The Empire Challenge football game had Sachem written all over it again this year.
Played at Hofstra University on Tuesday night, the annual high school football all-star contest celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. Sachem East’s Connor Farrell and Sean Dee, and Sachem North’s Kevin Bragaglia and Anthony DiMatteo all played in the contest.
Long Island beat New York City, 34-27, and has won five straight and 12 overall games in the rivalry.
“It was a great way to end my high school football career,” said Bragaglia, who will play collegiately at LIU Post and had one reception for 25 yards and ran back kick returns totaling more than 40 yards. “It was different playing with a bunch of all-stars. This is something I’ve wanted to play in since I was a kid. I’ve watched this game and now I got a chance to play in it.”
Sachem North has had at least one student-athlete participate in this game since 2008, and, overall, there have been a combined 43 players between Sachem East and Sachem North to play in the game over the last 20 years.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the game meant to bring awareness towards the Boomer Esiason Foundation and its fight against cystic fibrosis, players from all previous Empire Challenge teams were invited on the turf at James M. Shuart Stadium to be recognized.
Sachem North assistant coach Dave Caputo and Sachem’s all-time leading rusher, James O’Neal, were both on the inaugural all-star team in 1996 when the game originally pitted Suffolk County against Nassau County. They were joined by legendary Sachem football coach Fred Fusaro and a number of other alumni who made it to the pre-game ceremony.
Sachem athletic director Pete Blieberg has been the game coordinator since its inception 20 years ago, while Sachem trainer Mike Wulforst has served in the same capacity for the game for the last 17 years.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro