The Massapequa Mustangs, this town's final senior team of the millennium, will travel to Mission Viejo, California on Dec. 2, to play football against a leading area team in the 1st Annual East Coast/West Coast Friendship Bowl. The Mustangs were 9-1 during their regular season, scoring 265 points, giving up only 57.

The Mustangs have played in Friendship Bowls all over Florida for the past 19 years. Last year, they hooked up with teams in the Golden State and are raring to go. The trip has been made possible through the team's raising $26,000 from local individuals and businesses. The Mustang group will total 72, including players, cheerleaders and parents. Players will be hosted by members of the California team, who have arranged a full schedule of sightseeing and events for the visitors.

After landing in Los Angeles on Thursday, Dec. 2, the team will visit Laguna Beach, see the Pacific ocean and coast, then shop along the Pacific Coast Highway. They'll relax the following day at Knots Berry Farms on amusement park rides, then attend a USC-UCLA basketball game that evening. On Saturday afternoon, the team will face off at 2 p.m. on the Capistrano High School field. The 1st Annual Friendship Bowl Trophy will be awarded after the game, as will MVP trophies for each team. Ideally, post-game speeches will be brief.

The entire trip is being realized through the hard work and cooperation of players, cheerleaders, parents, coaches and the enthusiastic support of local merchants who donated goods and services that the team raffled to raise enabling funds. The Mustangs are most grateful for the Massapequa community's efforts on their behalf, and wish to than all concerned from the top of their helmets to the bottom of their cleats.