Ava Hunt leads Division's payback win over Bethpage in Nassau Class B championship
Division receives the championship plaque after winning the Nassau Class B flag football final against Bethpage on Tuesday at Herricks. Credit: David Meisenholder
The Division flag football team had just one loss during the regular season. When they found out they’d face that same team in the county finals, they knew they wanted to make a statement.
So what did they do? Top-seeded Division shut out No. 3 Bethpage, defeating them 18-0, earning the Nassau Class B title at Herricks High School on Tuesday evening.
“We’re over the moon,” junior quarterback Ava Hunt said. “We worked so hard for this, and we’re so happy and proud that it paid off.”
Division fell 19-6 to Bethpage in their second game of the season, and has since won 11 straight games. Senior Rebecca Petrellese said that the loss had weighed on their minds all season.
“All we could think about was that loss,” Petrellese said. “It’s a game that we feel we should have won, so coming into today, we were ready to shut them down.”
Hunt got the scoring going for Division. Hunt’s 33-yard pass to Petrellese and a 15-yarder to Abby Gregory brought the Blue Dragons to the Bethpage 7-yard line for first and goal. Hunt found an opening and took it straight to the end zone, putting Division up 6-0 with 14:45 left in the first half.
“Her decision-making is incredible, and she’s able to read the defense so well,” coach Victoria Piscitelli said. “She’s grown tremendously over the last year, she’s just super confident with the ball.”
Just a minute into the second half, Gregory took the handoff at the Division 14-yard line and flew by every Bethpage defender for a 66-yard touchdown run, extending the Blue Dragons' lead to 12.
“I actually stopped and looked back because I thought maybe someone had gotten my flag,” Gregory said. “But when I saw she didn’t, in my head, I knew I had to keep going and bring it all the way.”
“When we need her, we know we can rely on her every time,” Piscitelli said. “She’s fast, and she’s everywhere, she’s an amazing athlete.”
Hunt found junior Shirley Zhirzhan on third and goal for a 2-yard touchdown pass with just under 12:30 left in the game to seal Division’s victory.
Hunt completed 12 of 20 passes for 112 yards.
The shutout is Division’s 10th of the season. Gregory said the secret to their defensive success is the team’s chemistry and communication.
“Our communication is amazing,” Gregory said. “We all have each other’s backs, and we really just love each other.”
Division (13-1) will face the winner of Sayville/Hauppauge in the Long Island Class B championship at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Longwood High School.
“It’s going to be a really tough game,” senior captain Eleni Georgatos said. “We’re going to stay confident and continue to trust one another. We just have to play like we always play.”
