Two years ago, a young student-athlete praised his team for perseverance and dedication during a dreadful local football season (A Message For My Teammates, Mineola American, Wednesday Oct. 18, 2000). It was an excellent essay defining the meaning of team and the spirit of camaraderie. Steve Bruno, the author, may not realize the impact he has had on the success of the 2002 version of the Mineola High School Mustangs Varsity Football team, but he should.

For those of you in the community who do not follow our local high school football heroes, Head Coach Dan Guido has led the Mustangs to the promised land of the Nassau County playoffs for the second time in four years. He has taken an unsung but determined group of young men and instilled pride and integrity to a team that failed to gain much attention over the past few seasons. He recruited players who had been on hiatus from the program and made certain a team concept would endure. Talent also helps. It is the third time (1989, 1999 and 2002) in Guido's 16 years at the helm of the gridiron Mustangs that he has reached the playoffs. Mineola's current 7-1 record is the best showing in his tenure at the school. In both of his previous trips to the playoffs, Guido has guided his team to the championship game.

But this is a year with some special meaning since Mr. Bruno's Declaration of Independence. These boys have fought desperately to return the legacy of Mineola football to its heyday and dispel the demons of defeat that had nearly become dominant. Defensive stalwart Mike "Skindog" Antoniou, offensive linestud Matt Grilo and quarterback Rich Medlock are three seniors who make up the core of this year's attack. They were also teammates of Bruno on that last place team in 2000. Decimated, that team ended the season with a roster of 17 players. That team had two of their best players quit on the team in mid-season. Yet those remaining Mustangs played each and every game competitively into the fourth quarter until they were simply worn down by teams with more size, greater numbers and fresher bodies. In 2001, they endured five consecutive losses before winning their final three games. The goal was to improve. Mission accomplished. This year all the better.

But the story of this team is more than just players. High school football is a spectacle. Do not mistake Long Island for Pennsylvania or Texas but Saturdays at 2 p.m. still mean something. I have watched high school football in this town for the past five years and never been prouder. The players on the field bring the game but the fans in the stands bring the inspiration. No offense, but football games are not marching band competitions. Intermissions are an interlude not the main attraction.

Fans used to disappear after halftime - not anymore. The roar of the crowd is heard in the Wilson Field parking lot before you set foot near Hampton Street Stadium. And these aren't fair weather fans, either. They were there in 2000, they came back in 2001, they show up in the rain and they travel on the road. They are a tour de force in Mineola football. They started with a whimper and were considered a nuisance. Like their boys in red and black they are not daunted. Opposing spectators look with envy and home spectators can't wait for the exclamation. They bring props for god's sake!

Thanks to people like Joe Grilo with his M-I-N-E-O-L-A chant. Thanks to people like Lori and Brian Donohue for their Mustang baton and poster board letters. Thanks to Paul Tibito for his "D" fence. Thanks to the Minskys, the Medlocks, the Harrisons, the Ananias and others for getting hoarse (no pun intended) every week. They, too, know the meaning of team - lining up in the last row game after game. And don't think for a minute their effects are not welcome by the student-athletes. Their contributions mean more than you think.

And so young Mr. Bruno poured the foundation. Or better yet added fuel to the fire. One in which Dan Guido deserves credit, also. Bruno kept teammates together and made this team believe in the future. He made Guido and his staff realize why they return to practice each August with renewed expectations. He showed a community what high school athletics is really all about. And he kept the dream alive for those that followed.

Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. the Mustangs take to the turf at Hofstra Stadium to face Island Trees High School in a Conference IV semifinal. They will have plenty of support and years of experience to rely on. The score of the game will mean something now. The lesson much more later. Come and see what the Mineola football experience has become. You will not be disappointed. Steve Bruno will be there, if not physically, then definitely spiritually. And the rest of us should be, too. Let's Go Mustangs!

Editor's Note: The article by Steve Bruno is available online at antonnews.com under the Mineola American banner. It is stored in the Archive section for the 2000 calendar year in the October 20 edition. It is a must read for all athletes, young and old, and should become a classic in town laurels. Mr. Winters is a contributor to the Mineola American and its sister publication, the Roslyn News. He is a 13 year resident and proud supporter of Mineola School District academics and athletics.