L.I. wins fifth straight against NYC

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Though lightning delayed the start and interrupted the first quarter of the 20th UnitedHealthcare Empire Challenge football all-star game on June 23, causing a combined delay of 71 minutes, Long Island stormed to a 15-point halftime lead and withstood a pair of late New York City touchdowns to win for the fifth consecutive year, 34-27.

Quarterback John Daniggelis (Smithtown East) threw for 121 yards and one touchdown, ran for 66 yards and a score, and earned MVP honors in a game Long Island never trailed before a crowd of 9,628 at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium. Daniggelis’ 24-yard touchdown pass to Isreal Squires (Shoreham-Wading River) made it 34-14 with 5:45 remaining.

“My goal was to go out with a bang,” said Daniggelis, who will play lacrosse at Yale. 

Isaiah White (Longwood) added a pair of touchdown runs for Long Island, which was coached by Carey’s Mike Stanley and won for the sixth time in seven meetings. New York City was led by quarterback Joe Czelusniak (199 yards, two touchdowns) and receivers Chris Parker (six catches, 220 all-purpose yards) and Andre Ridley (two touchdowns.)

“It’s such a special event to be a part of,” said Stanley, who has served as an assistant coach on the L.I. staff three times. “I’ve been fortunate to work with a lot of outstanding coaches and players. The kids were fantastic throughout the whole process. They were selfless and went to work for us every day.”

Carey’s Conor Colasurdo, Baldwin’s Paul Nosworthy, and Lawrence’s Simon Jones and Tevine Johnson started on Long Island’s defense, which also included Lawrence’s Mike Spinelli, Long Beach’s Donovan Campbell and East Meadow’s Brian Kavanagh. Lawrence’s Melik Mavruk and Lynbrook’s Stephen Rossetti were members of the offensive line. 

“We knew we had some explosive athletes on offense,” Stanley said. “But I thought the defense was tremendous.”

Established in 1996, the Empire Challenge showcases some of the best football talent in the state and benefits the Boomer Esiason Foundation for cystic fibrosis, the Gunnar H. Esiason Scholarship Fund at Hofstra, and local youth sports programs. The game has raised more than $2 million since its inception. “It’s a night when we acknowledge the outstanding skills of the coaches, the athleticism of the players, and the strength of the football programs in our area,” Boomer Esiason said.

On Long Island’s first play after a 41-minute lightning delay just 3:19 into the game, Daniggelis broke a few tackles for an 11-yard gain to the NYC 11. White capped the opening 10-play, 57-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, and Zach Kolodny (Farmingdale) kicked his first of four extra points for a 7-0 lead.

“Daniggelis is an incredible athlete,” said Stanley, whose staff included Lawrence’s Joe Martillotti, Wantagh’s Keith Sachs and Roosevelt’s Joe Vito. “We knew if things broke down, he’d just make plays for us anyway,” he added. “We got exactly what we thought we’d get out of him.”

After Ridley’s 12-yard touchdown grab early in the second quarter brought NYC within 7-6, Daniggelis directed another scoring drive and capped it with a 4-yard touchdown run. Long Island led 21-6 at halftime after Steven Genova (St. Anthony’s) hooked up with Dom Cassella (Patchogue-Medford) on a 30-yard score through the air on fourth-and-14 with less than two minutes remaining.

In the third quarter, Daniggelis found Matt Selts (Sayville) along the sideline for a 25-yard gain that set up White’s second touchdown, a 3-yard plunge behind Mavruk that produced a 28-6 lead. New York City scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but David Reiter (Syosset) secured L.I.’s win by recovering an onside kick with 31 seconds to go.

“The last couple of weeks have been a lot of fun,” Stanley said. “To top it off with a win is great.”

With the victory, Long Island increased its series lead to 12-6. Thirteen of the 18 meetings between L.I. and NYC (in 1996 and ‘97 the game featured Nassau vs. Suffolk) have been decided by fewer than eight points, including four by a point.