49.0°,
Fair Crowd wills Warriors to a win
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A resounding 27-0 win for the Wantagh Warriors over the Long Beach Marines last Saturday was just the icing on the cake. An afternoon of energy and enthusiasm filled Wantagh, from Bunker Avenue where the Homecoming parade started, to the stands of the high school football field where victory was witnessed.
The parade traveled up Wantagh Avenue to the school, featuring the class floats, Homecoming court, local organizations, district officials, cheerleaders and the marching band. There was a heavy crowd, clad in black and gold, at Wantagh and Beltagh Avenues to view the parade in its homestretch.
This year’s grand marshal was Kathy Cahill, the district’s director of science and technology education. She has worked in the district for 26 years, and has worked with award-winning Rube Goldberg and Science Olympiad teams.
“I was very honored and I was very humbled by the gesture,” Cahill said, adding that she thought a person had to live in Wantagh to be chosen.
Cahill described herself as a “behind the scenes person” who looks for ways to enhance science and technology education for the betterment of the students.
“The children of this community are everyone’s future,” she said. “There’s no better job in the work than to reach a child and help them fulfill their own potential.”
Diane Sales, co-chairwoman of the Homecoming planning committee, said she could think of no better person to be grand marshal than Cahill. “She goes above and beyond for all of our kids,” Sales said. “She doesn’t want to stand out. That’s what stands out. She doesn’t do it for any of the pomp and circumstance.”
Kick-off for the 532nd football game in Wantagh High School history was shortly after 2 p.m., and the crowd cheered the Warriors on to victory. Public address announcer Bill Bogatz kept them entertained with fun facts, noting that Long Beach had only beaten Wantagh once in 13 prior meetings.
A halftime show featured performances by the cheerleaders, marching band and color guard. The winning class in the float competition was announced. The theme this year was “Game Shows” and the sophomore class won with its “Price is Right” inspired float.
Luca DiMatteo and Nikki Sliwak were crowned the Homecoming King and Queen.
