With allegations surrounding three Mepham High School football players accused of sexually assaulting younger teammates at a pre-season training camp, Garden City residents are wondering when and if this year's annual Homecoming parade and football game will take place. The Trojans, slated to play Mepham Nov. 1, immediately began searching for another opponent after the hazing accusations surfaced.

"After Mepham High School's [football] schedule was canceled, it left us without a game [for Homecoming weekend]," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stephen Leitman said. "We've done a lot of work, trying to find another opponent. We even looked as far north as Putnam [County], and as far south as Rockland [County]. This is nothing we could control. We're on the back end of something that happened at Mepham."

Despite the uncertainty, Dr. Leitman assured residents during the Oct. 20 board of education meeting that the annual school tradition will go on this Saturday. The school district's website, www.gardencity.k12.ny.us, states that the Homecoming parade kicks off at 1 p.m. with an alumni barbecue at the high school at 1:30 p.m. District officials have since confirmed this information.

The high school's varsity football team will play Frederick Douglas Academy, a New York City private school, at 2:15 p.m. If the high school didn't find an opponent, Dr. Leitman said either a junior varsity or middle school football game might have been played instead.