Sayville’s Olivia Moynihan takes first at quarterback contest

Last Saturday afternoon, Smithtown West High School hosted the National Football Foundation Quarterback Challenge presented by Orlin and Cohen.

It was the second annual quarterback contest and Olivia Moynihan from Sayville took home the prize, coming up victorious as first overall to add more merits to her trophy case and give Sayville, which was Titletown this spring, earning championships in flag football and lacrosse more hardware accolades.

Moynihan, the two-time all Long Island selection who led Sayville to the Long Island championship this spring, was named Suffolk County Player of the Year and 2024 Best Offensive Player.

She threw for 2,230 total yards and 38 touchdown tosses while attaining a 64 percent completion percentage during the spring campaign. On the ground, the Sayvillian ran for 867 yards and took it to the end zone herself with 13 rushing touchdowns.

In the postseason, the Golden Flashes beat Hauppauge in the Suffolk Title game, then Plainedge to take home the Long Island crown. They then beat Owego in the state semifinal, then fell to Bishop Kearney in the Division II New York State Championship game.

During the competition in the summer heat, there were 13 qualifiers competing in drills such as mobility, accuracy, anticipation, release quickness, and knowledge such as football IQ that were led by John Gill, the Long Island QB Challenge director.

The three quarterbacks that were named the finalists were Grace Gilmartin from Northport, Jennifer Canarutto from Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, and Moynihan.

Moynihan was awarded No. 1, then hoisted a lustrous trophy of a gold football with the words “Long Island QB Challenge first place” emblazoned on a plaque on the base of the trophy. Moynihan is going into her senior Year at SHS and is a varsity soccer goalie, member of National Honor Society, Student Government President, and is committed to play soccer at the University of New Hampshire.