This past Saturday afternoon was the annual Parkway Power Bowl. It’s two high schools that are only 8.7 miles apart. Within those miles is William Floyd Parkway, a main strip of roadway that these two communities have in common. In some of the residential neighborhoods along this parkway, students on one side of the block attend William Floyd, while their friends on the opposite side of the street attend Longwood.
This is a rivalry that is now many decades old. The two communities both also have a passion for the sport of football. It’s not uncommon to drive through Ridge, Middle Island, or Coram and see a “Lions Country” banner. In the same way it’s also not uncommon to see kids walking down Mastic Road, Neighborhood Road, or Montauk Highway with shirts that scream “Floyd Strong.”
The Colonials and the Lions have strong fan bases and districts that rally around their student athletes. Both undoubtedly breed fearless kids that aren’t afraid to take a hit and give one out too. The Power Parkway Bowl is an in-league matchup that comes with bragging rights and much community pride. It even has its own trophy that the winner proudly displays in their trophy case until next year’s game. It’s been sitting in Floyd’s for nine consecutive years now; this year makes it ten.
On Saturday afternoon, the Suffolk County Police Department was on site to assist in the coin toss. The officers in attendance also handed the trophy to the winner at the game’s end. The Seventh Precinct takes part in this specific afternoon because they also serve and patrol most of the neighborhoods in both school districts.
Defense was the name of the game in the first half. Both teams held up their line and made sure their pads got the work that they were designed for, and then some. Floyd had a solid offense drive down the turf in the second quarter but picked up two consecutive penalties that cut the momentum short.
Midway through the second quarter, the contentious and back-and-forth game was still a scoreless deadlock, until late in the second quarter when the Lions drove the ball upfield and secured a field goal with just a minute left in the first half.
Halftime seemed to ignite a fire inside the motor of one of the Island’s most revered running backs. Ja’Quan Thomas finished the game with 215 yards and 2 touchdowns for Floyd, and began the second half with an impressive series of pivots up field for a long carry into the end zone. This put Floyd up 7-3.
Longwood put the Colonials’ defense up to the test time and time again. Floyd came up with three major stops just feet from the goal line to end the third quarter, keeping the Lions away from celebrating in the paint.
