Shoreham-Wading River flag football wins Long Island title in first season
As the final seconds ticked off the clock in the Long Island Class C championship, it all became real. The Shoreham-Wading River girls flag football team was a Long Island champion.
A team with no prior experience before this season — and little to no understanding of the game when it began — had shown what is possible when everything clicks at once.
Playing at Long Island University, the Wildcats looked like a team that had been preparing for this moment for years. They upended Nassau County champion Cold Spring Harbor 46-7 last Saturday to secure a spot in the New York State semifinals.
“I didn’t come here thinking we would be Long Island champions,” SWR head coach Bob DeSilva said, who coached Patchogue-Medford before coming to SWR. “I wanted to put a competitive product on the field and I knew I had the athletes to do it. But to win a Long Island championship? Beyond my wildest dreams.”
Shealyn Varbero, the junior quarterback and safety who initially sparked the movement to bring flag football to SWR, was the star of the show. Varbero rushed for a team-high 80 yards and threw for another 159. She threw four touchdown passes and was able to sit for most of the second half with the Wildcats holding a commanding lead. She also scored on an interception return.
“Winning a championship despite being a first year program was always in the cards for us,” Varbero said. “It was something that we talked about but to actually have it happen is insane. We just kept our heads down and kept working.”
Ashley Morello was on the receiving end of two of Varbero’s touchdown passes. As Varbero scrambled out of the pocket — which she did often against a Cold Spring Harbor defense that constantly sent two rushers — Morello found open space in the end zone. Once she did, Varbero had the confidence to let it fly.
“We definitely have a certain chemistry out there now,” Morello said, who had three catches for 76 yards. “It’s when the play breaks down when we find the most success. I know she’s going to find me, I just need to get open.”
Brenna Molinelli and Mia Mangano also caught touchdown passes. Mangano added a rushing touchdown.
The players’ quick learning curve has made this run even more impressive. The growing pains came over the course of one season, not several. Learning a new game recreationally is one thing. Learning to play it at a varsity championship level is another.
“All these girls are smarter than me,” DeSilva said. “I don’t need to tell them things more than once. They learn and absorb information better than I could ever imagine. They want to learn. They want to get better. They love playing this sport.”
“It’s a lot to learn and it’s a lot of work for us but we love it,” Mangano added. “When we’re all doing it together at the same time it makes it easier. It’s not like you’re alone. We’re all learning and we’re all helping. It’s been one of those things that has helped us come together as a team.”
The job isn’t done, however. A state championship would be the ultimate cherry on top — the once-unthinkable storyline of a group of girls learning football, then not only succeeding, but dominating.
Shoreham-Wading River (11-4) will take on Section I Westlake (20-0) on Saturday, June 6, for a spot in the New York State finals. The game will take place at 11:30 a.m. at Cortland High School in upstate Cortland.
“We’re playing an undefeated team so we know what kind of challenge that can present,” DeSilva said. “But I think Suffolk County is one of the toughest places to come out of, especially for Class C. We played some of the best teams in the state in the regular season and we competed with all of them. Our girls aren’t scared of a challenge. They blow out teams by 50, and so do we. We’re going to that matchup looking to smack them around like true competitors and we’ll see who the final team is standing at the end.”
