Thursday, October 1, 2026
Luke Garguilo placed his stamp on the latest edition of one of Long Island’s greatest rivalries, guiding Massapequa to a comprehensive 28-3 victory over host Farmingdale in a battle of unbeaten Nassau Conference I squads Saturday.
The junior quarterback had 10 carries for 114 yards and a pair of touchdowns and completed 6-of-8 passes for 105 yards to help the Chiefs win at Don Snyder Stadium.
The victory gives the two-time defending Long Island Class I champions an inside track on the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Nassau Conference I playoffs.
And Garguilo did it on the same field where his father, Rich, was the quarterback for the Dalers in the early 1990s.
“It always feels good to get a win, especially against Farmingdale. But it’s just another game, on to the next one,” Garguilo said. “I know [my father] was happy for us to get the win even against his old team.”
The game was a rematch of an epic Nassau Conference I championship game last November, won in overtime by Massapequa on a trick play.
Last Saturday, Massapequa didn’t need any trickery in a dominant performance in all three phases. “It was a great team win,” Chiefs head coach Kevin Shippos said.
Offensively, the Chiefs were balanced, with Andrew Pedalino also rushing for two touchdowns. Tyler Byrnes pulled down a clutch 33-yard reception that set up the second of Pedalino’s touchdowns to send Massapequa into halftime with a 21-3 lead.
The 6-foot-4 senior wide receiver was also pivotal with his blocking on the edge.
Led by Nolan Wieczorek and Cole Villalta, the Massapequa defense kept Farmingdale running back Josh Kama in check. The senior rushed for 1,164 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first five games, averaging 232 yards per game.
But on Saturday, Massapequa rallied to the ball and limited Kama, who left a Week 5 win over Hempstead with an injury in the first quarter, to 101 yards on 17 carries.
“The defense stepped up big time, limited explosive plays, and stopped their running backs before they could get going,” Shippos said. “We played very physically today.”
Aided by a Pedalino 47-yard run, Garguilo followed an Anthony DiNello block to cap his team’s opening drive with a 6-yard touchdown run that gave Massapequa a 7-0 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter.
JJ Damo responded with a 25-yard field goal to cut the Dalers' deficit to 7-3 with 5:52 left in the first half.
Thanks to a huge Wieczorek block, Pedalino went untouched for a 3-yard touchdown run to extend the lead and added a 1-yard rushing score before halftime.
Garguilo closed out the impressive victory with a 26-yard touchdown with 7:45 left in the fourth quarter.
“Luke continues to get better and that’s all you can ask of a player,” Shippos said. “He’s showing all the tools of an elite quarterback.”
Farmingdale leads the all-time series 37-25-2, but Massapequa won its fourth consecutive game in a rivalry that dates back to 1975 and left Don Snyder Stadium as the favorite to win a third consecutive county title.
