It may be summer, but these football teams are already on the field in 7-on-7 workouts

High school football games start in about seven weeks. That means it's 7-on-7 time right now on Long Island.

Defending Nassau Conference III champion Wantagh hosted its second 7-on-7 session of the summer on Monday, featuring Massapequa, MacArthur and Seaford.

Massapequa, the three-time defending Long Island Class I champion, was led by Luke Garguilo. He was last season’s Snyder Award winner, given to Nassau’s top quarterback. Garguilo consistently completed accurate passes downfield against all three defenses he faced. One of his favorite targets was Dylan Milio.

The rising senior WR/DB is long and athletic, making plays on both sides of the ball.

“For us, it’s about discipline and every rep being 100%,” Milio said. “This senior group is really athletic and can play all over. It’s my last football season ever. It flew by, and I’m just hoping to end on top.”

Massapequa graduated a tremendous 2026 class. These 7-on-7 sessions create opportunities for new faces to compete against high-level competition.

“You know what the returning starters can do,” Massapequa coach Kevin Shippos said. “You want to see what the young guys can do and how they compete. It’s all about competition, and we’re pleased with what we’re seeing so far.”

The 7-on-7 format is non-contact and each team played 30-minute games. The offense features a center, quarterback and five eligible receivers, while the defense has seven defenders. There is no blocking or tackling. The format emphasizes the passing game and gives players an opportunity to compete and execute plays before the fall season.

Wantagh returns last season’s Thorp Award winner in Luke Martini. Wantagh graduated a plethora of skill players, but Martini, a rising junior, is thrilled with the upcoming talent. He did not participate Monday, but was there supporting his teammates.

“Obviously losing that senior class is tough,” Martini said. “But we have a lot of good talent coming up, and I’m really excited to see what everyone does. And even though I’m not playing today, a big thing here is showing up. Being here for your teammates is everything, we stick together.”

One of those talented pieces is Michael Arteca. The shifty receiver caught multiple touchdowns against MacArthur. His quickness on both sides of the ball was on display against Massapequa. Arteca spent two years on the JV team and is ready to make an impact on varsity.

“I’m feeling good. Nerves are high, but expectations are high,” Arteca said. “We’ve been working hard this offseason. We have a bunch of fantastic athletes. We have big expectations following the back-to-back county titles."

Seaford, which won the Nassau Conference IV title last season, was also in attendance. Coach Mike McHugh declined to comment.

MacArthur, coming off a 2-6 season, competed against all three defending champions.

“When you’re going against quality programs, you’re going to get better,” MacArthur coach Bobby Fehrenbach said. “They make you work harder. You can gut it out or put your tail between your legs. It’s a good measuring stick for these kids.”

The Generals were led by senior quarterback Vinny Szucs. The lefty put together several steady drives that ended in touchdowns. Rising sophomore Danny Esposito made two acrobatic catches for the Generals.

“It’s a great experience to get ready for the season,” Szucs said. “We have a bunch of gritty guys that want to prove everyone wrong. There are teams counting us out. We know it. We’re just going to show them on the field that we’re still MacArthur football and we’re gonna be back.”

All four teams plan to practice with each other weekly in July, and each session gives players a chance to shine.

“I’m happy with tonight,” Wantagh coach Keith Sachs said. “The guys that are here get better. We trust everybody and some guys really stepped up tonight.”