Caden Lesiewicz's big second quarter leads Floyd past Connetquot

Floyd reminded everyone of its dominance in Suffolk I early and fast Saturday afternoon, thanks in large part to Caden Lesiewicz’s second-quarter explosion.

The senior running back, kicker and safety rushed for a touchdown, made a school-record 52-yard field goal, and returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown to lead host Floyd past Connetquot, 31-0.

“There is a lot of hype around our team and I think we came out and performed exactly how we wanted to,” said Lesiewicz, who was also 4-for-4 on PATs and added five touchbacks in the first half. "I think our team is strong and I believe we’re going to go pretty far.”

Less than three minutes into the second quarter, Lesiewicz rushed for an 8-yard touchdown on 2nd-and-goal to give Floyd a 20-0 lead. Two possessions later, Connetquot's defense was able to stop Floyd on third down but coach Paul Longo opted for a long field goal. Lesiewicz swung his right foot and connected as the ball sailed through the uprights to put Floyd up 24-0. Three minutes later, Lesiewicz picked off a pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.

“For me, it comes down to the line. We had some great blocking out there. I knew they had a dagger out and I was going to jump it [the route] from the get-go,” Lesiewicz said. "Once I got that ball in my hands, I was just looking downfield. I was just thinking about getting to the end zone.”

From the opening kickoff, the Colonials played with speed and aggression. Quarterback AJ Cannett, who was 4-for-5 for 64 yards passing, opened the scoring with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Geo Alvarez on Floyd's first possession. On Connetquot's second possession, Lesiewicz intercepted a pass on 4th-and-short to force one of Floyd’s three turnovers.

Wasting no time, senior running back Jaden Montalvo shoved off two defenders before following the sideline for a 54-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive to put the Colonials ahead 13-0.

Montalvo, who returned to the offense after suffering from a season-ending hamstring injury last year, totaled 115 yards on six carries.

“I wanted to focus on making up for not playing last year,” Montalvo said. “It’s an amazing feeling to come back even stronger and prove that I have talent to add to a strong team.”

Connetquot quarterback Nick Pepitone was 4-for-10 for 25 yards passing. Floyd's Wally Crane had four tackles and a sack, restricting Pepitone and his passing game.

“I have to give a lot of credit to my defense,” Longo said. “We knew Connetquot’s quarterback was going to be very good. We had a great defensive plan and made a lot of big stops today.”

Added Lesiewicz: “I think we're going back to the old Floyd football. We're going back to the playoffs. This set the tone for the season.”