LONG ISLAND LEADS SERIES 3-2; WILL NYC SEEK REVENGE?

By Gregg Sarra, Newsday

Trevon Rodney led the Babylon High School football team to the Long Island Class IV title in November. The two-time All-Long Island halfback sat in the end zone at Seawolves Stadium in Stony Brook after the Panthers wiped out Seaford, 30-6, for the school�s second Class IV crown and refused to believe that his scholastic career was over.

"I never wanted it to end," Rodney said after a recent afternoon workout. "It was such a great experience. And then I realized, it�s not really over yet. I get to play one more game as a high schooler."

That�s right. Rodney will play one ore time for the locals in a high school setting. Rodney, the Hansen Award winner, presented to Suffolk�s best player, will lead the finest Long Island seniors against the best New York City has to offer in the annual Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge at Hofstra Stadium. Long Island leads the all-star series, three games to two, after posting a 21-14 victory last year before a crowd of 9,782 fans at Hofstra�s Shuart Stadium.

The game was decided by a 69-yeard interception return for a touchdown by Commack�s Jeff Dena. For his effort, Dena was given the Timothy M. O�Brien MVP Award by Boomer Esiason, the game�s founder.

"I cannot wait to play in the Empire Challenge," said Rodney, who rushed for 4,924 yards over four years, the second highest total in Suffolk saved one of his better performances for the Long Island championship game. He rushed for 148 yards and scored three touchdowns in the win over Seaford. But the Babylon superstar won�t know if he�s teamed in potent backfield with Patchogue-Medford�s Alex Baez or on the defensive side of things with All-Long Island linebackers Jesse Miller (Patchogue-Medford), Matt Albanese (Farmingdale) and Larking Mayberry (North Babylon).

"It don�t matter," Rodney said. "Offense or defense. I just want to play." It looks like Rodney and Baez (5-10, 175) could lead the offensive unit for Long Island which Comsewogue coach Tom Cassese said would employ the wing-T backfield to better utilize team speed and athleticism. The misdirection and speed of the wing-T would also neutralize what looks like a monstrous City contingent.

But if Rodney plays defense, he would be surrounded by some of Long Island�s heaviest hitters. Albaese (6-0, 240) was responsible for 123 tackles as a senior and made four straight trips to the Nassau Conference I final. He had an astounding 269 tackles in his career and he flat out punishes people. Miller (6-3, 240) led Patchogue-Medford to the Long Island Class I crown and he had 113 tackles, including 13 for a loss. Mayberry (6-3, 235) led the charge for North Babylon�s defense in a year that saw the Bulldogs win an unprecedented fifth Long Island championship. Mayberry totaled 119 tackles, including 27 for a loss. It is the aggressive nature of the defensive unit that has the Long Island coaching staff feeling like it can break the win one, lose one, tradition of the Empire Challenge. Long Island would like to build on last year�s victory and win for the second year in a row.

"We thing we have one of the more talented groups to come in here and play in this all-star game," said Long Island head coach Hans Wiederkehr of Babylon. "As long as everyone stays healthy and we get some quality practice time, we can win again. I know the coaches are excited about the kids we have to work with."

The Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge has given student-athletes an opportunity to play one more football game in the New York area before moving on to their collegiate careers. The charity game is played to benefit youth football in the New York metropolitan area and the Boomer Esiason Foundation to find a cure for cystic fibrosis.

"This is a first-class operation from the day we select the teams to the fireworks display after the game�s final horn has sounded," said Pete Blieberg, the game coordinator. "Boomer treats these kids like professionals and the New York Jets roll out the red carpet at their training facility at Hofstra. It has become a midsummer classic."

WILL NYC SEEK REVENGE?

By Mike Quick, MSG Network

Football is the ultimate team game: eleven guys on the field at one time for one purpose.

As one team tries to move the ball down the field, the other team works together to stop that movement. It doesn�t matter how good you are as eleven individuals. The only way your team will have success, is to work together as a team.

Curtis High School knows teamwork. This past season, the team has no major Division 1 prospect on their defensive unit and opened the season with a 19-15 loss to defending City champion Sheepshead Bay. This Curtis team was a group in search of an identity. For those who watched this game, few could have imagined that this would be the last time this defensive unit would give up more than two touchdowns in a game all season.

As October approached, this defense wasn�t just dominating games for head coach Fred Olivieri, it was winning them. Through the years, Curtis has been known as a quick, strict run-and-shoot offensive power. This year the offense wasn�t as strong as years past, so the maroon and white rode its defense for points or at least set up the offense to score.

Statistically speaking, this Curtis defense was one of the top defenses in the last decade in New York City public school football. In six of the twelve games they lined up for during the season against different teams, they did not allow a single point.

Stingy? You bet. A paltry 5.6 points allowed by the Warriors as they beat Fort Hamilton in the City final, 30-6, for the school�s third PSAL title in five years. Four of the guys that anchored the defensive pride of the Curtis football team will lineup against the Long Island all-stars in the Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge on July 3 at Hofstra University and try to put an end to the Islanders two-game win streak.

Two of those Curtis players are Damian McCaig and Joe Bernard. They aren�t big guys, but they sure want to play that way. McCaig and Bernard combined for 18 sacks and four interceptions this season. You see football player when you look at them. It�s no so much their physique, but when you look into their eyes, you see the passion of a football player. That look can always be found in the eyes of a linebacker.

One linebacker to watch on July 3 will not play that position; he�ll move to running back for this all-star challenge. Farmingdale�s Matt Albanese is a throw-back type of player who can play both ways very well. McCaig and Bernard haven�t had to line up against anyone like Albanese his year.

Although football is a team sport, all-star games give you great individual match ups. When these guys get ready for the annual Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge, expect to see and hear some hits as big as the post-game fireworks. Remember these three players; it�s almost a guarantee that one of these guys will be involved in the hard-hitting play.