Long Islanders play in Cortland vs. Alfred game

Last Saturday, Cortland played Alfred in a Division III college football matchup with over 50 Long Islanders amongst both teams.

Cortland has 42 Long Islanders, many which were members of last year’s National Championship team, and Alfred football has seven student-athletes that hail from Long Island. Cortland dominated the matinee last weekend with a 59-17 win.

The Red Dragons have the three-headed monster from Sayville: defensive back Ty Kolar, wide receiver CJ Messina, and defensive lineman Max Llewellyn.

Ty Kolar has played all six games this season after missing last season due to an injury. In the win vs. Lycoming in September, Kolar made an assisted tackle and returned an interception for 17 yards and in the win at Utica on the 12th, the Sayvillian made a solo tackle.

Kolar recorded 51 tackles, deflected a pass, made an interception, and recorded one tackle for a loss in 2022. Kolar made two assisted tackles in the win over Alfred. Kolar and CJ Messina are cousins.

CJ is a physical education major and last year snagged five catches for 117 yards and caught a 70-yard touchdown pass. In 2022, Messina reeled in 35 passes culminating in 443 receiving yards and found the end zone five times, with four receiving touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.

In his first game of the season due to last year’s season-ending injury, Messina seized his first pass of the season in Saturday’s win vs. Alfred for a reception of six yards. Max Llewellyn made 49 tackles in last year’s championship season, nine of which were for a loss of yards, and sacked the quarterback 4.5 times.

Llewellyn is a team captain for the second-consecutive season and has 19 tackles this year—seven solo and 12 assisted. Llewellyn has two fumble recoveries, two sacks, and three tackles for a loss of yards in 2024.

In the victory vs. Alfred, Llewellyn sacked the quarterback twice equating in a loss of 16 yards, forced a fumble, and summated three QB hits. Defensive back Allen Flore’s hometown is Manorville, and he is an Eastport-South Manor grad.

Flore is a junior physical education major, and he made one solo tackle in the 59-17 victory. Another defensive back in his sophomore season who hails from Patchogue is Eli Alvarez, who made nine tackles last year.

Linebacker Brett Harvey is an Oakdale native and graduated from Connetquot, and has played in two games this year. Another ESM grad and Manorville native is Jack Bonawandt, who plays offensive line and is majoring in business economics.

Johnnie Booker III is an offensive lineman in his junior year and his hometown is Bellport. Wally Crane is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound linebacker in his freshman year who is from Shirley.

He attended William Floyd High School and is a physical education major and Ryan Shannon is a 6-foot-4’, 290-pound offensive lineman in his freshman year with the Red Dragons who is from Ronkonkoma and is a Connetquot alumnus majoring in sport management.

Auben Marcus Jr. is playing in his sophomore season for the Alfred Saxons. Auben is 5-foot-11 and weighs 181 pounds, plays defensive back, majors in economics, and he’s a Longwood alumnus who hails from Ridge.

There are two Sayvillians on Alfred football: freshman linebacker Zack Watson, who is majoring in early childhood/childhood education and graduated from Sayville in June; and wide receiver Noah Jabour is also in his freshman year at Alfred and is studying health fitness management.

Both Watson and Jabour were members of the Sayville Long Island Championship and winners of the Rutgers Trophy in 2022 during their junior seasons.