Sayville football looking forward to return to Suffolk Division III final
Kyle Messina of Sayville runs for a gain during a Suffolk Division III football game against Half Hollow Hills West at Sayville on Nov. 11, 2023. Credit: Neil Miller
After a sour end to yet another sweet season, Sayville is ready to roll back to the Suffolk III championship game.
The Golden Flashes’ only loss in their 10-1 season came at the hands of East Islip in the county final. Sayville’s only score of the 17-7 loss was a 61-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Messina.
He caught the pass from quarterback Patrick Coan, a junior and the cousin of former Sayville star Jack Coan, the record-setting QB who played at Wisconsin and Notre Dame and then was with the Indianapolis Colts in training camp as a rookie.
“Patrick is special,” Sayville coach Reade Sands said. “He’s going to be one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He can make any throw on the field and they’re NFL-caliber throws. And he runs a sub-4.7 40-yard dash.”
Messina is fast, too. The running back has been arguably the most dynamic player in Suffolk for the last three years — he’s rushed for 4,894 yards and scored 74 total touchdowns in that span. He led Sayville to its 16th county title and seventh Long Island title in 2022.
Entering his senior season, Messina has one last chance to bring a crown back to Sayville.
“Looking back, it’s crazy to think that this is the end. It went by so fast,” he said. “I’m gonna try to take it all in, embrace this community and everything they’ve given me. I’m with my brothers, so I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The Golden Flashes are the top seed in Suffolk III and if they ultimately end the season atop the division, they may have the chance to finally face Nassau power Garden City.
“We just want to get through game one, take it one game at a time and get through our division,” Sands said. “But it’s nice to have that motivational factor at the end of the road because they are so good and well-respected. It’s been spoken about for years and there have been conversations about if we should play a non-league game with them. Their coaching staff is incredible and they have incredible players. It would be nice to have that competition with them and if it happens, hopefully it would be a great game.”
INSIDE SUFFOLK DIVISION III
COACHING SPOTLIGHT
Mark O’Brien graduated from Kings Park in 1991 and is entering his 30th year as the head coach of the Kingsmen. He has been a special education teacher at Kings Park for 29 years and a member of the Kings Park Fire Department for 31 years. “I have a lot of pride being from Kings Park and I love working with the kids,” O’Brien said. “It’s just fun watching them grow, seeing the change in them and having a positive effect on them.”
MUST-SEE GAMES
Westhampton at Half Hollow Hills West, Sept. 14, 1 p.m.: Joseph Filardi threw for 364 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 285 yards and two scores in Hills West’s 48-42 win over the Hurricanes last season.
Harborfields at Hauppauge, Sept. 20, 6 p.m.: Harborfields scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of its 28-24 win over Hauppauge last season.
Westhampton at Sayville, Oct. 5, 6 p.m.: Kyle Messina caught a 51-yard TD pass on fourth-and-10 with 2:23 remaining to give Sayville a 19-18 win over Westhampton last season.
Comsewogue at Harborfields, Oct. 19, 1 p.m.: Two dark horses to win the division, this matchup could be a quarterfinal preview.
Half Hollow Hills West at Sayville, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.: Sayville was the only team to hold Hills West under 30 points last season, and they did it twice. Can the Colts outscore Sayville this year?
FIVE-YEAR TREND
2019: Sayville
Spring 2021: Sayville
Fall 2021: East Islip
2022: Sayville
2023: East Islip
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Jaden AlfanoStJohn won the Hansen Award in 2019 when he rushed for 1,570 yards on 224 carries, had 25 touchdowns and set a Westhampton school record with eight interceptions. He is entering his senior season as a running back at Cortland, where he majors in sports management. He helped the Red Dragons win their first NCAA Division III national championship last year, totaling 1,396 yards and 17 TDs on 260 carries. He was named to D3football.com's preseason All-America team in August.
