Staff Report
MaxPreps.com
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Stephan Benjamin caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jeffrey Legree with 23 seconds left in regulation play to help lift the New York City all-stars to a 21-20 win against the Long Island all-stars in the 13th annual Outback Steakhouse Empire Challenge before an event-record crowd of 11,005 at Hofstra University's Stuart Stadium Tuesday night.
The game-winning, nine-play, 78-yard drive was capped by Michael Horowitz' point after touchdown kick and provided New York with its only lead of the game and its second straight series victory.
Long Island, which still leads the series by 6-5, had held leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 20-14, the latter of which came on the second field goal of the game by Jonathan Korn of William Floyd High with 4:32 remaining in the third quarter.
The result marked the fourth time in series history that a game in the Empire Challenge has been decided by one point. One other game in the series went to overtime and was won by a field goal. In all, nine of the 11 games between the City and the Island have been decided by eight points or fewer.
The all-star game format was created by former NFL quarterback and Long Island native Boomer Esiason in 1996 as a benefit for the Boomer Esiason Foundation and the Gunnar H. Esiason Endowment Scholarship Fund at Hofstra, as well as local youth football programs. The annual goal is to raise money and awareness to fight cystic fibrosis and support youth football in the New York metropolitan area.
The University of Buffalo recruit Legree (Fort Hamilton) also threw a first-quarter touchdown pass to Shaahiyn Alston (Curtis) and was named by game's most valuable player. He completed 10 of 20 passes for 144 yards and two touchdown, and scored one touchdown himself.
Hofstra recruit Joe Sadaris of Long Island (William Floyd) was named the Canon player-of-the-game after completing seven of 11 passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
Highlighting Legree's winning achievements was 57-yard completion on fourth down to Alston with a minute left in the fourth quarter that kept New York City's game-winning drive alive. Legree then completed three straight passes to the AIC-bound Benjamin (Campus Magnate), including the game-winner.
"Everything broke down on that (57-yard pass) play," Long Island defensive tackle Keith Goodluck (Lawrence) told Newsday. "I thought we were going to tackle the quarterback. I thought we had it."
Said Long Island head coach Paul Longo of Floyd: "Their kid made a big play at the right time. Considering the defenses are limited by the rules, I was proud of the way the defense played in the second half."
The game and its thrilling ending marked the end of Curtis coach Fred Olivieri's 26-year career. Olivieri served as the head coach for NYC.
"My spirits were down (late in the game), but the boys wouldn't let us die," Olivieri told the Daily News, referring to his team's come-from-behind, game-winning march.
The 2008 Empire Challenge was recorded by the MSG-TV Network and will be televised via tape delay on Saturday, June 28 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 29 at 1 p.m.
Scoring
First quarter
LI - Trevor Perryman 19 pass from Joe Sidaras (Jonathan Korn kick), 9:53
NYC - Shaahiyn Alston 8 pass from Jeffrey Legree (Michael Horowitz kick), 3:23
Second quarter
LI - Conrad Stewart 2 pass from Joe Sidaras (Jonathan Korn kick), 7:57
NYC - Jeffrey Legree 1 yd run (Michael Horowitz kick), 0:50
LI - Jonathan Korn field goal, 0:00
Third quarter
LI - Jonathan Korn 33 field goal, 4:32
Fourth quarter
NYC - Stephan Benjamin 8 pass from Jeffrey Legree (Michael Horowitz kick), 0:23
Att – 11,005
