Floyd dedicates varsity football field to former coach Paul Longo

Joey Sidaras chose a quick flight over a seven-hour drive from his home in Carthage, New York to join proud Floyd football alumni at the school’s varsity football field for a special ceremony Saturday morning.

Players representing three different decades were on hand to honor the coach that many of them said positively impacted their lives.

Dignitaries, school officials, coaches and the community at large came out to witness the William Floyd School District rename the varsity field in honor of the school’s legendary coach, Paul Longo.

Surrounded by family and friends, Longo was overcome with emotion when he looked beyond the field to the school track, where some of Floyd’s greatest players, including standouts Brock Jackolski, Joey Johnson, Joey Sidaras, Teddy Galasso, Joe Melecio, Nick Sidaras and AJ Cannet, waited to greet him.

In a creative tribute, the scoreboard had 'Paul' spelled out in the visitor's score line and 'Longo' in the home score line. The clock read ‘253’ for the total number of Floyd wins during Longo’s fabulous 31-year tenure.

“I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” said Sidaras, the former All-Long Island quarterback who led Floyd to Long Island Class I titles in 2006 and 2007. “He was a great coach, a terrific role model and guided us to championships. But Floyd football was much deeper than that. It was about the grind, day-to-day prep, summer workouts, weight room, and the camaraderie where lifelong friendships were made. We were a family through the years.”

Sidaras, 36, married with five children, works as a middle school principal in Carthage.

“Coach Longo was from the top down the best,” Sidaras said. “He built a family atmosphere. We used to joke around that a college like Alabama or Florida was coming to take him away from us.”

They never came for him, and Floyd became a high school dynasty.

He pumped much needed-life into the program and turned it into a Long Island powerhouse. Longo guided the Colonials for 31 years, including 26 playoff appearances, and became the winningest public schools coach in Suffolk County history.

The Colonials won 15 Suffolk Division I crowns and five Long Island Class I championships, including a Suffolk-record 42-game win streak from 2005-2008. They were awarded the Rutgers Trophy, presented to Suffolk’s most outstanding team, three times.

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Coach Paul Longo honored, plus Whitman football at Floyd game action

For his accomplishments, the school district emblazoned the words “Paul Longo Field” across the top of the press box.

And as an added acknowledgement of his success, a plaque was installed just outside the Colonials’ locker room for posterity. He received a replica of the plaque.

“All players upon leaving and going into our locker room will be able to touch this plaque,” Kevin Coster, the superintendent for the William Floyd School District, said.

Longo proudly sat next to his mother, Patricia Longo, and three sisters, Cindy Longo, Patricia Longo and Sharon Panciroli. His focus on character, sportsmanship and pride could be found in the many that came to support the field renaming.

“I am honored,” Longo said. “It’s hard to put into words. The school administration was always very supportive of my program. The community, the grounds crew, security staff, ladies in the kitchen that made the boys lunches, our Lynvets youth program, my coaches and all the players made this possible. I have so many great memories of Floyd football and the community that helped shape us and make us the best.”
Longo is presently resurrecting the Shoreham-Wading River football program. He has the Wildcats at 4-3 in Suffolk’s Division IV.

His impact is already being felt in Shoreham. Many of his current players were in attendance for the field dedication.

By Gregg Sarra

gregg.sarra@newsday.com@Gregg_Sarra

Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.