Longwood flag football's Liana Collazo, Jada Griffith total eight sacks in overtime thriller
Longwood celebrates after Liana Collazo, middle, made her third sack of the day to end a Suffolk League I matchup against host Northport on Saturday, April 4, 2026. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
Liana Collazo called game.
She sprinted off the right side on fourth down and dived for the flag to earn her third sack, this one sealing a 14-7 overtime win for visiting Longwood over Northport in a Suffolk I flag football game on Saturday.
“I just had to get it,” Collazo said. “It was back and forth the whole time, and I was just so hype. Competing with these girls is so fun. Emotions were high, and it was a great game for everyone.”
Especially Jada Griffith, whose fifth sack of the game helped force overtime. Northport (3-2) had fourth-and-goal and was 5 yards away from a chance to win the game when Griffith chased down the quarterback with 27 seconds left in regulation.
“We just had to keep our composure,” she said. “My teammates were hyping me up, and nothing else was on my mind besides winning.”
Northport had the ball deep in Longwood territory on its final three possessions. And each time, the Lions’ pass rushers answered the call with a stop. .
Collazo's first two sacks were late in the fourth quarter after Hazel Carson had a 49-yard run that put Northport 15 yards away from the end zone.
“It was a great test for us to come on the road and face adversity against a great opponent,” Longwood coach Aden Smith said.
Longwood (4-0) got the ball first in overtime. On third-and-goal, Claire Scalfani scrambled and found Cameron Green in the back of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. Scalfani ran in the one-point conversion for a 14-7 lead.
“I saw Cam in the back of the end zone, and she was just looking at me,” Scalfani said. “It was almost like Cam was keeping her composure so I could keep my composure and get a touchdown.”
Scalfani's 39-yard touchdown pass to Aliyah Khamis, plus Scalfani's one-point conversion run, gave Longwood a 7-0 a little with 5:05 left in the first quarter. It stayed that way until Northport's Grace Gilmartin found Lyla Quinn for a 30-yard TD pass. Gilmartin's one-point conversion pass to Sarah Power tied it at 7 with 2:08 left in the third quarter.
“I thought our defense played a great game,” Northport coach Patrick Campbell said. “But we had a hard time with their rush, and I give them all the credit in the world.”
