Friday, October 2, 2026
Kickoff for the Nassau high school football season is less than a month away.
On Aug. 18, all 53 public high school football programs in the county will begin preparations for the upcoming season, scheduled to open Friday, Sept. 5 with a handful of Conference IV games leading up to the first full slate the following week.
Aside from then eight-time defending Conference II champion Garden City moving to Conference III, which saw it dominate the competition on the way to another title, the biggest news last offseason was the decision to add an 11 a.m. kickoff slot. That’ll continue in 2025 and possibly beyond, first-year Section VIII football coordinator Joe Martillotti said, as the county builds its varsity officials staff.
“We’re definitely in better shape with officiating crews as we were last year,” Martillotti said. “Some are doubling up with 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. games on Saturday. We don’t have enough officials to play every game at 2 p.m. on Saturday, but there’s also more and more teams playing Friday night which helps.”
Some teams with multiple 11 a.m. starts this season include Clarke (four), Carey (three), Sewanhaka (three), South Side (three), Uniondale (three), Elmont (two), Valley Stream South (two) and Wantagh (two.)
Massapequa (Conference I), Carey (II), Garden City (III) and Wantagh (IV) won county titles last season, but the landscape has changed again with Rutgers Cup winner Garden City moving back to Conference II, Wantagh returning to Conference III where Carey also resides now.
Carey and Wantagh are seeded No. 1 and 2, respectively, but won’t meet until Week 7 (Oct. 25) at the home of the Seahawks. Carey, which defeated Half Hollow Hills East for the Long Island Class II crown to cap an undefeated campaign, opens at home Sept. 13 against Valley Stream South.
Massapequa, which won the Rutgers Cup in 2023 and seeks a third straight county title, is ranked second behind Farmingdale this season. The Chiefs won an overtime thriller over the Dalers in the Conference I championship game last November. The teams will meet again in Week 6 at Farmingdale. Massapequa opens at home versus Freeport Sept. 13; the Dalers host Syosset the previous evening.
Third-ranked Long Beach is tasked with opening the season against Garden City in the Trojans’ return to Conference II. Garden City has won a remarkable 54 consecutive games.
Conference IV runner-up Plainedge is ranked at the top this season and kicks off on the road at North Shore Sept. 6.
Teams choosing to play a full game scrimmage can do so once 10 practices are completed, making Aug. 29 the first potential date. Teams can conduct joint practices as soon as Aug. 23 and are permitted to play 7 on 7 and also run 10 plays (11 on 11) in full gear.
Nine teams switch conferences
Along with Garden City, Carey and Wantagh, six additional teams switched conferences for 2025 based on enrollment figures. East Meadow and Valley Stream Central slid from Conference I to II, Sewanhaka from II to III, Bellmore-JFK from III to II, Valley Stream South from IV to III, and Lynbrook from III to IV. East Meadow and Kennedy meet Week 1 in Bellmore. Valley Stream Central opens at home against MacArthur, Sewanhaka hosts Floral Park, and Lynbrook hits the road to face Malverne.
Few coaching changes
Last season saw new head coaches debut at Baldwin, East Meadow, Freeport, Mepham, Seaford and at the midway mark, Lawrence. This year there’s new sideline bosses at North Shore and Manhasset. Dan Agovino left a legacy at North Shore with 23 years at the helm and led the Vikings to a pair of county championships and their first-ever L.I. title in recent seasons. Longtime assistant Bill Madigan takes over. At Manhasset, Mike Lewis takes over for legendary Jay Iaquinta.
10 games to watch
Sept. 12 Freeport at Massapequa
Sept. 13 Garden City at Long Beach
Sept. 19 Farmingdale at Oceanside
Sept. 27 Carey at South Side
Oct. 4 Plainedge at Lynbrook
Oct. 11 Mepham at Garden City
Oct. 18 Massapequa at Farmingdale
Oct. 25 Wantagh at Carey
Oct. 25 Freeport at Oceanside
Oct. 31 Seaford at Plainedge
