L.I. rolls in Empire Challenge

After years of watching the best high school football players from Long Island and New York City clash in the UnitedHealtcare Empire Challenge, Stacey Bedell put on a show for a record 12,418 spectators at the 17th annual game at Hofstra’s James M. Shuart Stadium on June 19.

The Massachusetts-bound running back out of William Floyd had 137 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries, including a 92-yard scoring dash midway through the third quarter, and earned Most Valuable Player honors as Long Island cruised to a 31-7 victory. Bedell scored from a yard out in the first and second quarters to help L.I. build an 18-point halftime advantage.

“I’ve seen that stuff before,” East Meadow coach Vin Mascia said of Bedell’s breakaway touchdown that came three snaps after a goal-line stand by Long Island’s defense and made it 24-0. “He’s such an explosive player,” he added. “He can take it to the house any time he touches the ball.”

Mascia, who was part of a Long Island coaching staff that included Jay Hegi of Elmont and Joe Martillotti of Lawrence, had an up-close and personal view of Bedell’s record 412-yard, four-touchdown performance in the Long Island Class I championship game last fall as Floyd edged East Meadow in a thriller, 54-47. “He also hurt us with his defense,” Mascia recalled. “He’s tremendous out of the secondary.”

In the Empire Challenge, players are assigned to one side of the ball and Long Island’s defense did just fine as Bedell and quarterback Steven Ferriera (8-for-11, 132 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions) of Sayville led the offense. New York City avoided the first shutout in rivalry history with 3:04 remaining when Alvin Cornelius of Tottenville caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Lincoln’s Jessel Jones.

“I’ve watched this game from up there many years,” said Bedell as he pointed to Hofstra’s bleachers. “It’s great competition. It’s a serious game and both teams want to have bragging rights, and I’m glad we won.”

Contributing to Long Island’s third victory in the last four years were Lawrence running back Ryan Fredericks and linebacker Chris Hercules, East Meadow double-threat Rob Healy, the 2011 Thorp Award winner, and guard Dom Morales, Lynbrook safety Luke Spitzer, Oceanside tackle Hector Quintin, Sewanhaka tackle Kareem Are, and Freeport’s trio of quarterback Isaiah Barnes (37 yards rushing), wideout Jere Brown and tackle Ken Berryhill.

“It’s a tremendous event,” Hegi said of the Empire Challenge, which not only showcases some of the best talent in the state but also benefits the Boomer Esiason Foundation for cystic fibrosis, the Gunnar H. Esiason Scholarship Fund at Hofstra, and local youth football programs. “It’s my third time on the coaching staff,” he added. “To work with all the other coaches and a great group of kids for three weeks is a privilege.”

Long Island opened the scoring late in the first quarter with Barnes at the controls, going 66 yards on 11 plays to lead 6-0 on Bedell’s first visit to the end zone. Barnes (25 yards) and Fredericks (16) spearheaded a drive aided by a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty. In the second, Bedell capped a 44-yard drive by diving over a pile into the end zone to make it 12-0, and Ferriera found West Babylon’s Mike Richardson on a picture-perfect fade pass with 11 seconds remaining in the half for an 18-0 cushion.

“Three days into practice we started to see the offense jell,” said Martillotti, who worked with the O-line. 

The defense, run by Roosevelt coach Joe Vito and led by Syosset linebacker Evan Kappatos and Deer Park end Aaron Thompson, played lights-out. Prior to its late scoring drive, New York City managed only 136 total yards. The last L.I. touchdown came with 8:06 remaining on a 5-yard pass from Ferreira to Locust Valley’s Alex Rawa.

With the win, Long Island increased its series lead to 9-6. Eleven of the 15 games (in 1996-97 it featured Nassau vs. Suffolk) have been decided by fewer than eight points, including four by a point.