Freeport Memorial Library to host exhibit celebrating 120 years of Freeport High School football

For over a century, the Freeport High School football program has been more than just a sport; it has been a cornerstone of community identity, shaping generations of young athletes and leaving an indelible mark on the village’s history.

Next month, the Freeport Memorial Library will host an exhibition documenting 120 years of Freeport football, curated by Librarian Regina Feeney. The exhibit, which will be displayed in the gallery space between the library’s children’s and adults’ sections, will feature photographs and a wide variety of other memorabilia.

As Feeney explains, the exhibit is “an art installation, an art exhibit” showcasing 120 years of photos alongside an online component filled with detailed records, game scores and team information.

The project, which has taken shape over the summer, was inspired by a similar endeavor by Steve Carroll, a retired Baldwin High School football coach. Carroll’s book on the history of Baldwin football, which spans 100 years, served as the catalyst for Feeney’s deep dive into Freeport’s football archives.

“I wanted to see how far back our teams went,” she said. “In fact, our teams went back pretty far, probably pre-1904, but 1904 seems to be the date that a team was organized.”

The exhibit captures the evolution of the sport in Freeport within the broader context of historical events such as the world wars and the coronavirus pandemic.

In 1900 — six years before the forward pass was legalized — local high school students, likely organizing their own games, played and won their first documented contest, against Rockville Centre, 11-0. It wasn’t until 1904, however, that football began to take on a more structured, school-sanctioned form, with the first official team picture appearing that year.

Principal Roy Leon Smith’s presence in that photo suggests that the sport had gained formal recognition by the school district.

Carroll is no stranger to the challenges of documenting a century of high school football. His book, “100 Years of Baldwin Football,” was a labor of love, he said, born of a lifelong connection to the sport. “The project started because when I was a kid, I would sit at the dinner table with my family and we would talk about Baldwin football,” Carroll recalled. His uncles played for Baldwin High in the late 1930s, and his father a decade later.

Over 35 years as Baldwin’s head coach, Carroll amassed a collection of photos and stories that eventually became the foundation of his book. “It took me about four years to finish,” he said. The 244-page work not only chronicles the history of Baldwin football, but also serves as a visual archive of the community’s sports legacy.

Feeney’s exhibit offers a unique twist with an online component, allowing those who visit libguides.freeportlibrary.info/FHSFootball to delve deeper into the team’s history, explore old newspaper articles and even track the changes in uniforms and equipment over the years. The exhibit, she said, aims to capture not just athletic achievements, but also the cultural and technological evolution that has shaped the sport over the decades.

One of the most significant figures in Freeport’s football history is Russ Cellan, who guided the high school team for 38 years before retiring as head coach after the 2023 season. Cellan’s tenure was marked by both challenges and triumphs. “When I took over, we were on a 14-game losing streak,” he recalled. “We were just trying to get our heads above water, and it was a struggle.”

Through perseverance and a commitment to his players, Cellan helped turn the program around, eventually establishing Freeport’s reputation as a football powerhouse. “We were fortunate enough to have some really good players and some really good assistant coaches,” he said, crediting the collective effort that brought the team success. Under Cellan’s leadership, the football program captured 9 county titles and won 7 Long Island Championships.

But Cellan is quick to point out that he is most proud not of the trophies, but of the lifelong lessons he hopes he instilled in his players. “We’re most proud of the kids,” he said. “The goal is to teach them things that they can take past football, because football’s going to end.”

For Feeney, the library project isn’t just about preserving the past, but is also about inspiring future generations to appreciate the roots of Freeport football as the program’s 120th anniversary approaches, and serving as a testament to the enduring spirit of the sport and its profound impact on the community.