The Chiefs absolutely routed Hempstead in their homecoming football game at Massapequa High School on Saturday, Oct. 13, by a score of 42-8. They improved their record to 4-2, remaining in the top half of Conference I.
As shown by the score, the Chief’s offense really shined. Quarterback Paul Bentz completed three out of his four pass attempts for 107 yards. Wide receiver Craig Berge caught all of those passes, one of them for a touchdown. However, this game was more about the rush offense. Running backs Jack Korber and Kevin Wasson ran for a combined 125 rushing yards and three touchdowns, according to Newsday; a truly magnificent spectacle. And once again, Craig Berge put on a show, he was successful on all six of his extra point field goal attempts.
The defense was rock-solid during the homecoming game, allowing only one touchdown. The linebackers in particular did a phenomenal job; Nick Balzano recorded a team-high eleven tackles, while Paul Dilena was able to sack the Hempstead quarterback twice. The strong performance by the defense proved to be a huge obstacle for Hempstead, who ended up paying the price for not generating enough offense. The Chiefs eventually ran away with the lead and racked up points.
Clearly, the Chiefs have been on quite a roll this season, moving into the top half of the Conference I standings. “Our team has been much stronger offensively than it has been in recent years,” Chiefs wide receiver James Jayonczyk said. “The team has been practicing non-stop after school and it has increased our productivity tenfold.” This is clearly evidenced by the Chiefs’ offensive statistics. They have yet to score under twenty points in any game thus far, and furthermore, have not lost a game by more than nine points, hinting at strong defensive plays as well.
Something was still missing from the Chiefs during the homecoming game, however. That would be former star wide receiver, Vasili Grigorakos, who transferred to Oceanside over the summer. “It is actually beneficial to us,” Jaronczyk said. “We are always trying to prove that we don’t need him to win every game. This is proven by our 4-2 record.”
Of course, what would a homecoming football game be without fans? Massapequa’s students arrived in vast numbers to root for the team. “It is always a pleasure to have lots of fans and fellow students go to our games.,” Jaronczyk said. “It is a great motivational factor to know that our friends, family, and local residents always have our back when the going gets tough.”
A large reason for the great fan turnout was in part due to the creation of the “Massapequa Tailgate“ t-shirts, which allowed the students to wear their team’s colors with all of their friends in the stands together. “I was very glad that these t-shirts were made,” senior Tom Monty said. “It was a great way to show spirit for our team and it brought a lot of us together.”