Officials Bring College-Level Presence to Game

Few fans are aware that Empire Challenge is played by college rules, not high school rules (with a few exceptions). These rules give the ultra-talented players extra space to shine a little brighter, as well as give them a small taste of game action they hope to face at the next level.

However, playing by college rules would be difficult if Empire Challenge could not recruit experienced college officials who were willing to donate their time to support the game. This year, three members of the officiating team talked about their Empire Challenge experiences, while enjoying Outback Steakhouse’s catering at the pregame party. “First, it’s a great cause that I’m proud to support,” said George Gaiser, who has officiated at every one of the 15 Empire Challenge games.

“Second, we want to give the kids the best experience possible. And third, when you are an official, you want to work. It’s what you do, and you want to improve at your craft,” said Gaiser, who was a back judge for the 2010 game.

Joe Cook, who was chief of the ball crew, explained that while players are being exposed to college rules, the officials are being exposed to incoming college players. “I’m always interested to see where the kids in the Empire Challenge are going to college,” he said. “I’ll see some of them in the next few years when I’m doing games.”

During practices, coaches explain to the rules variations to the players, said Bill Moran, an alternate official. “The players pick it up quickly, and we don’t have problems in the game,” Moran said.

“The biggest problem we have with going by college rules is with the coaches,” said Cook, and Gaiser and Moran laughed in agreement. “When the defensive line jumps offsides in college, it’s not a flag unless there’s contact. In high school, it’s different—and the coaches forget in the heat of the moment.”

The officials say that the caliber of play at Empire Challenge has increased over the years, and it’s reflected in what they see during their fall assignments. “College football has become very competitive these days, even at the Division III level,” said Gaiser. “The athletes are bigger, faster, and highly skilled.”

The Wisdom of Coach Vinny Laino

Fort Hamilton High School’s winningest coach, Vinny Laino, retired at the end of the 2009 season, but he stayed in the area in order to participate in one more Empire Challenge. And he went out a winner by serving as the offensive coordinator for New York City and coaching his son Frank, who was one of three quarterbacks on the team.

Prior to the game, Laino spoke about his experience at Empire Challenge and what it takes to win an all-star game. “It’s always great to be a part of this game,” he said Laino, who was the head coach of New York City in 2006 and 2007. “There are no losers; it’s win-win for everybody. The players and coaches pull together.”

Getting offensive players in sync in only eight practices is an immense challenge. “It’s tough to get a passing game set up so fast, but when you have talented players like we have, you try to put them in positions to make something good happen,” he said. “But you also tell the offense that they have to be ready for how quick the defense is—they’ve never faced so many strong and quick defenders.”

The other issue is managing the egos of players who have all been stars on their team and who are used to playing on both offense and defense. “Nobody plays in the Empire Challenge as much as they did on their high school team, and some guys get frustrated with that,” said Laino. “We remind them what this game is all about, and we try to keep them focused on going as hard as they can whenever they get the chance. We tell them they might not get many chances, but to make each one count.”

New York City Wins on Late Touchdown

“Turnovers. Turnovers are the key to the game,” New York City Head Coach Peter Gambardella told his team just before it took the field for the 15th annual Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge All-Star Football Game on June 22.

Gambardella was right on the money—turnovers did decide the outcome. The three turnovers that his team forced led directly to its victory over Long Island by a score of 15-10 in front of 8,224 fans on a breezy, rainy night at James Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University. The all-time series now stands 7-6 in Long Island’s favor (the first two games were all-Long Island affairs in which Suffolk County played Nassau County).

Despite the wet conditions, New York City lost the ball only once, and it made big plays when they were needed. The ultimate difference-maker was an interception by New York City cornerback Devante Wheeler (Poly Prep) on a pass thrown by Long Island quarterback John Kinder (Lawrence) from his end zone with less than two minutes remaining. After a high snap went past him, Kinder chased the bouncing ball into the end zone, just a step ahead of New York City lineman Kwaku Duah (Clinton). Trying to avoid the safety and make a big play, Kinder threw the ball into traffic, and Wheeler picked it off. Two plays later, Jordan Rodriguez (Wagner) ran into the end zone for the winning score.

“Even with five minutes to go, I felt good that our guys would make plays. They had been doing it defensively all game. When you give up only 10 points in an all-star game, and three of them are after a long kickoff return, you’re playing excellent defense,” said Gambardella, who is head coach at Curtis.

Smooth Game
Although neither team finished with 200 yards of total offense, the game did not feel like a defensive battle. Both teams moved the ball, but they couldn’t sustain drives, and the defenses minimized the big plays for either side.

“It was a grind-it-out game…hard-fought,” said Long Island Head Coach Kyle Madden, who had led Half Hollow Hills West to an undefeated season last year. “Both teams were in a lot of 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations, and it’s hard to convert on them.”

New York City received the opening kickoff, and Wheeler returned it to his team’s 28. He fumbled on the return but recovered the ball, avoiding what could have been a catastrophic start. Running back Lyle McCombs (St. Joseph by the Sea) and QB Frank Laino (Fort Hamilton) got the initial first down of the game on three carries, but then a Laino screen pass was sniffed-out by Will Crapo (Plainedge), who tackled Elijah Bratcher (New Dorp) for a 1-yard loss, and that shut down New York City’s drive.

Long Island’s first possession began at its 25-yard line. Kinder, who is going to Syracuse University in the fall, stepped up in a spread formation with four wide receivers. But two of his first three passes were knocked down at the line of scrimmage. The 3rd-down pass was swatted by Jason Bromley (Flushing), who would be voted the game’s Most Valuable Player for his 7 tackles and 2 sacks.

“Our defensive linemen were tall, and I told them that if they could get penetration, they could knock down some passes,” said Gambardella. “They set the tone right away.”

When New York City got the ball back for its second drive, Rodriguez came in as QB. On his first pass, he hit Marcus Spann (Curtis) down the middle for a 38-yard gain, which turned out to be the longest play from scrimmage in the game. Spann was well-covered by three Long Island defenders, but Rodriguez placed the ball perfectly, and Spann leaped into the air to make the catch.

With the ball on the Long Island 22 after the long pass, New York City needed just four runs to get into the end zone. It was Alton Richardson (Fort Hamilton) for 1 yard, Rodriguez for 12, Douglas Butler (Abraham Lincoln) for 2, and Rodriguez again for 7. On the drive, the 225-lb. Rodriguez ran over tacklers.

For Rodriguez, the TD represented a return to form after blood clots ended his senior season. He led New York City with 47 rushing yards and 44 passing yards. “I coached against him for three years, and he can make things happen with his legs and his arm,” said Gambardella. “He’s like a Tim Tebow who can run over the smaller guys in the secondary…they don’t want to have to tackle him.”

After the Rodriguez touchdown, the extra point was blocked by another of the five Syracuse recruits in the game: Malcolm Cater (Riverhead). He led Long Island with 5 solo and 3 assisted tackles and was named Long Island’s player of the game.

Taking the early 6-0 lead was a psychological lift for the many NYC coaches who had been at the wrong end of a big early deficit last year that became a 31-14 loss. “Getting that lead took a load off us,” said Gambardella. “We relaxed and said that we’re in this one from the start. A lot of the credit goes to the players. They jelled quickly as a team this year; I had a good vibe right from our first meeting.”

Still, Long Island promptly struck back to take the lead with a 9-play, 58-yard drive. QB Gavin Kretz (Amityville) and backs by Kenny Barnett (Inwood), Anthony Brunetti (Holy Trinity), and Davon Lawrence (Central Islip) did all the damage on the ground. Kretz set up in the shotgun on every play, and he usually had four wide receivers. But instead of passing the ball, the team ran it up the middle and in the slot against defenders who were spread out to cover downfield. Lawrence’s 3-yard carry tied the score, and Jesse Signa (St. Anthony’s) put Long Island ahead 7-6 early in the 2nd quarter.

“The spread offense that Russ Cellan [head coach at Freeport] installed for us is more of a running spread,” said Madden. “It limited the number of guys who can key on the run, which allowed us not to have to block as many defenders.”

New York City brought in its third quarterback for its next drive, Jonathan Derbyshire (Tottenville). He led the team to two first downs, highlighted by a 30-yard completion to Bratcher on which Bratcher coolly came back for an underthrown ball while the defenders lost sight of the ball. But on a 3rd-down play from the Long Island 22-yard line, Derbyshire was sacked for a 10-yard loss by Daniel Belfiore (Glen Cove) that pushed New York City out of field goal range.

Long Island took over on downs, and Kinder returned quarterback. The team stayed on the ground for another promising drive. Kevin Allen (Freeport) went for 11 yards up the middle, and then Barnett picked up 12 more yards on a sweep to the left. But then Kinder lost six yards on a run and was sacked for another loss by safety Steven Rene (Carnarsie). Facing a 3rd-and-17, Kinder backpedaled against New York City’s big pass rush. When Kinder threw the ball into double coverage, New York City linebacker Mario Tull (Xaverian) got the interception.

But Long Island defensive linemen Cater and Ryan Crawley (North Babylon) and defensive back JeVahn Cruz (Half Hollow Hills West) made sure that New York City couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity, as they shut down three running plays and forced a punt. By this time, rain was coming down hard, and both teams played conservatively to the end of the half.

Second Half
Long Island started the 2nd half with possession at its own 37, following a good return by Cruz. Barnett and Allen took turns running the ball up the middle and between the slots, as Long Island took advantage of its superior size on the offensive line. However, on a crucial 3rd and 10 from the New York City 41-yard line, Kinder met up with Bromley again, this time for an 8-yard loss on a sack. Long Island punted.

New York City couldn’t move the ball, either, as Andrew Hodge (Half Hollow Hills West), Chris Moore (Elmont), and Joe Kirchner (Sachem North) asserted themselves for Long Island’s defense. Only a 51-yard punt by Nick Fiorito (Fort Hamilton) got New York City out of trouble, as the ball was downed on Long Island’s 24.

That long punt proved to be crucial two plays later, when Kinder was sacked by Nmesoma Okafor (Campus Magnet), and the ball was recovered by New York City defensive tackle Chris Braithwaite (Holy Cross). New York City took over on the Long Island 17. Once again, New York City couldn’t move the ball forward—in fact, it lost five yards on three runs and a penalty. In stepped Fiorito to try a 44-yard field goal in a downpour. He nailed the kick with about a yard to spare, and New York City led 9-7. “That was the longest kick I’ve ever had in a game,” he said.

Once again, a great special teams return put Long Island right back in the game. Fiorito’s kickoff was short, and Mike Gallo (Seaford) took it on a bounce and returned it 56 yards. He came within a half-step of a touchdown, but Tull didn’t give up on the play and made a tackle from behind. After Long Island moved nowhere on three plays, Signa kicked a 30-yard field goal to give Long Island the lead,10-9.

For the rest of the third quarter and most of the fourth, it seemed as if that would be the final score. Though the rain eventually stopped, New York City’s rushing game was being shut down by Long Island, and Long Island wasn’t going to give up another long pass completion. After the teams exchanged punts, New York City had what seemed likely to be its last good chance with 5:28 remaining when it took possession at the Long Island 35-yard line after an excellent punt return by Dean Marlowe (Holy Cross).

However, three plays later, Laino underthrew Jeremiah Kobena (Cardinal Hayes) in the end zone, and his pass was intercepted by Cruz on the Long Island 8-yard line. “When we got the interception, I felt pretty good,” said Madden. “We just needed two first downs to run out the clock.”

Only 3:38 was left, but according to Empire Challenge rules, teams can only punt twice per half. Long Island had used its allotted two punts, which put pressure on the team to get those crucial first downs.

Of course, New York City was prepared, too. First, Felix Small (Erasmus) stopped Kinder for no gain on a run. Then, Kinder completed a pass to Chris Jean-Pierre (Brentwood), but Rene was there to stop it for no gain. Then, on 3rd down, Gambardella called for a screen to wide receiver Gallo, and the play picked up 11 yards. Only 2:27 remained. Allen rushed for a yard, and New York City used its second timeout with 2:10 remaining.

That’s when luck or fate or a slippery football changed the game. On 2nd down, Kinder was in the shotgun, and the snap was high and to his right. It flew past him and bounced into the end zone. At first, it seemed fortunate for Kinder that the ball bounced high, because he was able to pick it up and turn to make a throw, thus avoiding a safety. But he was running sideways and Duah was nearly on top of him when he threw the ball, and the pass floated to Wheeler, who made the crucial interception.

With Wheeler’s return, New York City had first-and-goal at the Long Island 1-yard line. Madden told his team to let New York City score on its first play so that Long Island could maximize its time and save its timeouts. But Kevin Hauter (William Floyd) didn’t hear the instructions, and he slammed Rodriguez as he tried to run up the middle. No gain, but Long Island had to use a timeout. On 2nd down, Rodriguez took the snap in the shotgun, and with a full head of steam, bulled into the end zone. New York had the lead at 15-10, with 1:41 remaining.

Remarkably, Long Island almost won the game on the next play. Barnett took the kickoff and darted to the right side. He had wide-open space in front of him, maybe even enough for a touchdown. “All game on our returns, I felt like we were one guy or one move away from scoring a touchdown. It would have made a difference,” said Madden.

Instead, Tykeith Fantroy (Campus Magnet) got Barnett by the foot before he could reach top speed, and Long Island had to go the length of the field from its own 34-yard line. The miracle finish didn’t happen, as Kinder was able to get only one first-down completion to Ashanti Foster-Felder (Freeport), but ended the game with three straight incompletions.

“I was real down for several days after the game,” Madden admitted. “We’d had a great year at Half Hollow Hills West, where we’d gone 12-0. You never want to lose, especially when you saw how hard our coaches and players worked and how much they wanted to win. But it’s still a great experience—second to none—and we’ll come back and avenge our loss next year.”

For Gambardella, it was a night to remember. “It’s a tremendous honor to coach in this game, working with coaches you’ve been butting heads with all season,” he said. “It means even more that we won in the last year that Vinny Laino from Fort Hamilton and our game coordinator Jim DeBenedetto will be on the sidelines.”

Trainer Reaches a Dozen Years at Empire Challenge

Football is a game of collisions, and when players who have the size and speed of the Long Island and New York City all-stars collide, injuries can occur. That’s why people such as physician Mickey Chianese, the Chief of Pediatrics for ProHEALTH, are integral to the success of Empire Challenge every year. ProHEALTH, a large physician group practice with several offices in Long Island, has been a long-time supporter of Empire Challenge.

Chianese has been a volunteer at Empire Challenge for 12 years, and he enjoys every minute of it. “It’s a great experience for the players, and I’m happy to give back to the community,” said Chianese. His link to the game comes not only from his sports medicine practice, but also as a pediatrician who has patients with cystic fibrosis. He works with children with CF through Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park.

Every Empire Challenge player must get a health clearance from a game physician before starting practice with his team. “Most of these guys are multi-sport athletes, so they come to practice in shape, but with chronic injuries,” said Chianese. “I’m looking at whether they are in shape to play football with those injuries, and what they have to do to get ready for the game.”

Bumps, bruises, and injuries can occur in practice, but Chianese said that the bigger concern is the actual game, especially if it’s played in hot conditions. “Heat wasn’t an issue this year, but it’s been a factor in the past,” he said.

Looking back over more than a decade of Empire Challenge games, Chianese said that he can detect several trends. “The players are bigger, and the game is more competitive than ever,” he said.

Bromley juiced to join the Orange

Defensive lineman becomes first Flushing Division I player since program was restarted

The Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge was started in 1996 by former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason. It’s mission was to generate money for his foundation, which is focused on finding a cure for systic fibrosis, while at the same time offering the best seniors from New York City and Long Island a stage to showcase their talents.
It’s not necessarily meant to produce college football scholarships – the end of June is usually too late in the process.
Jason Bromley is an exception.
Flushing’s under-the-radar defensive lineman performed so well, in such a dominant manner, to garner MVP honors, in the city’s 15-10 victory, he created a Division I scholarship for himself.

“I had a chip on my shoulder because everybody got their [scholarship], I had to show I deserved [mine],”he said.

Syracuse took notice. Bromley recently inked a financial aid agreement with the Orange – it’s too late for a National Letter of Intent – and will be on campus the first week in August.

“I feel like it’s a great opportunity for me,” said Bromley, Flushing’s first Division I football player since coach Jim DeSantis restarted the dormant program five years ago. “This is what I’ve been waiting for, an opportunity to play at the Division I level.”

The physically imposing yet extremely mobile and explosive Bromley is a success story. He had zero organized football experience before he landed at Flushing and nearly quit the team after his first training camp because there was too much work involved. His mother, Francis Nimmins, convinced The Post’s All-City first team selection to stick it out if the amount of work was the only thing getting in the way of his newest pursuit.

“It’s given me the opportunity I never thought I would have,” he said. “If not for her, I might’ve taken a different route.”

Not only did he adjust to the heinous workload, Bromley became the Red Devils’ hardest worker. DeSantis would often have to tell him to take it easy in practice so others could make plays. He was first running wind sprints despite his large frame.

“Only ever time I ever had a guy work like that was Vinny Rey,” DeSantis said, referring to the former Bayside standout who played college football at Duke, and will be in training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals in two weeks. “He’s gonna get big and strong, he’s gonna work his [butt] off. He’ll be able to compete [at that level]. I can’t wait to see him when he’s 22, 23 years old and see what he’s gonna look like.”

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Bromley saw his recruitment come alive after he garnered MVP honors in the Empire Challenge on June 22. He had two sacks and seven tackles – three for losses – was instrumental in Long Island quarterback John Kinder, another Syracuse recruit, struggling so mightily, and drew the admiration of Boomer Esiason, the game’s organizer.

“That kid was unstoppable,” the former pro said that night. Esiason hoped the performance would open a few eyes, and it did. Several coaches from the game called colleges they were familiar with, and Syracuse pounced on Bromley first.

Penn State and Rutgers were involved, but didn’t offer a scholarship. Bromley became the latest standout to commit to the Orange, joining a class that includes Canarsie receiver Steven Rene, Xaverian linebacker Mario Tull, and Cardinal Hayes receiver Jermiah Kobena. Christ the King quarterback Terrel Hunt has already committed to Syracuse for the 2011.

Because his prospects were so dim, Bromley was scheduled to spend a postgraduate year at New Hampton, a prep school in New Hampshire, next season. That is, before Syracuse got involved.

“It felt relief when I signed,” he said. “At the same time, I can’t be happy about it for too long. It’s time for the next step. Now I have to perform, in the classroom and on the field. I’m not gonna be fresh meat for anybody. I want to play.”