Connetquot football honors the late Scott Coppola before matchup vs. Ward Melville
The late Scott Coppola’s memory was honored before a Suffolk Division I football matchup between Connetquot and Ward Melville on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 in Bohemia. Pictured are members of his family who were recognized before the game. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Al Coppola clutched the Most Valuable Player Award from 1994 in his right hand. His wife Joanne stood by his side holding a bouquet of flowers in her right hand with the rest of the family to her left. The parents of Scott Coppola were at midfield during a pregame ceremony honoring their son as one of Connetquot High School’s greatest three-sport athletes of all time.
Coppola, who died unexpectedly in August at the age of 49, was a football, basketball and baseball standout for the T-Birds. The Connetquot School District honored his athletic achievements, including a Long Island Class I football title, and his impact on the community before the Connetquot vs. Ward Melville Suffolk Division I football game Friday night.
“This was a collective decision by our coaches and administration to honor a guy who did everything the right way,” Connetquot football coach Mike Konsevitch said. “The mention of his name only brings good memories. He was the epitome of a T-Bird. He was a leader and a captain of three sports and represented our school and community with pride.”
The family was presented a red and gray game jersey by Connetquot captains Chris Lindsay and Sonny Kowalevich. Coppola, a 1995 graduate, was a fierce competitor and exceptional athlete. He led the football program to Suffolk Division I crowns in 1992 and 1994, including a Long Island Class I championship in 1992 with a 27-7 win over Farmingdale.
He earned the MVP Award in the Class I football final against Massapequa when he drove the T-Birds 75 yards and fired a touchdown pass to Danny Hayes to tie the score at 20 with less than a minute to play. And then Coppola took a deep breath and nailed the extra-point kick for the 21-20 lead.
Bill Martin kicked a short field goal as Massapequa came back for the 23-21 win as time expired.
“He was a tough competitor,” Connetquot assistant football coach Jimmy Melchionna said. “I was a senior on that championship team when Scott was a sophomore, and he led us to the Long Island title. He was a leader at a young age.”
Caleb Maugeri of Connetquot runs the offense with bright orange skies in the second quarter of a Suffolk Division I football matchup against Ward Melville on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 in Bohemia. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Coppola would have been proud of the effort of the Connetquot football team Friday night — but not satisfied. Despite adverse playing conditions with heavy winds and rain, Connetquot opened a 13-0 second-quarter lead on Ward Melville, the undefeated and defending champion in Suffolk’s Division I.
However, Ward Melville quarterback Hudson Philbrick threw for two touchdowns and ran for two as the Patriots came back to take a 21-13 halftime lead and go on to a 35-25 win.
Greg Heller, a close family friend, remembers playing hockey with Scott’s brother Jim Coppola.
“Scott always wanted to play with us, and we were eight years older than him,” said Heller, a 1987 Connetquot graduate. “You could see his competitiveness at a young age. And he was so smart — knew how to play.”
Jimmy Coppola, who graduated from Connetquot in 1987, said his little brother learned to play all sports at a young age.
“He was my little brother, and we let him play with us all the time,” he said. “He never backed down from a challenge. He was fiercely competitive and I never let him win. That made him super competitive. He played for a high school that created a foundation for athletes that learned to compete at a high level and move beyond high school and into college.”
He pitched Connetquot to a New York State Class A baseball championship in 1995. He put together a 26-2 career pitching record, including a 12-0 season as a senior where he was named the New York State Class A MVP.
“The tribute for our son was beautifully written, just tremendous,” Al Coppola said. “Then nature kicked in and we experienced a gorgeous sunset and a fantastic and full rainbow. We were honored to be here with family and friends and surrounded by our community.”
Coppola went on to become a four-year letter winner and two-year captain of the baseball team at Hofstra University. He entered the Connetquot Hall of Fame in 2006.
While Coppola's athletic accomplishments earned him admiration, it was the way he lived his life — with humor, humility, loyalty and an extraordinary ability to bring people together that people remember most. The overwhelming outpouring of love from family, friends, neighbors, teammates and colleagues is a testament to the impact he had on so many lives. You could feel that impact on a night when Connetquot honored one of their own.
Once a T-Bird, Always a T-Bird.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
