Supportive parents honored at Commack homecoming

While embracing her son, Julia Paccione teared up after he slipped a yellow rose corsage on her wrist minutes before kickoff at Commack High School’s homecoming football game Saturday.

Her son, Robert, 17, quarterback for the team, was among the senior players to give their mothers corsages and fathers mini football helmets encased in glass during a pregame ceremony showing their appreciation for their parents’ support over the years.

“Most of these kids have been playing together since age 5,” said  Paccione, 46, a member of the Gridiron Club, made up of mothers who raise funds to provide the school’s football players with college scholarships. “Our team’s undefeated. There are no words for how excited we are to see them play today and it’s so wonderful they did this for us.”

And the team continued their winning streak, defeating the Lindenhurst Bulldogs 28-21.

Valerie Monroy and the other mothers continued the tradition of dressing in their sons’ away football jerseys for the game.

“My son William, he’s a running back. He couldn’t wait for this day,” Monroy said. “We’re all just so close and big on school spirit. This is a big game for our senior boys and all of us.”

At halftime, the school’s marching band performed alongside Cougarettes to Nicki Minaj’s “Starships,” Enrique Iglesias “I Like It” and Rihanna’s “We Found Love.”

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: High school homecomings across LI

Matt Cassano, 17, and Nora DiMaria, 17, were then crowned homecoming king and queen.

“I didn’t expect to win. It feels nice.” DiMaria said. “But I did decide to share my flowers with the other girls who didn’t win so that we could all feel like we won today.”