MacArthur flag football wide receiver Alexa Coppola keys win over Bellmore-Merrick
Alexa Coppola of MacArthur, right, celebrates her touchdown with Natalie Wan during a Nassau flag football game against Bellmore-Merrick in Bellmore on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
MacArthur’s flag football pass attack has been prolific, but on Tuesday evening it faced a talented Bellmore-Merrick secondary.
Luckily for the Generals, a first-year player at receiver in Alexa Coppola delivered her best performance to date.
Coppola had seven receptions for 101 yards and one touchdown to lead visiting MacArthur to a 12-0 victory over Bellmore-Merrick in non-league girls flag football.
“I’m so happy right now, I can’t even explain it,” said Coppola, a junior. “I’m very proud of our team and how far we’ve come, and I can’t wait for what the future holds.”
The first two drives came up empty for MacArthur. Bellmore-Merrick’s Kylie McKeon had an interception, and Hallie Siegler had a pass breakup to end both drives.
MacArthur (9-0) responded with precision. Its third drive went 11 plays for 66 yards in 7:44, ending with quarterback Gina Iannuzzi finding Coppola for a 20-yard touchdown. Coppola avoided three defenders and accelerated for the score to take a 6-0 lead with 1:52 left in the first half.
“It’s Alexa’s first year playing, and she’s as confident as can be,” MacArthur coach Steve Fazzolari said. “She’s a rare combination of one of the sweetest girls you’ll meet and a bulldog on the field. She is fantastic, old school.”
In the third quarter, Iannuzzi rolled to her left and found Meaghan Campbell for a 19-yard touchdown to take a 12-0 advantage with 7:56 left. Campbell finished with six receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown.
“I dropped a couple in the first, so I wanted to fix that,” Campbell said. “I was able to get a step on my defender, and Gina got the ball to me. We have four girls who can score, so if you take away one, you have three others you need to worry about.”
Adriana Vargas led the Generals defense with a pair of sacks and constant pressure on the quarterback. It was the first time this season Bellmore-Merrick (5-2-1) had been shut out.
“They rose up and knew how good the opponent was today,” Fazzolari said. “They played one of the best games of the year. Everybody contributed.”
