Floyd excels in all phases to top Sachem North in Suffolk Division I championship game
Floyd RB Jaden Montalvo goes up the middle for the touchdown against Sachem North in the Suffolk I football final, Friday, November 17, 2023. Credit: George A Faella
The only team that got between Floyd and a perfect regular season this fall was Sachem North.
So it was only fitting that the two football programs faced off again in the Suffolk Division I championship game.
Jaden Montalvo had 15 carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns, AJ Cannet connected with Geo Alvarez twice for 155 yards and a touchdown and Floyd held an opponent to single digits for the sixth time in 11 games as the top-seeded Colonials beat No. 2 Sachem North, 26-9, on Friday night at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium.
Floyd (10-1) will play Nassau champion Massapequa for the LI Class I title at noon next Friday at Hofstra.
“I’m just so happy for all my players, the whole community, for the school,” 29-year coach Paul Longo said. “ . . . After all these years, it doesn’t get old.”
The Colonials scored the only points of the first half. Deep inside Floyd territory, Cannet rolled out to his right and found Alvarez, who caught it near midfield and finished the 89-yard catch-and-run score with 2:57 left in the first quarter.
“AJ’s been playing lights out the past few weeks,” Longo said. “Geo Alvarez, in my opinion, is one of the best receivers on Long Island.”
Floyd's Wally Crane intercepted Anthony Vino in the end zone with 8:11 left in the second quarter, halting a 14-play Sachem North drive. Jay’don Peacock had an interception with 32 seconds left in the half to preserve Floyd's 7-0 advantage.
Sachem North (8-3) had another lengthy drive to start the second half but was forced to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Zach DeMilt with 5:17 left in the third quarter.
Montalvo returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Sachem North 36 and reaped the benefits of his big return, scoring on a 2-yard run with 3:17 left in the quarter to give Floyd a 13-3 lead.
Montalvo missed the previous six games with a knee injury but said he felt “100%” on Friday.
“It was amazing because I worked so hard and then just seeing it finally pay off,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without my offensive line, honestly.”
Sachem North running back Nasir Altes had a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal with 10:05 remaining to cut the lead to 13-9, but Floyd had an answer.
Montalvo’s second 2-yard touchdown run with 4:49 left made it 20-9 and junior varsity call-up Ja’Quan Thomas rushed for a 64-yard score with 2:31 left to put the game away.
“It’s the best feeling ever,” Montalvo said. “I can’t even describe it.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
