Garden City Football Gets Off to a Great Start

Last season, Garden City running back Sebastian Balcazar was on track for an outstanding year until an ankle sprain sidelined him for most of the District 6-1A Division I schedule. Now healthy again, Sebastian hopes this year to start strong and realize his full potential.

According to the college summary, an assistant coach called Sims and directed him toward a player needing assistance.

Soft Opening

Garden City had an ideal opportunity for this on Sept. 24 when it hosted its inaugural game on its newly renovated field turf at its school stadium. Voters had approved a $50 million bond that provided funds for renovating its football field and locker room facilities as part of improvements across Garden City District School Board facilities.

Walk-On’s executive team members and franchise partners in Garden City Legacy Crossing will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 am to mark the launch. The first 100 guests who arrive can win free Walk-Ons for one year; once open, this restaurant will serve guests Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 pm and Friday and Saturday until midnight; its large patio seats over 90 people!

Grand Opening

Garden City football debuted on September 24 after successfully working out any kinks in its soft opening phase. A $50 million bond passed by voters allowed Garden City School District to make numerous upgrades, such as replacing leaky roofs, installing air conditioning, and purchasing field turf for their football team.

This new facility will serve Gould Elementary School, Mercer Middle School, and Groves High School students on one campus, offering state-of-the-art technology and labs for digital media production, aviation logistics, and family consumer sciences.

After an official ribbon-cutting ceremony and speeches from faculty members, the Cougars played their inaugural game on their new turf surface.

First Game

Garden City has quickly established itself as the gold standard on Long Island over its three years of Class II dominance, winning 36 games consecutively and becoming one of only four teams to achieve such an unprecedented feat in Nassau County history.

Garden City Trojans’ dominance can be seen in their record and elsewhere. Over their winning streak, Garden City has outscored opponents by an average of 36.4 points per game while holding opponents to one touchdown or less for 26 out of the 27 wins and boasting a versatile offense with players excelling at different phases of play.

But things weren’t all rosy on Saturday night against Independence at Broncbuster Stadium. The stadium’s new turf was experiencing teething problems, and its concession stand had yet to open fully; Garden City played their home opener on it, too, and conceded a late lead to lose 22-18 to Independence.

With no timeouts remaining, Minnick attempted to run down the clock on Romulus’ final possession, but a fumble by linebacker Corbin Hagans provided Romulus an opportunity to tie or win the game. On Minnick’s next play, a Hail Mary was attempted, but junior wide receiver Dalton Cox’s pass to Watt was incomplete in the back of the end zone.

Alongside athletics, the school offers several music-related clubs and programs. The marching band known as “Marching Stampede” performs at all football games, pep rallies, and school events, while there are also orchestras, show choirs, and full-range vocal ensembles at school. Students can participate in The Sugar Beet newspaper and various student publications at their high school. Students must earn at least 26 1/2 credits before graduating from this high school. These extracurricular activities provide students an invaluable opportunity to expand their cultural awareness, develop leadership abilities, and boost self-confidence. Plus, it gives students an excellent opportunity to make friends from different schools and communities!

First Win

Garden City football’s latest outing made one clear: the Broncbusters are on an upward trend. A victory against unbeaten MacArthur on Saturday in Glasscock County elevated Garden City’s record to 5-1 and tied them with Dodge City for first place in Class 6A.

The Eagles, who have won three consecutive LIC titles under coach Dave Ettinger, have amassed 45-1 under his guidance since 2011. That feat includes 24 wins by at least three touchdowns; these figures further prove the truth of the defense-winning championships adage.

Although the Eagles boast one of the state’s premier running games, their offense has been less consistent this season. When facing off against the Pirates, quarterback Joe Manfredo completed five out of six passes for only 117 yards but led his team on an impressive opening drive that consumed nearly seven minutes and culminated with James Katcher scoring from 5-yards out.

Independence scored on its initial possession of the third period with a 3-yard touchdown run from Indiana transfer Morgan Ellison, setting them up with an easy 17-7 advantage.

Garden City made one last-ditch effort before halftime, but an error on fourth down at the 1-yard line led to a turnover on downs, giving Broncbusters access to their two-yard line and Cox hooking up with Liam O’Donohue on a screen pass for 24 yards that cut their deficit to 17-14 with 8:22 remaining in the second quarter.

Garden City quickly took control after a lengthy delay at its own 11 with 2:21 remaining in the half, marching up to the 1-yard line on two plays before O’Donohue scored his second touchdown of the day and taking a 27-17 advantage into halftime. Garden City’s defense then came alive – Brendan Staub, Aiden Long, and Luke Schmitt all recorded interceptions and recovered fumbles to maintain its advantage during the third. Next Saturday will mark an exciting rematch of last year’s state final when Strawn held on for an eight-point victory before beating Garden City by eight points!