MacArthur flag football's Gina Iannuzzi has hand in four TDs in win over East Meadow
Gina Iannuzzi of MacArthur reaches for extra yardage as Gianna Acosta of East Meadow pulls her flag during a Nassau flag football game in Levittown on Friday, April 10, 2026. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
MacArthur quarterback Gina Iannuzzi was calm and composed. With a six-point lead and three minutes to go in the first half, she broke the game open.
She threw for one touchdown and ran for another to turn a six-point lead into a 21-point advantage by halftime.
Iannuzzi completed 23 of 32 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown, to lead host MacArthur over East Meadow, 27-12, in non-league girls flag football on Friday.
“They stayed true to the course,” MacArthur coach Steve Fazzolari said. “They trust the process. We have Gina read it and throw to whoever is open, and the best thing about our receivers is they don’t care who makes the catch.”
Late in the second quarter, a short punt gave MacArthur a short field. Iannuzzi completed two passes, the second to Natalie Yan for a 5-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 with 2:03 left in the half.
MacArthur (8-0) then got the ball back. On fourth-and-goal, Iannuzzi improvised and scrambled for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 with 18.4 seconds left in the half.
“It was supposed to be a pass play,” Iannuzzi said. “But nobody was open. I saw space and went for it.”
Iannuzzi connected with senior Taylor Garro throughout the game. Garro caught an 8-yard touchdown to make it 27-0 with 7:16 left in the third quarter. She finished with eight receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
“Me and Gina are always having fun,” Garro said. “It’s never a dull moment with us, and we always try to be confident. In my mind, I always think I’m going to catch the ball.”
East Meadow’s defense began making plays. Ella Giordano had a 21-yard interception return for a touchdown. Alyssa Cohen found Emily Klin for a 15-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-12 with 7:35 left. Gianna Acosta added an interception, but MacArthur’s defense stopped East Meadow (2-4-1) on the following drive.
“A lot of different girls contributed and executed today,” East Meadow coach Kevin O’Hagan said. “We showed flashes and forced some turnovers. I thought this was our best four-quarter game we played all year.”
