Division I Preview: William Floyd Has Unfinished Business

Division I is where the big boys come to play, and this season should be no different. There are talented teams across the division, star players at nearly every position and enough new coaches to make things interesting from the start. But there is one team that everyone will have circled on the schedule: William Floyd.

The Colonials are coming off a heartbreaking 31-28 loss to Ward Melville in last season's Division I championship game. Now they enter a new era with Pete Friedman taking over for legendary head coach Paul Longo, the winningest coach in Suffolk County history.

Replacing Longo is obviously not an easy task, but Friedman is walking into one of the strongest football cultures in Suffolk County. The Colonials have won championships, developed elite players and built a standard that doesn't change simply because there is a new person holding the clipboard.

The biggest challenge will be replacing Ja’Quan Thomas, the Gatorade and New York Jets High School Football Offensive Player of the Year and Division I MVP. Thomas was one of the most dominant players on Long Island last season and was a major reason Floyd reached the championship game.

But this is William Floyd.

They don't rebuild. They reload.

This season, the Colonials will lean heavily on their defense, and that starts with senior linebacker Jake Rivera, who was named the Division I Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Rivera also plays tight end and will be one of the most important players on both sides of the ball.

He will be surrounded by a talented defense that includes senior cornerbacks Derek Glock and Christian Hobson, linemen Jayden Klemm and Devin Walker, and fellow senior linebacker DaShawn Jackson.

The schedule won't make things easy. Floyd travels to Sachem North in Week 2 for the Kickoff Classic and will also have to travel to Ward Melville. Those are two games that could tell us plenty about where the Colonials stand.

The good news is that Floyd finishes the regular season with three straight home games, giving the Colonials an opportunity to build momentum heading into the postseason.

And after coming three points short last season, there is plenty of unfinished business.

Ward Melville enters the season as the obvious team standing between Floyd and another championship. The Patriots are entering their 60th season, and they have one of the most exciting players in Suffolk County in quarterback Hudson Philbrick.

Philbrick was named the Division I Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and it isn't difficult to understand why. He has the talent, confidence and experience to become one of the best quarterbacks on Long Island.

He also has plenty of help.

Joey Karpowicz and Angelo Sorbera return as weapons in the passing game, while three-year starting center Quinn Kurtz gives the Patriots important continuity up front. Ward Melville had a championship-caliber season last year, and after beating Floyd in the title game, the Patriots aren't going to suddenly lower their expectations.

In fact, they appear to have bigger goals.

Ward Melville believes it can win not only Suffolk County but also a Long Island championship and end Nassau County's recent run of dominance.

Sachem North could have something to say about all of that.

Dave Caputo's teams have always been built around running the football, and this year should be no different. The difference is that North has something it has never had before: a three-year starting quarterback.

Luke LaRocca will make history for the program as the first three-year starting quarterback in Sachem football history. That experience could be a major advantage, particularly because Caputo wants LaRocca to become even more of a dual-threat quarterback this season.

The offensive line should give him plenty of help. James Chirichella and Dwayne Dumpson are expected to play major roles up front, and the experience in the middle of the line could allow North to establish its physical style.

The Week 2 matchup with William Floyd will be one of the early games to watch. North wants to establish itself as a championship contender, while Floyd will be trying to prove that the new-look Colonials are still the team everyone has to beat.

Sachem East has another team that will be relying on its offensive line. The Arrows dominated this year's National Football Foundation Lineman Challenge, and they will look to that group to set the tone.

Carter Torio, Brian Iopiccolo, Francisco Mercado and Alex Schneider give Sachem East plenty of options in the running game, while Luke Watson leads the way up front.

The Arrows have the type of tough, hard-nosed identity that can travel well in the playoffs. If their defense can hold up and the secondary performs, this could be another team making noise late in the season.

Longwood is no longer the young team we saw last season.

Sean Kluber entered last year knowing his roster was extremely young, with players as young as 14 years old seeing significant varsity time. That experience should pay off now.

The Lions have size and talent, starting with Edward Princivil. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman has the potential to become one of the best linemen on Long Island.

All-Division running back Kyron Sarwari should also benefit from the talent in front of him. Longwood doesn't just have bigger players this year; it has players who understand the game better.

Kluber talked about the improvement in football IQ, including the ability to read coverages and understand what opposing defenses are trying to do.

That was evident when the Longwood players were asked what their biggest game of the year would be.

Their answer?

Every game.

That tells you where this team's mindset is.

Patchogue-Medford finally has some consistency in the coaching ranks with Greg Murphy back for another season, and that stability could be important.

The Raiders have 49 varsity players and another 35 at the JV level, showing the growth Murphy is already bringing to the program.

The biggest name might be Andrew Johnstone.

The junior is listed as a tight end and defensive end, but Murphy made it clear that Johnstone will be moved around and could line up all over the field. He is one of the most talented players in the county and already has major college interest.

Then there is quarterback Brett Rupolo.

A four-year starting quarterback is rare at any level, and Rupolo gives Pat-Med an advantage at the most important position on the field. Last season he threw for 1,300 yards and rushed for another 200, while completing 67 percent of his passes.

With Johnstone and Rupolo as the foundation, along with Aidan Bailey, Sergio Martinez, Ramon Mateo and Kevin Parker, the Raiders have legitimate talent.

Pat-Med wants to get back to the glory days when the program won Long Island championships in 1996, 1997 and 2002.

Connetquot is back in Division I after spending last season in Division II, and the Thunderbirds were already given plenty of preseason recognition. The National Football Foundation named them its Division I Surprise Team of the Year.

Sonny Kowalevich is the centerpiece.

The four-year varsity player has been a starter since ninth grade and has excelled on both sides of the line. He was a team captain as a junior and will provide leadership for a team that looks particularly strong up front.

The biggest question will be replacing a star quarterback, but if Connetquot can control the trenches, this team could surprise some people.

Brentwood lost All-Suffolk player Chris Peralta, but the Indians still have an important piece returning in three-year starting quarterback Julius Herrera.

Herrera also made an impact at safety last season and will be counted on heavily. Coach Rich DeJesus believes his defense can lead the way, with Steven Cuello and Justin Rivera expected to make major contributions.

As has been the case in Brentwood for years, the offensive line could ultimately determine how far this team goes.

Riverhead is trying to restore the tradition of one of Suffolk County's proud football programs.

Don Nelson took over a struggling program that had won just three games over two seasons, but he brings decades of coaching experience and a personal connection to the school. Nelson coached at Riverhead and was part of the staff when the Blue Waves won the Rutgers Trophy in 1988.

Liam MacGray will take over at quarterback, and Nelson believes the junior is picking up the system quickly. Behind him is All-Division running back Kavion Hobbs, who can provide a major weapon.

If Nelson can get the defense right, Riverhead could become one of the division's feel-good stories.

Bay Shore also has a new head coach in James Rizzo, but unlike many new coaches, he isn't new to the program. Rizzo has been part of Bay Shore for 25 years, so he knows the tradition and the players.

Senior Cato Thomas will be counted on heavily at running back and linebacker. Thomas isn't your typical small, shifty back either. Rizzo pointed out that Thomas is a member of the 1,000-pound club in the weight room, and he is more than willing to deliver a hit on either side of the ball.

Central Islip is going through another coaching change, with Rashan Stacker taking over the program.

Stacker wants to bring energy back to the school and restore the pride of Central Islip football. The program has plenty of young talent, including senior receivers Mitchell Lawson and Amare Motley, who can stretch defenses.

Benjamin Maldonado will anchor the offensive line, and how quickly the new pieces come together will be the biggest question.

Walt Whitman also enters the season with a new head coach after Robin Rosa retired following 16 seasons.

Longtime assistant Ralph Milazzo takes over after spending 14 years with the program, including 13 as defensive coordinator. That familiarity should help make the transition smoother.

Senior quarterback Dodge Alahverdian gives Milazzo an experienced leader, while Mark Rutledge returns after earning All-Division honors as a sophomore. Rutledge is a two-way player who also rushed for more than 600 yards and will be a key part of the defense.

Whitman has made the playoffs six straight years, and the talent is there to make it seven.

That brings us back to William Floyd.

The Colonials may have lost their superstar quarterback, their legendary head coach and several other major contributors, but the program's expectations haven't changed.

Friedman has inherited a team that believes it should be playing in December.

Rivera and the defense will set the tone, and the returning players will have the memory of last year's championship loss sitting in the back of their minds all season.

The road won't be easy. Ward Melville has the quarterback. Sachem North has experience. Sachem East has its trenches. Longwood has grown up. Patchogue-Medford has two major stars. Connetquot has been tabbed as the surprise team.

That's what makes Division I so much fun.

There are plenty of teams capable of making a run.

But William Floyd remains the measuring stick.

The Colonials were three points away from another Suffolk County championship last year. Now they have a new coach, a new identity and plenty of players eager to prove that the standard hasn't changed.

The names may be different.

The goal isn't.