By Anthony Bosco
Long Island got its revenge. Before a crowd of just under 10,000 at Hofstra Stadium, Commack’s Jeff Dena intercepted an errant third-quarter pass and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown to lift the Long Island All-Stars over their New York City counterparts, 21-14, in the fifth annual Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge July 3.
Long Island lost a heartbreaking game the year before, falling to the New York City team, 17-10, when Holy Cross High School’s Victor Parsley intercepted a pass in the final minute deep in New York City territory to preserve the win.
“I was on the bubble for this game,” Dena said. “And then I got the phone call that I was in and I just wanted to make the most of the chance. And it’s pretty unbelievable the way things worked out. I’m just speechless.”
The game, affectionately called “The Boomer Bowl,” benefits the Boomer Esiason Foundation, the Gunnar N. Esiason Endowment Fund at Hofstra University and youth football programs in the New York metro area. Esiason, the former New York Jets quarterback, has a son Gunnar who has cystic fibrosis.
Queens was represented well by its players on the City team, including defensive back Woody Aime and tight end Doug Anderwkavich of Holy Cross; offensive tackle James Baldi, defensive back Craig Nelson and linebacker Rolando Garcia from Christ the King; fullback Anthony Pittman, linebacker Trevor Shamblee and wide receiver Shaine Smith from August Martin; and defensive back Brian Forman and defensive end Chris Zambrano representing St. Francis Prep.
Perhaps the best performances by Queens players came from Garcia, who was all over the field out of his middle linebacker position, getting in on numerous stops, and Zambrano, who was a constant presence in the Long Island backfield, registering a first-half sack in the process.
Dena’s touchdown, which came with 6:39 remaining in the third quarter, however, spoiled a respectable effort by the City team, which battled back from a 14-point first-quarter deficit to tie the game on two touchdowns in the second quarter.
Long Island broke the ice with its second possession. Following a fumble by New York’s Travis Jinkis, which was recovered by Long Island’s Patrick Walsh, the Island took over at its own 41.
Back-to-back runs by Chad Rissland and Bryant Daniels put the ball just passed the 50-yard line before Jason Cappadoro hooked up with John Orsen for a 19-yard gain, putting the ball on the NYC 25.
The Texas Southern-bound Shamblee hit Rissland in the backfield for a five-yard loss on the next play, but Aime needed to make a touchdown-saving tacked on second-and-15 from the 30, when he dragged down LI’s Chris Martocchia at the six. Cappadoro then connected with Joe Holden for a six-yard touchdown pass with 2:42 remaining in the quarter.
The extra point made the score 7-0.
New York City fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, giving the ball back to Long Island at the New York 15. The Island needed just four plays to cap the short scoring drive, when Bryant dove in from two yards out. The extra point made the score 14-0 with just 0:46 left in the first quarter.
Aime gave the City decent field position on the next kickoff, returning the ball to the NYC 36. A pass by quarterback Desmond Maxwell to Harrison Tindall moved the ball to the NYC 48 and a late hit on LI moved the ball to the LI 44. Maxwell hooked up with Tindall again, this time on a deep fly patter down the left sideline, which the Wagner High School grad hauled in at the seven-yard line.
Ramon Guzman took the ball on the next play — the first of the second quarter — to pull New York City within eight, 14-6, following a botched two-point conversion attempt.
Long Island moved deep into New York City territory on the next possession, but after the drive stalled, a 41-yard field goal attempt by Chris Mahaffy was blocked by Antonio Colon and covered by teammate Virgil Avery at the 22.
New York then went on its most impressive drive of the day, mixing the running game and the passing attack to perfection. The big play on the drive again featured Maxwell to Tindall on fourth-and-22 at the 37, as Tindall out-leaped the Long Island defensive backs and hauled in the pass at the LI one-yard line.
Maxwell took the next play himself, following the offensive line into the end zone for six. New York again went to two, this time successfully, as Maxwell took a quick drop and hit a wide open Cross’ Anderwkavich with a bullet pass to tie the game a 14-14 with 0:31 remaining in the first half.
But despite plenty of offensive weapons and a smothering defense that kept the potent LI offense off the board over the final two quarters, New York would not get back into the end zone again.
The win gave Long Island a 3-2 edge in the series.
Aime and Anderwkavich are the only Queens players who will join the top seniors from the state for the fifth annual Governor’s Bowl, to be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Columbia University. The game pits New York’s top players against the elite players from New Jersey. Tickets are $10 at the gate and the game will be televised on Monday, July 15, at 7 p.m. on the MSG Network. New York has won only one of the previous four meetings, a 26-8 victory last year.
Reach Sports Editor Anthony Bosco by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 130.
