Ryan Chabus, Dylan Milio help Massapequa end Garden City's record winning streak at 68 games
Ryan Chabus will remember this night forever.
And so will the entire Massapequa football team.
Chabus’ late interception set up Luke Garguilo’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Dylan Milio for the final score of Massapequa’s 21-14 win over Garden City in a Nassau I/II crossover game Monday night at Hofstra University’s Shuart Stadium.
Massapequa extended its winning streak to 26 games — now the longest active streak on Long Island — and ended Garden City’s state-record, nation-leading winning streak at 68 games. It was the Trojans’ first loss since Nov. 30, 2019.
As the highly anticipated crossover battle wound down, the Trojans were moving the ball with the score tied, looking to get into field-goal range or break a big play for a go-ahead touchdown.
Garden City’s receivers ran right and the offensive line slid to the left, ready to lead block for halfback Anthony Asaro, who awaited a screen pass. Chabus was all over it. The senior defensive lineman jumped in front of the pass, reeled in the interception and returned it 20 yards to Garden City’s 18-yard line with 1:50 left.
“We haven’t really seen that play much on film and we didn’t see it in practice that much,” Chabus said. “I just knew that with two minutes left, they were looking to make a big play. I saw their quarterback backing up, so that told me it was a screen. The ball was in the air for a while, so I just went and got it.”
On Massapequa’s second play from scrimmage after the interception, Garguilo slipped in the backfield for a loss of 10 yards. Massapequa faced third-and-21 from the 29-yard line with 36 seconds left.
“We were looking to get it to the 20 to get into our kicker’s range,” coach Kevin Shippos said. “Our offensive coordinator, Mike Ambury, is awesome and called a switch verticals combination that allowed Dylan to get open down the seam.”
Milio caught Garguilo’s pass at the 14 and scampered into the end zone untouched with 30 seconds remaining. “It was amazing,” Milio said. “Catching that ball, running into the end zone, turning around and just seeing the entire sideline and all the fans going wild. It was unbelievable.”
Massapequa’s defense then stood tall on Garden City’s final drive, forcing three incompletions.
“We played a four-quarter war with a really physical team,” Garden City coach Dave Ettinger said. “They built it into a really big atmosphere, but it’s Week 3 and all of our goals are still ahead of us this year. Our guys should have nothing to be ashamed about.”
Garguilo’s 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the only score of the first half. Chabus, Nolan Wieczorek, Giovanni Tarasi and Jack Mulligan were stout up front as Massapequa held Garden City to 12 yards of offense in the first half.
Brayden Robertiello’s 11-yard run on the first play of the second half marked the Trojans’ first first down. On the next play, Robertiello broke outside and sprinted down the right sideline for a 60-yard touchdown as Garden City tied the score at 7.
An interception by Casey Gilchrist on the Trojans’ next drive set up Massapequa at Garden City’s 24. Three plays later, Justin Farrell ran for an 8-yard touchdown behind a lead block from Jake Spina to give Massapequa a 14-7 lead with 4:36 left in the third quarter.
Robertiello’s 5-yard touchdown run capped a seven-play, 50-yard drive to tie the score at 14 with 5:47 left in the fourth quarter.
A few minutes later, Chabus, Milio and Garguilo etched their names into Massapequa history.
“I told them that this is something you’re going to remember for the rest of your life,” Shippos said. “It was a classic back-and-forth against the best of the best. We just had one more play than they did.”
The atmosphere was rocking with nearly 6,000 in attendance, and now the season rolls on. Garden City (2-1) will host New Hyde Park at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Massapequa (3-0) will visit Hempstead at 6 p.m. on Friday.
“We’re on to Hempstead,” Shippos said. “We have to play Friday, so we don’t have time to celebrate this. We’re back to work tomorrow.”
Jared Valluzzi contributed to this story.
Matt Lindsay is a high school sports reporter who joined Newsday in 2022 after graduating from Stony Brook University.
