Thursday, July 10, 2025
Donning the uniforms of the past two collegiate national champions, Ohio State and Michigan, respectively, added a special touch to Saturday’s inaugural National Football Foundation All-Star Classic featuring the top high school seniors from Long Island and New York City at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium.
After the Boomer Esiason Foundation enjoyed a tremendous 24-year run presenting the Empire Challenge game culminating in 2019, its replacement made a striking debut despite real-feel temperatures in the upper 80s.
Long Island, behind Islip quarterback Brady Nash, Garden City running back Michael Berkery, Westhampton kicker/safety Brody Schaffer and a run defense as stifling as the weather, led after every quarter of a 33-15 victory before a crowd of 1,500. Nash completed 10 of 14 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score to earn the Boomer Esiason Player of the Game award.
“The last time this game was played, we were all in sixth grade,” said Nash, who completed scoring strikes to Berkery and Half Hollow Hills West’s Jesse Brooks. “As the week went on, it got more and more serious. You could tell how much it meant to everyone,” he added.
Schaffer went 4-for-4 on extra points, booted a 24-yard field goal and had a game-sealing interception late in the fourth quarter, and Massapequa’s Tyler Villalta added a touchdown run for Long Island, which compiled a top-notch coaching staff led by Garden City’s Dave Ettinger.
Carey head coach Mike Stanley, who led the Seahawks to last season’s LI Class II title and a perfect 12-0 campaign, served as the offensive coordinator. Reade Sands, who coached Sayville to the Suffolk Division III title last fall, ran the defense. Additional highly successful coaches on the L.I. staff were Manhasset’s Jay Iaquinta, who enjoyed lengthy stints in Lynbrook and Hewlett, Wantagh’s Keith Sachs, who led the Warriors to the Conference IV title last fall, Oceanside’s Rob Blount, Longwood’s Sean Kluber, Half Hollow Hills East’s Alex Marcelin, Bayport-Blue Point’s Mike Zafonte and St. Anthony’s Joe Minucci.
“This is such an awesome experience for the kids,” Stanley said. “Their attention to detail in practice was outstanding and they did a really nice job of executing on both sides of the ball.”
Lincoln’s quarterback-receiver tandem of Kory Reese and Solomon DeCoteau hooked up for both New York City touchdowns.
New York City/Erasmus Hall head coach Danny Landberg said logistics were a challenge and several obstacles prevented the team from having a full roster at any practice. “It was fun to be a part of this but it was really difficult to come to Long Island two hours each way for practices,” he said. “We made four of the eight sessions and attendance varied.”
Long Island trailed 3-0 before Nash directed an 11-play, 68-yard scoring drive capped by his 2-yard touchdown run. The starting O-line with center Clint Chichester (Longwood), tackles Dylan Kakareko (Oceanside) and Howie Silverstein (Carey), and guards Brennan Kurtz (Ward Melville) and Angelo Portillo (Sachem North) formed a wall all afternoon.
Long Island’s lead swelled to 23-9 by halftime. An early turning point came on the first play of the second quarter when a bad snap over the head of New York City punter Andrew Stosko (Xaverian) resulted in a safety to make it 9-3.
Carey’s Chrisian Todaro returned the ensuing free kick 26 yards to the NYC 35 and Long Island’s offense needed only four plays to take a 16-3 lead on Villalta’s 2-yard touchdown run.
Both offenses reached paydirt on their next possessions. A 40-yard pass from Reese to another Lincoln teammate, Gicah Paul, set up DeCoteau’s 12-yard touchdown grab to cut the margin to 16-9 after a failed two-point conversion try. Long Island answered with Berkery’s 37-yard touchdown catch.
Long Island’s defense, led by run stuffers Bellport’s Trevon Holland and Wantagh’s Shareef McMillian, pitched a shutout in the third quarter and Schaffer’s field goal extended the lead to 26-9 entering the fourth.
Freeport’s Curtis Ealy III and Bayport-Blue Point’s Dylan Spano had sacks for Long Island, which outgained NYC by a 339-232 margin.
“We got the win and it was so much fun,” Nash said. “I’m a Notre Dame fan but it’s cool we get to keep these jerseys.”
