This week's Long Island high school football games to watch and picks
It has been one of Long Island’s backyard rivalries in high school football since 1975. In a battle of unbeatens, Massapequa will travel to play at Farmingdale at 2 p.m. on Saturday in a Nassau Conference I game.
The schools, located just five miles apart on the south shore of Nassau, have long been in contention for the conference title.
“These games never disappoint,” Massapequa coach Kevin Shippos said. “And in years like this, where we’re both doing well, there’s even more at stake.”
Massapequa is off to a 6-0 start even after the loss of starting quarterback Paul Dulanto to a knee injury early this season. They will march into Farmingdale with a vibrant ground game, scoring 35 points per game, with halfback Tyler Villalta, who leads Nassau with 982 yards rushing.
Farmingdale (5-0), the defending Long Island Class I champions, is on a 17-game win streak and will counter with a potent ground game of its own led by halfback Sal Posillico, who has nine touchdowns, including three last week in a 28-10 win over Oceanside.
This week's picks
GREGG SARRA (97-42)
- Oceanside
- South Side
- Wantagh
- Seaford
- Connetquot
- Sachem North
- Ward Melville
- West Babylon
- Centereach
- Half Hollow Hills West
- Bayport-Blue Point
- Miller Place
- Farmingdale
- Hempstead
- MacArthur
- Roosevelt
- North Shore
- Island Trees
- Floyd
- Commack
- North Babylon
- East Islip
- Rocky Point
- Eastport-SM
- Iona Prep
ANDY SLAWSON (97-42)
- Oceanside
- South Side
- Wantagh
- Malverne
- Connetquot
- Sachem North
- Ward Melville
- West Babylon
- Smithtown East
- Half Hollow Hills West
- Bayport-Blue Point
- Miller Place
- Massapequa
- Hempstead
- MacArthur
- Roosevelt
- Locust Valley
- Island Trees
- Floyd
- Commack
- North Babylon
- East Islip
- Rocky Point
- Eastport-SM
- Iona Prep
CARISSA KELLMAN (93-46)
- Oceanside
- South Side
- Wantagh
- Seaford
- Connetquot
- Sachem North
- Ward Melville
- West Babylon
- Centereach
- Half Hollow Hills West
- Bayport-Blue Point
- Miller Place
- Massapequa
- Hempstead
- MacArthur
- Floral Park
- Locust Valley
- Island Trees
- Floyd
- Commack
- North Babylon
- East Islip
- Rocky Point
- Eastport-SM
- Iona Prep
ROGER RUBIN (97-42)
- Syosset
- South Side
- Wantagh
- Seaford
- Connetquot
- Sachem North
- Ward Melville
- West Babylon
- Centereach
- Half Hollow Hills West
- Bayport-Blue Point
- Mt Sinai
- Farmingdale
- Hempstead
- MacArthur
- Floral Park
- North Shore
- Island Trees
- Floyd
- Commack
- North Babylon
- East Islip
- Rocky Point
- Eastport-SM
- Iona Prep
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
