Massapequa vs. Garden City Week 3 crossover football game to be played at Hofstra
Quarterbacks Luke Garguilo of Massapequa, left, and Brayden Robertiello of Garden City. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
It’s official.
Although some view it as just a regular-season game in Week 3, others believe it could be the biggest high school football game in Long Island history.
Garden City will play Massapequa on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. at Hofstra University's Shuart Stadium. Tickets should be secured early for this showdown between two of Long Island’s powerhouse football programs.
The Garden City Trojans, winners of five straight Nassau Conference II titles, will meet Massapequa, the reigning three-time Long Island Class I champions, in a crossover game. The matchup was arranged by the Nassau County Football Coaches Association, which voted to play one crossover game between Nassau Conferences I and II, and Conferences III and IV. The schedule matches teams by preseason seed as voted on by the coaches, putting Massapequa (the No. 1 seed in Conference I) against Garden City (the No. 1 seed in Conference II).
The significance of this encounter goes well beyond the strategy on the field; it is all about the numbers as both schools put long winning streaks to the test. Garden City is riding the nation’s longest winning streak at 66 games heading into this fall, a number expected to reach 68 by Week 3. Meanwhile, Massapequa became the first school to ever win three consecutive Class I titles and carries a 23-game winning streak.
“This is a monumental game with the nation's longest winning streak on the line,” said Matt McLees, the director of athletics at Massapequa schools. “This is the two best teams in the past five years putting it on the line. My job as the Massapequa AD is to do the best that I can for my coaches, players and community. And that’s playing the game at Hofstra, a venue that can hold thousands more people. A venue that can make it safe and comfortable for everyone with more parking, seating, concessions and the Hofstra security staff.”
McLees noted that moving the game to a larger venue was an easy decision.
“We’re moving it from Massapequa because it’s the right thing to do,” McLees said. “Everyone wants to see this game. It will be a ton of work for me and my staff, and it’ll be worth it. We are aware that it’s a high-profile game like Sayville-Floyd of five years ago.”
Garden City quarterback Brayden Robertiello, who will be starting his third year at the position, has led the Trojans to 24 straight wins.
“This is my senior year and the last time playing football because I’m playing lacrosse at Penn State University,” Robertiello said. “We are treating the Massapequa game as another regular-season game, but we know what’s at stake, with all the hype that surrounds the matchup. The potential of a huge crowd just makes it more exciting.”
Pat Pizzarelli, the executive director for Section VIII, which governs all Nassau sports, shared his excitement for the upcoming matchup.
“This is the biggest football game in 50 years, maybe all time,” Pizzarelli said. “Everyone is excited about it. I’m happy it’s a later start so everyone can have the chance to go see two great football teams.”
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
