For the third straight year, Long Island beat New York City in the annual United Healthcare Empire Challenge held Tuesday at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium. Backed by a powerful offense with the Island’s brightest football stars, Long Island won, 40-8.
As always, Sachem was well represented at the high school football all-star game. Sachem had five players on the Long Island roster, including Steve Mills (North), Tyler Andreassi (North), Steven Casali (East), Ryan Dippel (East) and Brian Balsamo (East). Sachem North head coach Dave Falco was an assistant coach, and Sachem Athletic Trainer Mike Wulforst served in the same role. Sachem Athletic Director Pete Blieberg is the Game Coordinator for the Empire Challenge.
Sachem – East and North – has combined to have 31 players selected for the Empire Challenge since its inception 18 years ago. The Flaming Arrows have had an athlete represent Long Island every year except 2006.
“It’s an honor to have been selected and to be a part of such a great and prestigious game,” said Mills, who won the Zellner Award as the top lineman in Suffolk County last season. “A lot of the kids that I play against during the year are now my teammates like Steve Casali and A.J. Otranto. Although I did not wear the black and gold to represent Sachem in this game, I wore the red, white and blue to represent something even bigger; Long Island football.”
Falco has now served as an assistant coach in the game three times.
“The Boomer game is a great way to end a school year,” Falco said. “It provides you with the ability to coach your top kids one more time and in the process help out a great cause. It’s an honor to be selected to coach in this game. Boomer puts on a great show.”
Long Island was led by the play of Uniondale and Central Florida-bound running back William Stanback, who scored four touchdowns and rushed for 138 yards. Casali, who will play at the University of Massachusetts, recorded a game-high five tackles from his linebacker position.
The game is run through the Boomer Esiason Foundation to raise awareness and funds in the fight against cystic fibrosis.
“This game will have raised over $2 million for the fight against CF, a great accomplishment which we are extremely proud of,” Blieberg said. “The game itself provides the top graduating seniors from Montauk to Manhattan one last opportunity to play in a high school football game in an NFL Bowl like atmosphere. Having served as the Game Coordinator since its inception has been a privilege and an honor and to know we have helped contribute to this worthy cause is what makes us come back each year.”
PHOTOS: See images from the 2013 Empire Challenge
Sachem’s All-Time Empire Challenge Boomer Game Participants
| Player | Year |
| Steven Mills (North) | 2013 |
| Tyler Andreassi (North) | 2013 |
| Steven Casali (East) | 2013 |
| Brian Balsamo (East) | 2013 |
| Ryan Dippel (East) | 2013 |
| Dalton Crossan (North) | 2012 |
| Vincent Provenzano (North) | 2012 |
| James Thompson (North) | 2011 |
| Michael Andreassi (North) | 2011 |
| Jesse Scanna (North) | 2011 |
| Davon Lawrence (North) | 2010 |
| Joe Kirchner (North) | 2010 |
| Joe Botti (East) | 2009 |
| Cong Tian (North) | 2009 |
| Craig Geogan (North) | 2009 |
| Will Slinkosky (North) | 2008 |
| Eddie Spillett (East) | 2007 |
| James Mignone (East) | 2005 |
| Ken Kennedy (North) | 2005 |
| Tom Pandolf | 2004 |
| Charles Hall | 2003 |
| Joe Muratore | 2002 |
| Brian Nutter | 2001 |
| Chris Onorato | 2000 |
| Jay Mauro | 1999 |
| Gary Carruthers | 1999 |
| Jesse Brush | 1999 |
| Derek Brady | 1998 |
| Lark Falkman | 1997 |
| Ralph Gazillo | 1997 |
| Ted Peterson | 1997 |
| Dave Caputo | 1996 |
| James O’Neal | 1996 |
| Will Campbell | 1996 |
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro