winner of the game between No. 1 Floyd and No. 4 Patchogue-Medford for the county championship at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22 at Stony Brook. Second-seeded Sachem East finished 7-3.
An active defense was the ticket for Longwood in the first half. Derrick Sperling stopped Sachem East quarterback Nick Stelling on fourth-and-3 at the Longwood 20 on the opening drive. Anele Nwanyanwu took the handoff on Longwood’s first play from scrimmage and went 80 yards for a touchdown.
Longwood forced Sachem East into another turnover on downs midway through the second quarter to set up the next score. Quarterback Noah Rattmer found Zach Soriano for a 44-yard touchdown pass down the right hash to send the Lions into the halftime break ahead 14-0.
The Longwood defense held Sachem East to 51 yards of net offense and made six tackles for a loss in the first half.
“The first half was a great defensive show,” Longwood coach Jefferson Cipp said. “The second half, we started making mistakes . . . but the kids played hard enough in the last 24 minutes to win the game.”
Ryan Paolella put Sachem East on the board with an 8-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds left in the third quarter to get within 14-6.
Stelling capped a fourth-quarter drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Connor to make it 14-12 with 6:53 left, but Longwood stopped the two-point conversion run to maintain its two-point advantage.
Soriano intercepted a pass in the end zone with 1:23 left to seal the win.
“We knew it was going to be a dogfight,” he said. “But we went all out on every play . . . We were swarming out there tonigh
Floyd beats Longwood for second consecutive Suffolk Division I title
By Gregg Sarra, November 23, 2019
Randy Russo came on the blitz and put a clean hit on Longwood halfback Anele Nwanyanwu. The ferocity of the hit stopped the powerful senior at the Floyd 1-yard line as time expired in the first half.
The impact of that play would be felt the rest of the way. It was a game-changer.
Russo’s hard tackle preserved a two-score lead and Floyd went on to a 34-14 win over Longwood on Friday night in the Suffolk Division I championship game before a crowd of more than 1,500 at Stony Brook University’s LaValle Stadium.
“It was a momentum-changer for sure,” said Floyd coach Paul Longo, who earned his 200th career win. “They were getting the ball to start the second half, so stopping them at the end of the first half was critical to winning. Our defense made big plays all game.”
It was Floyd’s 12th Suffolk Division I crown and second in a row. Floyd (11-0) will meet Freeport (11-0) for the Long Island Class I championship at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Stony Brook.
“It felt good to make such a big stop,” said Russo, who had nine tackles, including three for a loss, and a forced fumble. “I blitzed from the middle and got in the backfield pretty fast. And [Andrew] Minelli came from the outside and finished him off.”
Quarterback Tom Verga got Floyd on the scoreboard on the first possession. Verga went option right, faked the pitch, darted inside the teeth of the defense and went untouched for a 59-yard touchdown. Brian Lombardo’s extra-point kick made it 7-0 with 10:33 left.
“It was a veer and I made the right read on the defense,” said Verga, who ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. “Our offensive line made all the right blocks and all I saw was green.”
Longwood tied the score late in the first quarter as quarterback Noah Rattmer led the Lions on a five-play, 87-yard drive. On first-and-20 from the Longwood 33-yard line, Rattmer broke a 67-yard run up the middle for a touchdown. Michael Hernandez’s kick made it 7-7.
The Floyd defense set up the next touchdown. The Colonials forced a three-and-out after Eddie Longo’s sack pushed the ball to the Lions’ 16. When Longwood attempted to punt, the long snap was muffed and a hard tackle by Minelli put the ball at the Lions’ 5. Two plays later, Tyshawn Lopez scored on a 3-yard run for a 13-7 lead with 7:29 left in the half.
Longwood (8-3) threatened to tie the score after defensive end Michael Loughran recovered a Floyd fumble at the Colonials’ 30. Rattmer found Zach Soriano for 14 yards and a first down to Floyd’s 13, but the Lions turned the ball over on downs after Russo, Minelli and Nick Muelthaler came up with big stops.
Floyd took over and drove 76 yards in six plays, capped by Lopez’s 11-yard touchdown run. Verga hit Devin Brown with the two-point conversion pass for a 21-7 lead with 1:07 left.
The Colonials added to the lead in the third quarter after Verga escaped a potential sack and continued to roll to his right away from the pressure. He threw a dart downfield to Wayne Bristel, who sneaked behind the secondary for a 41-yard gain to the Lions’ 4. Lopez’s 1-yard touchdown run made it 27-7.
“He’s such a great athlete,” Longo said of Verga. “He’s an excellent game manager and a kid of high character. He’s the leader you need to win championships.”
And the defense?
“Oh, and you certainly need a dynamite defense to win a title,” Longo said. “And our defense has been great.”
Sounds like a championship mix.
Division I Big Four Champions | County Finalist | 2019 Longwood Lions Team Photo
Loughran a real fine lineman: ‘It means a lot to finally get noticed,’ he says of honor
Ruiz, Mike. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 03 Dec 2019
Senior Michael Loughran hadn’t played a defensive snap since he was a freshman.
But this season, the Longwood star added defensive end to his left tackle duties and it resulted in him being recognized as the premier lineman in Suffolk on Monday night.
Loughran was honored with the Zellner Award, given to the county’s top lineman, at the Suffolk High School Football Coaches Association banquet at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge.
“I appreciate it very much,” said Loughran, who recorded 74 tackles (23 for loss), eight sacks and a fumble recovery, and played a key role in Longwood’s 8-3 campaign that ended with an appearance in the Suffolk Division I final. “I’ve been working hard forever…It means a lot to finally get noticed.”
“He just has an edge about him,” Longwood coach Jeff Cipp said. “He made a whole bunch of pancake blocks this season and he is a very aggressive blocker. We put him at tackle because of his quickness and speed. He really shined for us both offensively and defensively.”
Loughran, who said he has hopes to continue playing defensive end at the collegiate level, said improving his conditioning was the key to his play both sides of the ball.
“I was always aggressive,” Loughran said. “It was just hard keeping up with everyone else as far as pace. Playing on both sides is very tiring. But I got through it thanks to my conditioning.”
Loughran’s talent was on full display in Longwood’s 20-17 victory over Whitman on Oct. 26, when he recorded four sacks and continuously worked his way into the backfield to produce negative plays.
“Once we started playing him on defense, we realized how good he was,” Cipp said. “At 6-2, 245 [pounds], he’s the prototypical body type for a high school defensive end.”
“Most times when teams tried to run outside he would make a play where he fights off a tackle and he just hustles and makes plays for a loss,” Cipp said.
On offense, Loughran said he made his greatest strides in pass-blocking. But Cipp also credited Loughran for his dominance in opening up holes for Longwood’s rushing attack, which centered around running back Anele Nwayanwu, who rushed for 1,371 yards and 17 touchdowns.
“Our running game was the main thing,” Cipp said, “and we ran behind him the whole way.”