By STEVE SINISKI
Instead, John Elliott, Sal Posillico, Chris Bright, Garrett Dolgon and Mike Tracy were invited to team up with the best senior football players on Long Island in the 12th Annual Outback Steakhouse Challenge at Hofstra¹s Shuart Stadium last Friday. The Long Island squad squared off against its counterparts from New York City and dropped a hard-fought, 33-27, decision.
Though New York City snapped Long Island¹s two-game winning streak with a come-from-behind, 33-27, victory, it didn¹t damper the excitement of being involved in an all-star atmosphere set up by former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason that was also for a good cause to help raise money to fight cystic fibrosis. ³It was a lot of fun after the season we had to come out one more time with the kids,² said East Meadow coach Vin Mascia.
After finishing up as the Nassau County Conference I champions last November, it was easy to see why East Meadow was well represented on the All-Star squad. Along with Mascia, one of the assistants on the staff of Long Island team, Elliott cracked the starting lineup at right tackle. Tracy saw considerable action behind Huntington¹s Zach Powell, a quarterback, and set up a third-quarter score by Long Island with a 17-yard run to the New York City 6 yard line. As they did during the 2006 season, Posillico and Dolgon protected Tracy last Friday, while Chris Bright logged time at linebacker.
³They¹ll go down as a great group that set out to accomplish something and did,² Mascia said of the 2006 Jets. ³They set the bar for future teams.
Though the Jets lost a large chunk of talent from their County Championship team, fans shouldn¹t fret about the upcoming season. ³They got a taste of what its like to be on top,² Mascia said of the returning players. ³It was something very special to everyone involved and they¹re driven [to do it again].²
The Jets (10-1 last season) are tentatively scheduled to kick off the 2007 season on Sept. 16 at Massapequa, followed by the home opener against Syosset. Farmingdales up next on Sept. 29, and then a rematch of last November¹s Nassau County Championship between the Jets and Freeport, whom East Meadow knocked by storming back in the final two minutes to take a 35-34 win.
Across town, Clarke is also coming off a playoff run after advancing to the second round last season. The Rams (6-3 overall), who defeated Floral Park, 47-28, to open the postseason and then fell to top-seeded Bethpage (41-13), are tentatively scheduled to begin the season on the road against Plainedge on Sept. 16. The home opener is currently set for Sept. 23 against Sewhanaka.
