By Mitch Abramson
Romain and his coach, Anthony Miele think a combination of the school's far-away address and the team's tepid reputation conspired to keep Romain off the roster for the Empire Challenge, an all-star game featuring the top players from New York City and Long Island scheduled to take place Thursday night at Hofstra University.The senior was later added to the team from New York City when players withdrew, but the initial omission left him stunned, if not entirely surprised. “I was quite shocked,” said Romain, the first player from his school selected to the game. “They chose (Lincoln wide receiver) Nyan Boateng who didn't play any games this year because he injured his ankle, and they selected him over me. If it was supposed to be a senior bowl, then how could they select someone who didn't even play their senior season? I didn't understand it.”But there were warning signs.According to Mike Buscemi, the events coordinator for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which sponsors the event, players were selected by the game's coaches using tools such as the Daily News All-city team. Because he was left off most all-star teams, Romain was omitted from the Empire Challenge, the logic went.Miele said that he pushed for Romain at a coaches meeting in December when a list of the top 50 players in the city was compiled for the Empire Challenge, but Romain was left off that list too.Miele, a first year varsity coach, persevered, and sent a tape of Romain running around defenses to a committee responsible for picking players for the Empire Challenge. Earlier this month Romain got the call he had been waiting for: Romain, the MVP of the Fugazzi Bowl last November, was added to the New York City roster two months after the other players got word. The PSAL's website released the results on April 12.”I always wanted to player in the Boomer Bowl,” he said. “I've watched it on television the last the last two years, and I couldn't wait to play. I think I'm a top-5 player in the city, and my stats prove it. What I've done to these teams, I ran for over a 100 yards in like every game I started. I'm just trying to open some eyes here, and make the people who doubted me realize they made a mistake (in initially keeping me off the team).”On the field, Romain is an unpredictable force, gifted in the art of making people miss. A wide receiver for most of his career, Romain was moved to running back after the third game of his senior season, and he blossomed at his new position, running for 763 yards (8th in the league) on 75 carries for an average of 10.1 yards. He scored 11 total touchdowns rushing, playing defense, and returning punts.Although the PSAL doesn't rank run averages, Romain was second only to Lamont Downing of Sheepshead Bay, who rushed for 913 yards on 77 carries for an 11.85 average. Downing made the initial Empire Challenge roster.Romain had a higher average than both South Shores' Tyrone Battle and Lincoln's Neil Lewis, both of whom were original members of the New York City team, but they played on highly decorated programs a notch above Far Rockaway. Battle scored more touchdowns then Romain, but Lewis also had 11. With Miele working the phones and sending schools tapes of Romain zipping around defenses – think an AND1 mix tape on the football field – Division I scouts began to surface at Far Rockaway this season, which didn't seem so far away anymore.Romain, because of a non-qualifying SAT score, will play cornerback for Hudson Valley Community College in upstate Troy, which finished ranked 20th last season in the National Junior College Association's final poll. He has been told that he will start as a freshman.Reach reporter Mitch Abramson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or call 718-229-0300, ext. 130.
