Long Beach Undefeated After Homecoming Victory

Text and photos by Rosemary Leonetti. 

With the Long Beach Marines posting victories in their first three games of the season, spirits were especially high as fans filled the stands at Veterans Memorial Field to cheer their team on to a 38-7 homecoming victory over the Westbury Green Dragons last Friday.
 
The Marines scored three times in the first half. Wide receiver Chris Parler scored the first of his two touchdowns from the Dragons’ 45, with five minutes to go in the first quarter. In the opening drive of the third quarter, quarterback Adam Salvadori scored on a 29-yard drive. The Marines’ fourth goal came on a 5-yard touchdown by running back Obe Isaac.
 
Finally breaking through the Marines’ relentless defense, Westbury’s quarterback Shalike Merchant scored a 5-yard touchdown with 4:41 left on the clock.   
 
The homecoming carnival, sponsored by the High School Student Government Organization, attracted crowds of young and old alike.
 
Volunteers from many Long Beach High School clubs provided homemade food and deserts, as well as entertainment that included a pie toss, a wheel of fortune, face painting, a photo booth and other carnival games.   
 
All-State vocal musicians Joseph Keiserman and Russell Goetz presented a rousing duet performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” bringing the fans to their feet before the start of the game.   
 
The cheerleading squad led off the halftime festivities with a lively dance routine that entertained the crowd and inspired the athletes. Homecoming King Victor Tarantino escorted his lovely Queen Harli Weitz around the track, waving regally to the cheering crowd.
 
Then the marching band took to the field to wow the fans with their fancy footwork and precision playing in a routine entitled “Long Beach Megahits.”
The band will strut their stuff this year at the Columbus Day Parade in Manhattan, and again at the Newsday Marching Band Festival at Hofstra University on Oct. 23.
 
In a longstanding Long Beach homecoming tradition, members of the Long Beach Bulldogs youth football program charged across the field in the annual Bulldog Dash before the football team returned to the field for the second half.   
 
Homecoming weekend was capped off with a ceremony Saturday morning to induct four new members to the Long Beach High School Wall of Fame. This year’s inductees were Howard Apple (Class of ’63), Barbara Bernstein (Class of ’66) Richard Evrard (Class of ’74) and Ronald Stonitsch (Class of ’67).
 
For more details about this year’s Wall of Fame honorees, visit www.lbeach.org.