Farmingdale unites as band performs for first time at football game since tragic crash
It became clear that this was no ordinary homecoming football game when fans started showing up at Farmingdale High School’s Don Snyder Stadium almost two hours early.
By the time Farmingdale and visiting Baldwin finished warming up, the 2,000-seat stands were full and spectators stood at virtually every inch of fence that surrounded the field. The energy was palpable.
The band was back together and it marched between lines of football players and onto the field. And before they played a note in their first on-field performance since the tragic Sept. 21 crash of a bus carrying band members to a Pennsylvania camp, their community stood and gave them a three-minute standing ovation.
A moment of silence was observed for band director Gina Pellettiere, 43, and chaperone Beatrice Ferrari, 77. Both were killed in the crash, which also injured dozens of students.
The current flowing through the stadium remained after kickoff. Farmingdale scored on its first three possessions and four of its first five as it rolled to a 42-0 victory over Baldwin in a Nassau Conference I game.
Running back Sal Posillico rushed 16 times for 149 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Dennis Finkel was 5-for-7 passing for 119 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Dalers (4-0) past Baldwin (1-4).
When the Dalers parted at the entranceway to let the band take the field, Finkel said, “It gave me goose bumps.”
He added: “We wanted to win that game for the band, and doing it was amazing. They do so much to support us and they have overcome a lot.”
The halftime show was an event to witness. The band’s only formation was to make the word “DALERS” for the final number. But standing in front of them were several band members who were unable to perform because of injuries suffered in the crash. They held up the letters spelling “STRONG” before the last song and another standing ovation.
“We wanted the students who couldn’t play to participate,” interim co-director David Abrams said. “Everyone is out of the hospital and there is a lot of pain, but it was right for them to feel loved and supported.”
“What you saw [Friday night] was the kind of community that Farmingdale has,” Dalers coach Buddy Krumenacker said. “The support for the band is enormous. Everyone knows someone who was touched by the accident.”
Posillico described the relationship between the band and the football program as “special” and added that “I’ve never seen a scene like this — there were so many people from our community here. It was like everyone came to this game.”
The first three Farmingdale possessions ended with a 9-yard touchdown run by Posillico, a 3-yard TD run by Posillico and a 29-yard TD pass from Finkel to Gavin Gatchalian to make it 21-0 after one quarter.
Posillico added a 15-yard touchdown run before halftime to make it 28-0. Finkel also threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Gatchalian, Dominick Mezzanotte had a 3-yard TD run and Matthew Hughes had a fumble recovery for Farmingdale.
“The coaches had a great game plan and we executed it really well,” Finkel said. “The band played again. We won the homecoming game. Everything about the night [exceeded] expectations.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.