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Floyd's good, but not unbeaten good

Gregg Sarra | HIGH SCHOOLS

1:56 AM EDT, September 14, 2008

So what was the most asked football question in the preseason? Very simple! Will Floyd finally lose a game this season?

And the answer to that question? Yes, Floyd will learn what it feels like to lose. When it will happen is anyone's guess, but the Colonials won't get through another season unscathed. Which is not to say they won't be a top contender again.

The Colonials have had one of the more impressive runs in Long Island high school football history. They've won 34 straight games, three consecutive Long Island championships, 38 straight home games and 41 straight Suffolk Division I regular-season games.

I've covered the great North Babylon, Bellport, Bethpage, Garden City and Freeport teams over extended periods of time. Sayville, Lawrence and Babylon always have been on the cusp of dynasty greatness. And of course, it would be very tough to match what St. Anthony's has done in the past seven seasons, winning seven straight CHSFL crowns. Add Floyd to that list.

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But all good things must come to an end. Not even the great coaching at Bellport and North Babylon and Freeport could stop the inevitable.

Floyd is a very good football team and could very well win the Suffolk Division I title again. But with all due respect to the Colonials, I do believe the winning streak will end during the regular season. In fact, the Colonials might even lose two or three games this season. The opponents across the landscape of this division want a piece of them.

With heavy losses through graduation, inexperienced linemen, injuries to some key players, a very tough early-season schedule and a running game that was non-existent in preseason scrimmages, this isn't a reach.

Of course, scrimmages don't mean too much, and coach Paul Longo is very smart. He's not showing all of his cards and he knows his team is the hunted. A tremendous coaching staff will do everything in its power to fine-tune the talent in the program to try to stave off the inevitable.

There will be a celebration somewhere in Suffolk during the regular season. It didn't happen for Lindenhurst, which played a beast of an opener in Mastic Friday night and fell short, 14-12. The Bulldogs looked very physical during the preseason and want to make a playoff run in coach Rich Biancaniello's 26th and final season. But their chance to beat Floyd is gone.

Brentwood is athletic and physical as well. The Indians also are primed for a shot at Floyd, which has given them the beatdown for a few years.

Longwood, well ... Longwood and Floyd is not a love story. And the Lions would love the honor of knocking off the top dog. Those neighboring communities pack the place when their teams meet.

Connetquot is in a three-year win cycle that starts now. The Thunderbirds are a very strong sixth seed and, along with Lindy, will make serious noise in the division.

The team that everyone in the division should fear is Sachem North. They're big, fast, and ready for a run at the Long Island crown. They've shown strength in line play behind the massive Cong Tian, speed at the skill positions and an aggressive yet disciplined defense. Floyd also will face a big, physical Patchogue-Medford team.

There are no breaks for the Colonials, and when you've been so good for so long, it's no secret that the goal of every opponent is to be the first to bring you down.

No one lined up at the door to play Floyd during the previous three years.

Now opponents can see a potential flaw, a possible chink in the armor, and the time to beat the Colonials may be 2008.

So the answer is yes, Floyd will lose this season. The Colonials are good enough to win it all -- but they won't go unblemished.