Gregg Sarra: Excitement building for Saturday's Garden City-Massapequa football clash
Garden City quarterback Brayden Robertiello, left, and Massapequa quarterback Luke Garguilo.
The stage is set.
One of the most anticipated high school football games in Long Island history is scheduled for Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium Saturday at 5 p.m.
Garden City and Massapequa carry the longest current win streaks in New York State as they collide in this dream game.
As expected, both teams cruised through the first two weeks of the season unscathed. Garden City extended the longest winning streak in the country to 68 games with wins over Calhoun and MacArthur. It is also the longest win streak in state history.
Massapequa beat Port Washington and Syosset and has 25 wins in a row. The non-conference matchup of unbeatens guarantees that one streak will end.
“If you can’t get excited for this, you don’t have a heartbeat,” said Pat Pizzarelli, the executive director of Section VIII, which governs Nassau’s interscholastic sports. “I’m a football fan. When we voted to have crossover games, the concept was to bring programs together that were struggling and help them play more competitive games. Then I looked at the matchups of the upper echelon teams and thought – this is even better than I expected.”
Indeed.
This game has all the makings of an epic event. There have been 2,600 tickets secured through a presale at Hofstra University. Pizzarelli said he expects a surge in sales by the end of the week and the game to challenge total ticket sales only seen at the Long Island Championships.
The wild card is the possibility of a nor’easter or the remnants of one, which do not make Pizzarelli and Matt McLees, the director of athletics at Massapequa, overly concerned.
“We’re monitoring the storm,” McLees said. “We’re the host school that chose to play at a neutral site because we anticipated a big crowd that we couldn’t handle at our property. We want fans to enjoy the game. The weather could be a factor and force a schedule change. We’ll work that out with the sectional office and Hofstra University, if necessary.”
The accomplishments of both schools are jaw-dropping. Garden City teams have won 10 straight Nassau Conference titles and five Long Island crowns. Massapequa became the first Nassau school to win three straight Long Island Class I titles last year.
The historic matchup was manufactured by the Nassau County Football Coaches Association, which voted to play a crossover game between Conferences I and II, and Conferences III and IV. The schedule matches teams by preseason seed as voted by the coaches, Massapequa (No. 1 seed in Conf. I) against Garden City (No. 1 in Conf. II).
Some view it as just a regular-season game in Week 3 that has no bearing on conference titles and standings. Others believe it could be the biggest high school football game in Long Island history.
The decision to play crossover games has brought considerable criticism. It has also drawn positive feedback from many coaches.
The schedule makers have been criticized for decades over the lack of competition. Suffolk needs to add a crossover week – this year we could have had top seeds Ward Melville and Half Hollow Hills East – imagine that one.
“We are excited for the opportunity to test ourselves against a great program and a school twice our size,” said Ed Ramirez, the director of athletics for Garden City Schools. “At the same time, we’re keeping everything in perspective. It’s a Week 3 non-conference game, and while we certainly want to compete and win, our season goals go well beyond this one game. Ultimately, our goal isn’t about winning this game - it’s about putting ourselves in position to win the last game of the year.”
Massapequa-Garden City is a marquee game – one that carries an element of excitement rarely felt outside of the LIC. The newness, the unknown and the general speculation of a matchup that Long Island football needs. The game has generated a ton of opinion and interest.
The anticipation of this game conjures up feelings that come with the potential of Long Island’s inclusion in the state playoffs with new opponents and challenges.
The novelty of the Long Island Championships wore off years ago. The excitement of playing different opponents from Nassau and Suffolk is no longer appetizing - as the same teams qualify.
Precisely the reason why Long Island’s decision makers in high school football need to figure out how our teams can qualify to play in the state tournament. Let’s go.
Don’t get me wrong, the LIC is still important. Keep it and turn it into a state regional game on the path to a state title. Games like Massapequa and Garden City only pique the interest.
I believe extending the season beyond the LIC and into a state playoff is on the horizon. Football is the only major high school sport that doesn’t advance Long Island teams to the state tournament.
Two of Long Island’s top quarterbacks. Garden City’s three-year starter Brayden Robertiello and Massapequa’s outstanding Luke Garguilo will square off in this one.
A winning performance will impact the Don Snyder Award presented to the best quarterback in Nassau. Neither has lost a high school game in their respective careers. Both have acknowledged respectfully their teams will be ready.
Both sides are very smart. There has been no trash talking on social media posts. Players have been complimentary in assessing each other. It’s refreshing – two classy programs that will let the play on the field dictate the result.
It’s been quiet at both schools for good reason. No bulletin board material necessary. Everyone knows what’s at stake.
You can convince yourself that this is just another non-conference game.
Just don’t tell the coaches and the players. They’re actions tell a different story.
One streak will press on this weekend and another one will end.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
