Olivia Moynihan-Ava Vadyak connection keeps Sayville perfect for Long Island Class B flag football title
Olivia Moynihan #1 of Sayville runs for a touchdown against Plainedge in the Long Island Class B flag football championship, Thursday, May 23, 2024. Credit: Derrick Dingle/Derrick Dingle
In order to stay perfect, the Sayville flag football team needed its connection between its star quarterback and leading wide receiver to be perfect.
Olivia Moynihan and Ava Vadyak did what was needed to win Thursday night. Moynihan found Vadyak for two touchdowns — one with 11:50 left and the other for the permanent lead with 5:53 left — to lead Sayville to a 25-7 win over Plainedge in the Long Island Class B flag football championship game at Long Beach Middle School.
Sayville (13-0) advances to the state Division II semifinal against either Section IV champion Owego Free Academy, Section II champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake or Section VII champion Northeastern Clinton at 2 p.m. on June 1 at Cortland High School.
After a scoreless first half, the Golden Flashes finally opened the scoring about halfway through the second half — and in spectacular fashion. On fourth-and-goal from the Plainedge 8, Moynihan rolled to her right and threw her first touchdown to Vadyak, who made a one-handed snag on the right side of the end zone while just keeping her feet in bounds. Moynihan threw for 41 yards on the six-play drive, which put Sayville ahead 6-0.
“It’s hard to cover Ava Vadyak one-on-one,” Sayville coach Reade Sands said. “And they tried to do it for a lot of the game, and I’m like, ‘Enough is enough.’ They cannot cover her one-on-one and get away with it. … Out of halftime I said listen, ‘The game’s on you two (Vadyak and Moynihan).’ Get the ball in the end zone.”
“(Moynihan) always knows where I am no matter what, and I know where she’s looking,” Vadyak said. “So even if she runs away, I know how to react to where she’s going. We just have a connection where we know we trust each other.”
Plainedge (9-7) jumped in front on its next possession, as quarterback Gianna Ponticello launched a 20-yard touchdown pass to Katelyn Tierney with 10:50 left. Ponticello hit Jessica Faranda on the ensuing one-point conversion for the 7-6 lead.
The second touchdown between Moynihan and Vaydak put Sayville back in front, 12-7, and Faith Roben jumped a route for an interception on the next defensive possession. Lindsay DiMenna took a pitch 22 yards for the touchdown on the first offensive play of the next drive, icing the game and giving Sayville an 18-7 lead with 4:07 left.
After the Golden Flashes forced a turnover on downs, Moynihan added a 17-yard touchdown run with 1:55 left for the finishing touches.
“It’s surreal,” Vadyak said. “We all know that we worked together so much to get here. Throughout the whole season we knew that this was our goal, and we accomplished that goal and it just feels amazing.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.