MacArthur flag football's Gina Iannuzzi throws late TD pass to Alexa Coppola to earn Nassau Class B crown
Alexa Coppola of MacArthur reacts to her go-ahead touchdown catch with 34 seconds left in the Nassau Class B flag football final against Plainedge on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Long Island University in Brookville. Credit: Dawn McCormick
MacArthur’s hopes of winning a county title rode solely on whether Alexa Coppola could get a foot down inbounds.
On fourth-and-goal from the 9-yard line, Gina Iannuzzi floated a pass through the rain to an open Coppola in the back of the end zone.
The junior left her feet and grabbed the pass in the air, planting her right foot down just inside the white line.
The referee’s arms went up to signal a touchdown, and Coppola went down to the ground as she was mobbed by her teammates with 34 seconds left in the Nassau Class B flag football championship game.
“It was all or nothing,” Coppola said. “I was jaw-dropped. I was shocked that I did that.”
“Coach [Steve] Fazzolari called a great play and when we called it in the huddle, me and Alexa knew we were going to get it,” Iannuzzi said. “I saw her in the back of the end zone and I knew it was over.”
Moments later, Iannuzzi found Madison Heaney for a one-point conversion for the final point of top-seeded MacArthur’s 13-9 win over No. 2 Plainedge Saturday at LIU Post.
It is the Generals’ first flag football title.
Trailing 9-6 with 4:27 left, Coppola intercepted a pass on MacArthur’s 16-yard line.
“That changed the momentum,” Iannuzzi said. “We knew we could drive down the field and get a touchdown.”
The Generals did just that. Aided by two roughing the passer calls and an encroachment penalty, Iannuzzi led MacArthur on an 11-play, 64-yard drive that spanned 3:53.
A 14-14 tie with Plainedge on April 21 remains the only blemish in MacArthur’s 17-0-1 record.
“The last time we played Plainedge, we scored with 12 seconds left to the tie the game,” Fazzolari said. “Going down there at the end, I kept telling the girls, ‘We’ve got time. Don’t worry about it. Stay calm.’”
After a safety in the second quarter, MacArthur responded with an 11-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard TD pass from Iannuzzi to Meaghan Campbell to give MacArthur a 6-2 lead heading into halftime.
A 29-yard catch-and-run by Charlotte Norbury set up a 1-yard TD run by Gianna Ponticello for Plainedge with 9:55 left in the fourth.
“Plainedge could be the best offensive team on Long Island,” Fazzolari said. “To hold that team to one touchdown is just a credit to the girls rising up in a game like this.”
Norbury caught four passes for 69 yards and added a PAT reception and two interceptions for Plainedge (14-2-1).
Taylor Garro caught six passes for 76 yards and added a 23-yard run for MacArthur. Iannuzzi completed 23 of 35 passes for 184 yards and two scores and Oliva Ecuyer added an interception.
MacArthur will return to LIU to face the winner of No. 1 Hauppauge/No. 2 Deer Park for the Long Island title at noon on Saturday, May 30.
“We were here three years ago and lost in the county final in our first year,” Fazzolari said. “All I can say is thanks to not only these girls, but to the girls who started this program and made MacArthur legitimate.”
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
