By Laura Amato
This was the ending they’d been waiting for.
The Christ the King football team came up short of its championship goal this fall, falling in the first round of the CHSFL playoffs, but for five Royals senior standouts, that memory was dimmed just a bit last week.
Jonathan Coste, Terrell Jones, Anthony Lang, Siddiq Muhammad and Tosin Oyekanmi suited up one more time June 21, joining their fellow New York City stars as the squad defeated Long Island in the 22nd Annual Empire Challenge at Hofstra University. Justin Terry also made the team, but did not play in the game.
It came down to the wire, with the City taking a 37-35 victory over the Island. For the Royals stars, it was exactly the way they hoped to wrap up their high-school careers on the gridiron.
“It was emotional,” said Oyekanmi, who hauled in three receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown. “It was our last time playing together and we’ve been together for four years, so we knew we just wanted to get a win.”
The Christ the King contingent was thrilled to be competing together one more time and the group discussed their final moments on the field before the game.
“I was really excited,” Coste said. “I felt like me and my brothers came in and we changed that program around since day one. This game was always a dream of mine and here I was with my brothers on the field.”
The group was excited to be playing again, but as with most of Christ the King’s games this season, this one also came down to the wire. Muhamad put the City up with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, breaking tackles and scampering 12 yards into the end zone.
“That was a great job by the line and the coach for calling that play,” he said. “I just saw the edge and knew I could score. If it wasn’t for the line, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”
Long Island answered on the very next play, however, returning the kickoff 98 yards for the touchdown to gain a one-point cushion. But, unlike earlier this year, the Royals wouldn’t walk off the field disappointed.
New York City marched back down the field – helped by a late Long Island penalty – to set up Paul Inzerillo’s game-winning field goal as time expired. It was a picture-perfect finish for the Christ the King stars who were quick to find each other as soon as the clock hit zero.
“It meant a lot,” Jones said. “We’ve been through a lot over the last four years, wins and tough losses. So to be able to come out here and get a clutch win like that, it feels good to celebrate like that.”
Now, the Royals will go their separate ways, but after four years in the program and four years together, the group knows they’ve left their mark on Christ the King. The team will move up to AAA this fall and the graduating senior class is proud of everything its accomplished – especially after a finish like this.
“We grew together,” Lang said. “We built a brotherhood that’s going to last forever. And now the younger guys see how we were and they’re going to continue on and try to be even better than us. We’re really proud of that.”
