As fall officially makes its debut and the weather starts to cool down, football lovers everywhere battle the elements to support their favorite teams. The Massapequa community is no different.

On Saturday, October 21, students, fans, staff, and administrators came out in droves to support the Chiefs during Homecoming 2006. The air was brisk and the winds were high, but bright sun and brilliant blue skies provided the ideal backdrop and a perfect day for a football game.

The week before the Chiefs faced off with the Uniondale Knights, the halls of Massapequa High School were alive with pride as students participated in a variety of spirit days designed to foster personal growth through school sponsored individual and group activities.

A lively pep rally took place the Friday before game day, during which the entire high school community came together to show their support of Massapequa's fall teams, and to share their energy with the Chiefs to prepare for the big game. Entertainment was abundant at the rally, which included music by the high school band, and performances by the Tempest, the cheerleaders, and the Chiefettes.

Homecoming Day began with a parade through the streets of Massapequa. Leading the way were mounted Nassau County Police Officers and the Marine Corps Color Guard. Members of Massapequa's Board of Education, including President Arlene Martin, also joined the parade, along with other Massapequa administrators and staff.

Assemblymen Joseph Saladino and Peter Schmidt, along with Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Steve Labriola were also on hand to march in support of the Massapequa school community. The high school marching band looked sharp in their crisp, blue and yellow uniforms, and sounded even better as they entertained the crowd with a medley of upbeat tunes.

In a show of support for their school and football team, many of the high school's clubs joined the procession, including members of the French Club, and members of the American Sign Language Club, who were available to sign for the crowd during the football game.

No Homecoming parade is complete without a King, Queen and Court. Seniors Brian Hanley and Danielle Costa proudly wore their crowns as Homecoming King and Queen, and Senior Court members Steve Laude and Sashi O'Hara joined them in the procession.

In the Junior Court, Michael Vigilante and Amanda Staubitz, along with Sophomore Court John Kelly and Jamie DeFilippis and Freshman Court Kenny Fundus and Victoria Aravena all arrived in style, dressed to impress and eliciting cheers from the crowd.

As the parade ended, and marchers made their way to the bleachers, they were greeted by excited fans, who filled the stands to capacity, awaiting the start of the game. And what a game it was! The Chiefs exhibited sportsmanship and great athletic skills winning the Homecoming 2006 game against the Uniondale Knights by a score of 31-14.