By LARRY MAIER
On Sunday, Nov. 25, Dylan and fellow pigskin-slinging hot-shot Marc Ciccarelli, a fourth-grader at Gunther School, took part in the Team Finals of the National Football League's Punt, Pass and Kick contest held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
Neither won the competition, but both say they had loads of fun, especially at halftime when they got to show off their skills on the field in front of 60,000 screaming fans.
"That," said Marc emphatically, "was awesome."
Each year, through local schools, the NFL sponsors the Pass, Punt and Kick competition.
The contest is simple. Athletes throw, punt and kick off a tee for maximum distance. Those distances are recorded and added together. The top boy and girl from each age division are then invited to a sectional competition.
Four students from Jacob Gunther School, Dylan, Marc, Zachary Kupfer and Jillian Picinich advanced to the sectional championship last month at Baldwin High School and competed against other children from Nassau County. Scores from that contest were then matched against those from other participants in the tri-state area. The best performers were invited to compete in the Team Championship, which was held this year at Giants Stadium before the Giants-Raiders game.
The top scores from the Nov. 25 competition will be matched against those from participants at other pro stadiums around the country. The highest scorers will be invited to the National Finals, which are to be held at halftime of a NFL playoff game in January. Though Marc and Dylan don't figure to make it that far, they certainly made it further than most.
Marc doesn't play organized football, but said he is usually picked to play quarterback when he and his buddies play ball at recess. He is a well-rounded athlete and plays in the North Merrick and Bellmore Little League, on the St. Barnabas CYO basketball team and on a travel basketball league.
At the Team Championship, which took place on the field several hours before Sunday's game, Marc finished in fourth place. He was literally "inched out" for third. The competition, said Marc, was fierce.
"They were good," Marc said of his fellow participants. "They all play organized football, and I don't"
Butterflies might have also factored into the day's result. Giants Stadium can be an intimidating place. "The stadium was so big. I was a little nervous," Marc said.
Like Marc, Dylan said she wasn't totally thrilled with her performance that day either. "I didn't do so well," said Dylan. "I wasn't happy with my kick. I was so nervous."
Contestants only get to make one pass, punt and kick, so any miscue is costly. On her best day, Dylan said, she could have done better. "I only kicked it like 30 feet, and I can kick it 70 feet," she said.
Dylan, though, said she has no complaints about the halftime festivities. She enjoyed hearing her name blasted from the stadium loudspeaker and seeing herself on Diamond Vision. "It was really cool. I wasn't nervous about that at all," she said.
Marc thought it was pretty cool as well.
"The guy said Marc, arc, arc, arc, Ciccarelli, elli, elli, elli," said Marc in his best stadium announcer voice. "That was fun."
Gunther School physical-education teacher Jim Mulvey said Punt, Pass and Kick has been a great program for students and the school. For participating in the program, schools are given posters on sportsmanship and coaching materials, so that physical-education staffs can build even better passers, punters and kickers.
The NFL also donates footballs to schools that sponsor the contest and recognizes all students who take part in the competition.
"Every student who participated here at Gunther got a certificate. They really do it up nice," Mulvey said.
Local winners received ribbons. And sectional winners, like Dylan and Marc, were awarded medals and Giant jerseys.
