Generals Win 20-18 Over Oceanside
There are three things you can count on seeing a lot of during late October in Levittown: school spirit, proud parents, and wins from the MacArthur Generals football team.
MacArthur High School played host to all three of the aforementioned items on Oct. 22, as the Generals (6-1) celebrated their homecoming with a 20-18 victory over the Oceanside Sailors (3-4). MacArthur, which extended its midseason win streak to six games, opened up a 14-6 lead by halftime on two rushing touchdowns from junior quarterback Gerard Cunningham. In the fourth quarter, Cunningham put another six points on the board for MacArthur with a one-yard quarterback sneak into the end zone for his third rushing touchdown of the game.
With less than two minutes remaining in the final stanza, MacArthur’s defense made a key stop on a fourth down conversion by Oceanside to preserve the win. The Sailors were 22 yards from the end zone, but opted to go for it on fourth down instead of attempting a long-range field goal. Junior linebacker Joey Tangredi notched a team-high 17 tackles for the Generals.
“Overall, we got the job done,” Cunningham said. “We had a couple costly turnovers, but our defense got the ball right back for us. If we beat Port Washington next week, it will earn us a home playoff game.” With one game left to play in the regular season, MacArthur is one game behind the Freeport Red Devils for possession of first place in Nassau Conference I.
Prior to the game, thousands of spectators lined the sidewalks in front of MacArthur High School to cheer on the local clubs, which participated in the annual homecoming parade. Among the many groups and notable individuals that took part were the MacArthur High School Senior Band, MacEttes, Senior Cheerleaders, MacArthur Peer Leaders, Levittown Board of Education members, Superintendent James Grossane, MacArthur International Club, Art Club, Kickline, Senior Class Officers, Levittown District Central Office Administration and the Lady Generals Varsity Volleyball team.
The homecoming court included Alexa Cassamassino, Kristina Coiro, Lindsey McLaughlin, Shannan O’Mara, William Cheshire, Joseph Cataldo, Paul Cigna, George Wells, plus Homecoming King Kenneth Balling and Queen Casandra Hein.
“Homecoming is always a special day,” MacArthur alum Evan Gardner said. “All the MacArthur graduates from past years always come out to the game, so it’s really nice to see everyone. It’s an event that brings the whole community together.”
