It’s no secret that Massapequa is known for its athletic programs. The town’s two high schools, Plainedge and Massapequa, define premier varsity athletics; football in particular. A sport that unites all, football 
rallies fans of both the Red Devils and the Chiefs to defend their respective school. But can the Plainedge Red Devils of Nassau Conference III compete with the Massapequa Chiefs of Conference I? Head coaches Robert Shaver and Kevin Shippos provided a unique perspective on this unspoken rivalry.
Separating the two schools, each team has their own unique way of improvement on and off the field. The Massapequa Chiefs focus heavily on scouting tendencies, which includes watching film, exploiting their opponent’s weaknesses and operating a different practice each week around the team they’re facing.
“Chiefs football is practically a year round commitment,” said Massapequa’s Varsity coach Kevin Shippos. “Our key to success is preparation; whether it’s at practice, lifting or watching film, the team is always productive.”
The Plainedge Red Devils prepare differently. Three hours a day for five days a week to be precise. Each day is designated to working on a different aspect of the game such as offense, defense and conditioning. This keeps the players anticipating a new day for another opportunity to work on different skills.
“Not only do I want to build great football players, but I also want to prepare my players for life after football and to for them to hold great character,” said Plainedge’s Varsity coach Robert Shaver, who organizes mandatory study halls Wednesday nights where the players do their homework.
When it comes to captains, both Massapequa and Plainedge exemplify the term equally, defining a player’s leadership skills on and off the field. The Chiefs have three senior captains; Paul Dilenna, Dominick Sophia and Joe Butterwerth, while the Red Devils have five; Billy Richert, Jake Schozer, John Gullo, John Heutz and Andrew Rakitsiz. All are experienced players and vocal leaders who possess the ambition to win.
Coaching on the other hand, separates both teams entirely. Shippos, who became the head coach in 2011 but has held an active role in the team since 2005, incorporates pre-season meetings, which are a tremendous help in letting the players know what is expected of them.
“Our seniors play a big role for us. Coaches can only do so much but the seniors and captains are the voice in the players’ ears on the field,” said Shippos, who has had an easier time converting underclassmen from the JV team thanks to his senior players.
Shaver has been a long time head coach of Plainedge and has a coaching staff of four to help, including Coach James Schepp who is also a personal trainer and huge advantage to Plainedge. Schepp is also the owner and head trainer at AFTLI located in Massapequa, the facility where the Red Devils work on their strength training.
“I pay thanks to the JV coaches,” said Shaver. “The reason I have such great players on varsity, is because of Coach Davis and Coach Giovanelli on JV, who both coached at the varsity level so they are well aware of what goes on up here.”
Both coaches have combined their knowledge of the sport and have even practiced together several times a season.
“We treat every game like a championship,” said Shippos. “We go through the same routine whether it is the best or the worst team in the conference.”
Similarly, Shaver uses past games as a benchmark for the future.
“We use the games as markers, which shows us how good we have gotten and what we need to work on,” he said. “The boys can run with the larger schools and do fairly well,” added Shaver of his team who have scrimmaged well against Freeport and Massapequa.
(Photos courtesy of Massapequa Chiefs website)
Shippos agreed that Plainedge could indeed compete at the same level as Massapequa.
Is it true? Can a healthy 2014 Plainedge Red Devils compete well with the 2014 Massapequa Chiefs? The answer seems to be a resounding “yes.” Sadly, we will never know for sure, as a game of this caliber could never happen due to the size difference of each school. But the tale of the unspoken rivalry between Massapequa and Plainedge football will be told for years to come.
