Thursday, October 1, 2026
His decision was made in the spring, but it wasn’t officially known until the Farmingdale football team broke preseason camp.
Legendary head coach Buddy Krumenacher is retiring at the end of this season, his 33rd at his alma mater.
“Time to do this one more time and then move on,” Krumenacher said. “It’s all good.”
Krumenacher, who also spent 11 years as Hempstead head coach, has a 315-105-11 overall record and is second in Long Island all-time wins behind Bethpage’s Howie Vogts, who had a 364-124-10 record in 56 years.
Krumenacher’s Dalers have won nine Nassau Conference I titles and a pair of Long Island Class I championships. Krumenacher took the helm from his former coach, Don Snyder, who coached the Dalers for 40 years.
“It’s very special. I grew up here. I played here for Coach Snyder,” said Krumenacher, a 1965 Farmingdale graduate and captain of the 1964 team. “Between the two of us, this will be 74 years — 40 for him and 34 for me. Nobody’s got head coaches for that long.”
Despite his announcement, Krumenacher said the preseason has the same feel this year as any of his previous 32 as Farmingdale head coach.
“Just doing the same thing that we’ve always done,” said Krumenacher, Farmingdale’s all-time winningest coach. “Nothing’s changed. Nothing’s changed at all.”
After back-to-back one-point losses at Shuart Stadium in the playoffs, can the Dalers send Krumenacher off with another championship? Farmingdale is the No. 3 preseason seed in Nassau Conference I and coming off an 8-2 season in which the Dalers fell to Oceanside, 28-27, in the semifinals at Hofstra.
That came on the heels of a 35-34 overtime loss to rival Massapequa in the championship game in 2024.
The running back tandem of Josh Kama and Jovens Theodate, who combined for 2,662 yards and 36 touchdowns, has graduated. So too has the entire offensive line from that team.
But Krumenacher said there are seniors who have waited their turn to fill those roles, including Michael Bilello, who was a power back last year, Dom Martillotti, Anthony Dimeglio, Braeden Lyons and Shayne McCarthy.
“They’ve all been here, and they’ve been waiting to play,” Krumenacher said.
While there’s an open competition between three or four running backs to fill the void left by Kama and Theodate, junior Nick Toto returns at quarterback. Thrown into the starting role a year ago because of an injury to Michael Galgano, Toto thrived as a starting sophomore signal-caller and Krumenacher called him the strength of this year’s team.
“He’s got a lot of experience, and he’s very good,” Krumenacher said of Toto, who threw for 1,080 yards and 13 touchdowns, against just one interception, while completing 79 percent of his passes.
Toto’s top targets will be senior Patrick Videau and junior Jack Watrous, who each had touchdown receptions in the Nassau Conference I semifinals a year ago. Watrous, a cerebral and versatile player, also saw time a year ago as a tight end, while also playing some fullback.
Both are also starters on defense, with Videau and senior Tyce McClune returning as cornerbacks, with Watrous anchoring the linebackers, where junior Aiden Eley is also in the mix.
Watrous had 46 tackles a year ago as a middle linebacker. He’s the lone returning starter among that unit.
The same is true up front of Bilello, who Krumenacher calls “the leader of the group,” at defensive end. As a junior, Bilello had 41 tackles and three sacks.
“We’re pleased with them,” Krumenacher said of his team in the preseason. “They’re working hard.”
Farmingdale’s season starts with a playoff semifinal rematch against Oceanside on Sept. 4. However, and whenever the season ends, Krumenacher said he’s content to ride off into the sunset. While whoever takes the program over will have big shoes to fill, Krumenacher said the mission is simple.
“Just gotta keep the train on the track,” Krumenacher said.
To read more from the Herald's 2026 High School Football Preview, click here.
