Seaford's Brian Falk, Wantagh's Joe Nicholson happy to share Tom Flatley Award
Wantagh's Joe Nicholson, left, and Seaford's Brian Falk are the co-winners of the 2026 Tom Flatley Award. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Seaford’s Brian Falk and Wantagh’s Joe Nicholson know each other largely by reputation as both barrel through linebackers and run around defensemen on the football and lacrosse fields, respectively. But the two Villanova commits are certainly known even better by the coaches who must game plan against them, and that became abundantly clear Tuesday night.
The Nassau County Lacrosse Coaches Association and the Nassau County Football Coaches Association named Nicholson and Falk on June 23 as the ninth and 10th athletes to receive the Tom Flatley Award, at Woodbury’s Crest Hollow Country Club.
“I was shaking,” Falk said. “Ever since I learned about the award my freshman year when I was at this dinner, I wanted to do everything I can to win that award. So, it was unreal; I had no clue about it, it was a complete surprise.”
“It felt like all my hard work finally paid off,” Nicholson said. “To play football and lacrosse on Long Island is truly special.”
The award, which debuted in 2020, is given to athletes who express talent, leadership and community values across both football and lacrosse. It honors Tom Flatley, who went 264-44-7 while coaching Garden City football to 18 county titles and five Long Island championships from 1985 to 2014. Flatley also coached Garden City’s junior varsity lacrosse team from 1988 to 2019, holding a 357-31-2 record.
Nicholson ran 125 times for 944 yards and 11 touchdowns, plus 30 receptions for 617 yards and four touchdowns, to help Wantagh’s football team lift the Nassau Conference III title. He won the Long Island Class C championship with the lacrosse team behind his 56 goals, 26 assists and 55 ground balls. Nicholson is the second Wantagh recipient of the award after Dylan Martini won it in 2025.
“We don’t rebuild,” Nicholson said of Wantagh athletics. “We reload.”
Falk, a finalist for the Thorp Award this fall, had 1,585 yards and 21 touchdowns on 205 carries, adding 30 receptions for 553 yards and four touchdowns to help Seaford’s football team lift a Nassau Conference IV title. The first Seaford recipient of the honor, Falk led the lacrosse team to the county Class C semifinals with 48 goals, 15 assists and 48 ground balls.
“I wouldn’t want to go to another school and share some of the best moments, winning county championships, at another place other than Seaford,” Falk said.
Though they won’t share a field at Villanova — Falk is a football commit and Nicholson a lacrosse commit — both seniors said, “there’s no one I’d rather share the award with.”
AWARDS SEASON
(Nassau County Lacrosse Coaches Association' players of the year)
The John Krumenacker Award — Nassau player of the year: Devin Paccione, Wantagh
The Bob Rule Award — Nassau goalie of the year: Josh Weisenfeld, Syosset
The Howdy Meyers Award — Nassau defenseman of the year: Andrew Dengler, Garden City
The John Driscoll Award — Nassau co-midfielders of the year: Anthony Asaro, Garden City, and Joe Nicholson, Wantagh
The Bill Ritch Award — Nassau co-attackmen of the year: Charlie Koester, Garden City, and Brody Waxer, Syosset
Nassau specialist of the year: Brayden Robertiello, Garden City
Nassau co-long-stick midfielders of the year: Michael Galgano, Farmingdale, and Luke Waxer, Bethpage
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
