The William Floyd Colonials football program had a big night this week earning a host of honors at the annual Suffolk County Football Coaches Association awards dinner held at the Hyatt Regency in Hauppauge. William Floyd student-athletes captured the Carl A. Hansen Award, the Joe Cipp Jr. Award, the Bob Zellner Award, and the Bryan Collins Award, representing Suffolk County’s top overall player, top running back, top offensive lineman, and top defensive lineman. Head coach Paul Longo also added to his legacy, earning his 19th Division I Coach of the Year Award. This marks his 10th consecutive and 19th overall Division I Coach of the Year honor. Coach Longo has been at the helm of the William Floyd program for 31 years, becoming the winningest coach in Suffolk County history. Under his leadership, the Colonials have appeared in 21 Suffolk County title games, winning 15, along with five Long Island championships. He is a proud member of both the William Floyd Athletic Hall of Fame (2019) and the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame (2022).
This season, Longo guided the Colonials to a 10-1 overall record (8-0 in the regular season) and another trip to the Suffolk County Championship, where they narrowly fell to Ward Melville, 31-28. Junior Jake Rivera played a crucial role on defense as a dominant edge presence, earning the inaugural Bryan Collins Award as Suffolk County’s top defensive lineman. In his second full varsity season, Rivera recorded 71 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and one fumble recovery. The defense held opponents to fewer than 12 points per game and posted four shutouts.
Senior Jeru Hall earned the Bob Zellner Award as Suffolk County’s best offensive lineman. Hall anchored one of the region’s most formidable lines, powering an offense that averaged 31 points per game and paved the way for Hansen Award winner Ja’Quan Thomas.