By Dylan Butler
High School football bragging rights will be at stake Saturday at Hofstra Stadium in Hempstead, L.I. as the senior all-stars from New York City take on the senior all-stars from Long Island in the third annual Empire Challenge at 7 p.m.
Some of the city’s top football players, including 10 very talented players from Queens, will look to avenge last year’s 23-18 loss to Long Island, while also raising money to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.
“It gives our kids a once-in-a-lifetime feeling,” said August Martin head coach Mike Greene, who will serve as the New York City team’s administrator, along with DeWitt Clinton head coach Ed Gardella. “They practiced at a New York City school and then for the last week, they get to practice at the New York Jets facility at Hofstra and they’re treated like pros.”
Coached by John F. Kennedy head coach Jerry Horowitz, the New York City team features two of Greene’s Martin players — wide receiver Jerome Arrington and offensive tackle Bob-Andy Villette.
Fellow Queens coach Tom Pugh, the head coach at Holy Cross, will serve as New York City’s defensive backs coach and will get a good view of one of his own players in Victor Parsley, who will be heading to New Haven in the fall. Guard Christopher Musorrafiti and linebacker Dale Robinson, who will both play for C.W. Post next season, also represent the Knights.
Robinson, along with Canarsie’s Leon Williams, who will attend the University of Miami, should anchor the city team’s defensive unit. The two linebackers combined for more than 200 tackles and 14 sacks last year.
St. Francis Prep sends three players to the game: Stony Brook-bound tackle Alex Ponze, guard Kevin Lewis, who will attend Wesleyan in the fall, and center Gabriel Ortega, who will play for Hofstra next year. Rounding out the Queens representatives on the New York City roster are Christ the King defensive back Orion Sykes, who will play at St. John’s, and Wagner-bound wide receiver Truesun Thomas from Springfield Gardens.
Other top players for the New York City team include Curtis’ Stephen Gregory, a wide receiver who will attend Syracuse on a full scholarship, and New Utrecht running back Adebayo Adedapo, who will play at C.W. Post next year.
The Long Island squad, coached by Len Mattera, who retired as Amityville head coach at the end of the season, is led by Commack quarterback Mike Prahalis, an all-Long Island selection who tied the state record with 33 touchdown passes as he led the Cougars to the Suffolk Division I championship.
Prahalis' main target should be Commack teammate Bryan Tornee, who caught a Long Island record 63 receptions and 1,225 yards for 19 touchdowns, including a state-record 17 catches.
Other top players for Long Island will be Freeport linebacker Eddie Gordon, Amityville running back Eugene Nottingham and Chris Richez from Freeport, who is heading to Notre Dame in the fall.
The game will benefit 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.
There is also a series of activities planned for before and after the game, including a fireworks display by Grucci, which is planned for immediately following the game.
“This game recognizes what we do all season long, it gives recognition to all the hard work of all the kids and all the coaches,” Greene said of the game, affectionately called the “Boomer Bowl.” “It gives credit to New York City football. It’s a chance for our kids to play good, hard football for a heck of a cause.”
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
