Mustangs Beat Previously Undefeated Glen Cove

The Mineola Mustang football team took a giant step toward the playoffs and also toward winning the respect of league officials, as they beat Glen Cove 6-0 on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Glen Cove, playing on their home field, hoped to clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Mustangs. However, middle linebacker Dom Zapalla and the rest of the Mustang defense had their own agenda. As with every other game of this season, the defense has made major contributions, keeping the opponents off the scoreboard, and protecting the points put on the board by the offensive unit. Saturday's game was do or die for the Mustangs. At four wins and two losses going into this game, the Mustangs were in a must win situation. In order to have a chance of making the playoffs, the boys needed to win the final two games of the season. Glen Cove was the big one.

Mineola held Glen Cove to 117 yards of total offense, 104 rushing and 17 in the air. Early in the game, Mineola took possession of the ball after a Glen Cove penalty, on its own 41 yard line. After a successful nine play drive, quarterback Vishal Ghandi faked and then looked to the end zone to find receiver Jon Baston. A perfect nine yard pass found its mark as Baston was left unattended after Gandhi's beautiful fake drew the cornerback from his defensive assignment. That was the only touchdown of the game, and didn't seem to be hardly enough against the favored Glen Cove team. That is where the defense would have to meet Coach Guido's challenge. They had to play big and not make any mistakes down the stretch. Not only didn't the defense make any mistakes, they added three interceptions, two by Stanley Smith and one by junior Matt Antoniou, who intercepted a pass in Mustang territory with less than 1:30 left in the game. The Mustangs have only allowed 73 points against them this season, second in their conference. Another big Mineola victory and a great lead story in Sunday Newsday for the often overlooked Mustangs.

Next week the Mustangs play their final home game of the season against Lynbrook. Once again, a must win situation. We wish the boys well, and hope to see them in the Nassau County Playoffs.

The varsity football team has had a great season so far this year. As they finish the season, we felt that you should get to know the entire team. Each week, this team works hard to get ready for their opponents. Not everyone gets mentioned in the highlights, but each player does their job and plays hard to contribute to "team wins." There are so many unsung heroes on every team. Here is what Coach Guido had to say about the entire Mustang football team:

Coaching Staff:

Varsity - Head Coach-Dan Guido, Assistant-Bob Young, Assistant-Helms Borhinger.

JV - Head Coach-Mark Miller, Assistant-Steve Mitchell.

Middle School - Head Coach-Chris Friedel, Assistant-John Erling.

Head Coach Profile:

High School Attended: Mineola High School.

College Attended: Brockport.

Returning Players:

#40 - Brian Bruno, senior captain, excellent running back.

#33 - Dom Zappala, linebacker and fullback, good blocker, hard hitting inside linebacker.

#66 - Nelson Dovale, off tackle, defensive end, good experienced player.

#71 - Christian Marclli, defensive end, tough, strong player, kicks field goals and extra points.

#45 - Steve Ciraolo, receiver and safety, good hands, smart player.

#74 - Steve Vidifar, center, defensive tackle, small but tough.

#10 - Beau Bruno, running back, outside line backer, small but very tough, smart player.

#51 - Earl Wooten, defensive tackle, big, strong, tough, great sense of humor.

#77 - Basilio Reyes, big, strong, tough, light on his feet, defensive tackle.

#54 - Fred Van Massenbach, big, strong, tough, starting since freshman year, defensive tackle.

#88 - Bryan Gabriel, receiver, line backer, good hands, very hard hitter.

#55 - Bill Wisnewski, outside tackle, defensive tackle, good team player.

#40 - Tom Gagliardi, running back, defensive back, good speed.

#85 - Mike Rogan, receiver, defensive back, good hands, smart player.

Luis Centano - running back and defensive back

Gary Jiminez - running back and line backer

Anthony Scapiccho - off line backer

Matt Struicic - outside tackle, defensive tackle

Expectations for the Season: Good senior and junior players. We hope to make the playoffs or even better.

How Newcomers:

#15 - Matt Antoniou, full back and left line backer, great blocker, excellent runner, quick and very smart he also is a good team leader.

#32 - James McQueen, running back and defensive back, size and speed (6'1" 210 lbs.), breakaway threat.

#5 - Vishal Gandhi, quarterback, safety, smart, hard worker and also a good team leader.

Players to Watch:

Juniors

Jon Baston, receiver, #2, good hands and hard worker.

Stanley Smith, #81, receiver, good size and speed, has good hands, he is a second year starter.

Eugene Dolan, #68, outside line backer, very tough and is a hard worker.

Matt Maier, #21, receiver, off line backer, good size and tough player.

Vladimir Srdoc, receiver, defensive end, strong, tough, hard hitter.

Peter Teemsma, #57, center and defensive end, hard worker with a good attitude.

Matt Damon, #79, offensive tackle and defensive tackle (6'4" 280 lbs.), smart player and good athlete.

Who will be your toughest opponent this year and why?

Hard to say - Clarke is #1 seed - returning champions.

Wantagh is #2 seed - very big returns - all but three players - made it to the conference championship last year.