A walk down memory lane in Farmingdale

A Walk down Memory Lane

October 11, 2010                                                                                                                      Farmingdale, NY     Tony Schmitt (the younger one)

It was a beautiful fall night this past Friday, a perfect night for a high school football game under the lights.  Earlier that day I had checked the paper, and saw that Farmingdale High School was playing Oceanside. My father’s house is about a mile away from Farmingdale HS, so I decided to get some exercise and take a walk to the game. I had not been to a Farmingdale football game in over 35 years. Actually, the last high school game I saw on Long Island was in 1977, when my brother, Peter, was an All-Long Island lineman for the former Holy Family Diocesan High School in South Huntington. 

I had gone only about two blocks when, I heard a load roar in the distance. The Dalers must have scored an early touchdown. As I continued the walk, I thought about the first time I had gone to see a game at the high school. It was in the early 1970’s, and some of the names were Diange, Teatom, Williams, “Huck” Finn, Kiendle, and Pat Nicholson. Finn, Kiendle, and Nicholson I knew personally because they worked a summer or two on our family vegetable farm. I was twelve or so at the time but, I thought these guys were giants.

In the late 1960’s and well through the 1970’s Daler football was always one of the premier teams on the island.  Coach Don Snyder was a well respected throughout the state. Coach Snyder coached Farmingdale football from 1953 (year my Dad graduated) until 1993. During that span, his team was ranked #1 in New York three times, in addition to many county and league titles.  After Coach Snyder retired in 1993, he was replaced by Buddy Krumenacker (a second cousin of mine). Over the last 57 years, these two men have served as the only head coaches of Farmingdale football. This is a major reason why Daler football has always been a success, another reason was the successful Farmingdale Hawks youth football program.

When I reached the football field midway through the first quarter, the score was 14-0 in Farmingdale’s favor.  There were some vast differences forty years ago; the game was under the lights, the field was artificial turf, no cowbell in the stands (NY state high schools have outlawed the bell), and it was now called the Don Snyder Athletic Complex. Other things were quite the same; a standing room only crowd, many fans all decked out in Daler green, the buzz of excitement in the air, and the ever present Lion mascot.

I thought this was going to be a Daler blowout victory, reminiscent of years gone by. I seem to recall that Oceanside was never a powerhouse in football.  The names of old were now replaced with the likes of; Tuttle, Wahl, Palmer, Prendegast, and Starke. However, the game quickly turned into Oceanside’s favor. Farmingdale could not stop Oceanside’s  6’2” quarterback, Tyler Heuer. He led Oceanside on two touchdown drives in the second quarter with pinpoint passing and running. Farmingdale lead 17-13 at the half.

The second half was all Oceanside; Heuer shredded the Farmingdale defense with four touchdown passes and ended with five for the evening. The Sailors dominated on defense, shutting out the Daler offense in the second half to win 41-17. Heuer ended the night with 260 yards passing and 48 yards rushing.  It isn’t very often that the Dalers get routed like this at home; at least that I ever saw. Still, it was a fun way to spend a spectacular fall evening.