Every week we’ll be recapping the week of league games. If you have any positive notes to include in going weeks, please have your captain send them to recap@nygayfootball.org.

Recap

Saturday's game was a big game for Phoenix, who wanted to end their stellar season on a strong note. and they did just that. Playing a depleted Therapy team, Phoenix came out firing -- making some big plays early on. Long touchdown runs by Oluyai Haynes and Brendan C and an interception by Matt W. put Phoenix ahead early. The big play for Phoenix during the first half, however, came from Mr. Larry Gabbard -- who picked an underthrown 20 yd td pass right off the ground for his first TD of the year. In response to reporters questions, Larry said, "you know, you just got to take it one game at a time, and I just want to help the team."

The second half for Phoenix was full of big plays with Chen H, Jamar Jones, and Paul Gestos picking up mad yardage with big catches along the way. Some plays of note include Paul Gestos jumping up in the linebacker slot, deflecting a pass directly to teammate Tim Hughes who ran it back for the TD. Says Paul Gestos, "Sometimes you just need to get your teammates involved, you know, share the wealth." The other big play came when Chen H ran a perfect seam route, caught the ball and turned --- directly into Micah Stern's chest which nearly knocked him unconscious. Said Chen H. "Ow." Micah Stern refused to comment.

Overall Phoenix played well, with all players contributing. They are PUMPED for the playoffs. Shout out to team Therapy, who playing sans QB Seth, played really strong, aggressive ball. Their rush was brutal - sacking Phoenix's QB tons of time, their D was strong, and Micah subbing in at QB had some colorful play calling."

No Report.

So the last game of the regular season was for the most part a battle of QB's. Two very good players (Cyd and Jason) went head to head, each putting their best line up to try and get the win on Saturday afternoon. Bamboo started out quick with a TD but could not make the extra point. Then Grecco came back to score. The game went back and forth and Bamboo had the lead until the second half when Grecco took the lead, but Bamboo came back with a quick TD and the extra point to make it 26-25 and since Grecco had lost both of their time outs in the second half, the game ended with Bamboo taking the win. A good game played by both teams and a good end to the regular season, now it's off to the playoffs! Have a good Thanksgiving and see you in December!

The chilly evening began with the nervous ThunderBunnies taking to the field without their QB. Nervously, the rabbits hopped upfield to score a touchdown on the first drive. Team V2 answered back, however, and scored on the extra point play, giving them a one-point lead. But the Bunnies bit again and again, pushing to a two-touchdown lead at the half 20-7. V2 drew first blood in the second half, also succeeding in a two-point conversion that kept them in the mix. However the vodka toasts would go to the rabbit warren, as the Bunnies scored three additional touchdowns in the second half, taking a big W to their team party and to the post-season.

Team Eagle faced off and defeated the undefeated Coors Light Team. The game was exciting up to the last two seconds. Our hats off to Team Coors Light, you guys played an amazing game! It was definitely one of the most competitive and fun games Team Eagle has had this season. We stepped it up and brought out some great intensity in the first half and what's more important, we kept our composure in the second half. The whole team came together and played a great game, but there is someone that deserves his accolades for stepping up offensively and defensively. Joel H. has definitely showed tremendous heart and improvement this season! Great Job Joel! The rest of my amazing team, Paul, Derek, Ken, Joe, Seamus, R., and Heath would like to extend our best wishes to all the other teams during the playoffs and the Thanksgiving Holiday. See you all on the fields.

No Report.

No Report.

Recap

No Report.

BEST. GAME. EVER. Both teams arrived at Pier 40 primed and pumped for the match. The Bunnies drew first blood, steadily marching the ball up the field on their first drive to score the first touchdown. Greco answered back, though, driving up for a hard-fought TD. The teams traded touchdowns, ending the half tied at 13. At the start of the second half, everything was coming up Greco, as a few controversial calls went their way, handing them a two touchdown lead over the Bunnies. With only minutes left, the Bunnies regrouped their warren and hopped downfield to cut the lead to 8. Desperate to stay in it, the Bunnies went for a crucial two-point conversion. The play did not unfold as planned, but a precise bullet by the QB hit its mark, and the Bunnies were one TD back. Solid defense kept Greco handcuffed on the next possession, and, with just over one minute to play, Greco punted to the Bunnies. A few more exhilirating miracle plays later, and the Bunnies had tied the game. The Bunnies failed to convert on the extra point chance, and with just seconds left to play, Greco tried to go long to seal the victory. The long bomb was intercepted by one ferocious Bunny, who ran it all the way downfield, almost to the goal line, before the tenacious Greco team deflagged him short of the goal and out of time. Game ended tied in one of the most contentious yet enjoyable games in this Bunny's football memory.

Week 7 saw a re-focused Team Posh achieve a 21-12 victory vs. a strong Therapy team. Highlights for Posh included interceptions from Will C and captain Dan Majerle, an additional score by Will C and two touchdowns by Joe Scattergood including a thrilling catch in the end zone from QB Steve Tedaldi, and an amazing run and near-score by Dan 'Daddy' Quinn. Posh wishes Therapy the best of luck in their remaining games.

Eagle

Eagle Team went head to head with Henrietta Hudson's this last week. Eagle team score three TD on the first half leading the game early on. HH then came back to tie the game, making the Eagles search for that extra charge of energy to score and win the game.

Henrietta Hudson

After falling behind big in the first half, Henrietta Hudson rallied in the second half, closing to within one point and going for the win with a two point conversion. Unfortunately, the 2 point after attempt was broken up by the aggressive Eagle defense. Eagle then put the game out of reach with a TD and two point conversation for the final point differential. Many Henrietta Hudson players contributed to the near comeback including Nazar Rabadi who on defense tipped a ball that turned into an interception and caught an important first down pass on our final drive. Paul Jung led the comeback with 4 TDs in the second half.

Ho hum. Another game, another touchdown for starling, another spectacular rushing performance from sean K and another terrel owens-like performance from steve A. also another game where, thanks to shoddy qb play, team coors light found themselves behind early 7-0. but the team came together and came roaring back, bookended by two great plays by octavio. His first TD came on a short pitch that he took 50 yards for the score, his second came on a beautifully executed out and up which he also took 50 yards. This week the game ball has to go to Tal who was extremely dependable on every offensive possession and played such good defense that he even stopped himself from getting an INT when everyone else thought he had it. The rest of the team focused and played some unbelievable defense, holding uncle jack's to one early TD and that's it until the final minutes when the steak aficionados scored again. A few words about the team with the big meat: they are a much improved team from when they first started. Rory has them playing good solid football and I feel sorry for any team that has to "meat" them in the playoffs. Tune in next week when Alon H, coors light's QB, faces his arch nemesis and gay superbowl backup, Paul S.

Tough game for the PM Purple Haze on Sunday, as V2 unleashed a second-half attack that pulled them back from being down a score and into the lead with a few minutes left on the clock. The good news was that neither team lost a player to the pits and puddles of the Riverside Park field!

Two tipped passes that went for TDs sealed the fate of a PM team trying to sew-up second place in the conference. V2 had a plan and stuck to it, and Philip Marie never adjusted. There were some good plays all around, though, and Serge came away with a TD and an INT. But it's back to the practice fields for this bunch, who will be looking to position themselves for a rematch in the playoffs. Stay tuned.

Phoenix

sunday afternoon found team phoenix and the gym ratz in an offensive stalemate through the first scoreless half. both teams mounted impressive drives moving the ball deep into enemy territory but both teams defenses proved more impressive with big stops dangerously close to their goal lines. after a rousing if not uncharacteristically in-ur-face speech by their captain phoenix came out ON FIRE ; ) in the second capitalizing on an early pick by QB/safety matt W. with a quick TD to put phoenix up 6-0. we soon scored again making the 12-0. the ratz however weren't about to go down without a fight scoring twice themselves to make the final score 18-13 phoenix. the game wasn't pretty but with key plays by many including joe reed, jayce jones, jamar W. and others and 3 TDs by their captain (redeeming himself after a less then stellar first time attempt at QB last sat against bamboo 52) the flames burned hot again and were able to secure a win against a a fierce, almost rabid ratz team to improve their season record to 5-2.

Gym Ratz

A defensive battle was on the agenda for the late game at Riverside Park as the Ratz and Phoenix collided. Both teams got First and Goals a total of 4 times in the first half, but haltime saw the game deadlocked at a scoreless tie. Joe Ditta was getting great pressure and the entire defense was playing with the hearts of lions. Lions in the bodies of rats... er, ratz. Whatever. The second half started and turnovers did in the Ratz as an INT lead to a touchdown and the Ratz were stuck playing catch up. They were down 12-0 and finally got on the board with a touchdown by Mikki Cotter. Phoenix struck back quickly and the Ratz moved down the field with urgency and purpose and scored a big touchdown. However, it was too little too late as Phoenix ran out the clock.

Recap

On Saturday night during a great fall night the Bamboozers took the field to play against Phoenix. The game was scoreless for the first 15 minutes until Bamboo scored taking a 6-0 lead but we were unable to convert on the extra point. But Phoenix kept the pressure on and made it 6-6 and then they took the lead making it 12-6. No one was able to convert the extra point but Bamboo came back to tie the game at 12-12 and that took us into the half. The second half was mostly all Bamboo, Rich Smith caught a long ball in the endzone and Jason himself took one into the endzone giving Bamboo the lead. Bamboo could not convert on the extra point until they used Jesse in a short 5 yard pass in the endzone. This was the first extra point Bamboo was able to get.

Phoenix was able to get another touchdown in the second half making the score 26-18 but in the final play with less than 1 minute to go, Bamboo had just scored and was going for the extra point and in a surprise move, Floyd stepped up to QB and Jason K. became a key receiver for this last play. The ball was hiked and everyone was in motion, Floyd was looking for the open guy but in the end he threw it, but it was knocked down in the endzone. This was the end of the game but Jason K. was not happy that Floyd did not throw him the ball, it was kaos but in the end after the refs and players calmed them both down, the game was over (just kidding). In the end, Bamboo and Phoenix had a good fun game with the final score Bamboo 32 Phoenix 18.

No Report.

The first game at Chelsea was hard-fought by both teams, with TDs on the first two possessions by each. PM led by a score at the half, but neither team scored in the first ten minutes after the break. Therapy finally evened the game with a shot down the side-line, but a PM score followed by an interception helped the Purple Haze pull away. Joel and Ryan scored for PM on 10 yard passes, and Felipe and Serge made key third-down conversions. A near-pick by Therapy with a minute left almost changed the outcome, but the ball came loose. This game had playoff energy...a preview of what to expect in December!

The game began at a tortoise's pace, as the Bunnies failed to move the ball in their first possession. Team Splash met similar opposition on their first drive, again relinquishing control to the other team. The next possession, however, the ThunderBunnies roared back, drawing the first splash of blood with precise execution of short plays. Splash responded quickly, scoring the extra point to go ahead by one. But the tight offense of the Bunnies made the difference in the first half, as the ThunderBunnies roared in two more touchdowns before the whistle. Team Splash paddled back in early in the second half, as the teams exchanged touchdowns but Splash's conversion of the extra points poised them for a comeback as the Bunnies' lead tightened to four points. But the Hares pulled away at the end, scoring a crucial insurance TD to preserve their lead. ThunderBunnies d. Splash, 31-20.

it's tough to single out individual players when the whole team comes through in a big way like coors light did today. consider this: we did not turn the ball over once, nor did we punt or turn it over on downs, which means we scored on every posession we had the ball. that's a team playing together. Special mentions need to go out to Shawn who rushed like a champ all day. the hands with glue awards go to Shawn again, steve A (who likes to alternate between great offensive and defenseive performances), Augustine (who can catch with his eyes closed as far as I know), Adam (best mid season acquisiton I've ever made) and Tal, who likes to get a couple of interceptions when I dont throw him the ball enough. Nick D is anchoring the team with his stellar play out of the center position and Octavio can always be depended on for a touchdown (or three). A mention has to go out to two of my linebackers, Brian - who plays clean and hard the whole game, and Osterbye - who every week comes ready for battle and inspires the team with assorted P.al foul penalties (and just as importantly - diving extra point catches). and finally there's starling, who proved how adaptable he is by playing shut down corner on defense for almost an enitre half. did I miss singling out anyone?

The Ratz couldn't get the losing monkey off their back as they went down 39-26 in a back and forth game. Mikki Cotter led the offensive attack catching 2 TD's and an extra point, and Josh Brown added another. This however wasn't enough to overcome the terror and horror of Paul S.'s patented "Dying Quail" offense. The Ratz look to get back in the win column next week with a big matchup with Phoenix.

Greco Empire

Good sportsmanship and good camraderie helped make the game a memorable one. Both Posh and Greco Empire played extremely well - and a cool moody grey early November wind reminded us once again how special it is to be part of this league.

Posh

Team Posh fell to Greco Empire in what was likely the most thrilling, hard-fought, last-minute, nail-biting, narrow victories in the history of the NYGFL. Posh scored and converted on every single offensive drive and was led by a team-high 3 interceptions and 4 touchdowns by the always-present Mike Schaener. Other highlights include QB Steven Tedaldi's thrilling 60-yard punt return TD and captain Dan Majerle's totally fair and legal blocking that had attracted and enthralled a crowd of several hundred marathon-goers by the game's end. Following the game, Team Posh retreated to the Catskills estate of newbie Gil Evans for cocktails, sing-alongs, and general merriment in front of a giant stone fireplace and was treated to a special duet performance by rusher Norm Piasecki (as Christina Aguilera) and Corey Johnson (as Carla Zeta Jones).

Recap

What a great day for football, this Sunday Bamboo 52 was up against Therapy. The game started out quick for Therapy, who took a quick 12-0 lead over Bamboo. Understandably we were not in the game until the last 10 minutes of the first half, when our defense woke up and our passes were turning into touchdowns. Bamboo came back in the second half and took the lead 14-12, but one interception and some good catches by their wide receiver Chris Symms, changed the game and put Therapy up by 14 points with 4 minutes to go in the second. Bamboo had one touchdown by floyd called out of bounds, and two perfect passes in the endzone were dropped in the first half so it is not like we did not have chances, but Jason connected with Dan Baker, the man of the day on Bamboo and the game came to within 8 points but with only 1:04 left to play, Therapy was able to get a first down and the game ended.

It was a good game had by both teams and now both teams are 3-2.

Philip Marie took advantage of some missing Ratz and a short field to win the battle for second place in the conference. Hector, Joel, and Todd scored on passes from Rod, who ran one in himself, and 3 PM players had INTs. The Ratz got crafty with 3 of their own throwing the ball on various possessions, but Philip Marie worked hard on defense all night.

Hats off to Rich and Kevin for taking on short-handed officiating duties; sportsmanship was on display throughout, and they and all the players deserve a hand for setting a competitive but respectful tone from the get-go.

Team Posh scored victory number 3 on Saturday with a win over a tough Gym Bunnies team. Posh managed to overcome Gym's VERY strong man-to-man defense to score on every offensive drive for the 2nd consecutive game. Backup QB Hugo Loyola stepped up in the absence of regular QB Steve Tedaldi (who was too busy picking up candy apples and dressing up his chihauhau 'Bonkers' as a pirate to play football) with HUGE success on both passing and running/pitching plays. Posh was led in scoring with multiple TD's from Nick Sacco, standout receiver Joe Scattergood and captain Dan Majerle, with an additional score by the incomparable Norm Piasecki with his first TD of the season. Defensively Team Posh was led with 2 interceptions from Dan Majerle, an amazing interception/TD from Will C. and stellar rushing and tackles by Norm Piasecki, Rory O'Neill and Michael Schaener. Props to center Anthony DiMatteo for playing hurt. Captain Dan has decided that Captain Sergio is his favorite, and that the other captains will have to work harder to keep up.

What a Game! Team Eagle went head to head with Uncle Jack's in a heated and exciting game. Team Eagle took an early lead with two touchdowns by interceptions by Paul S. Only to be reciprocated by Uncle Jack's two TD by interceptions as well. At the end of a ghastly first half, team eagle was down a touchdown and an untouched ego. The second half, was a big disappointment to Uncle Jack's; Team Eagle scored three touchdowns and was able to take the lead to win the game 34 to 19.

Henrietta Hudson pulled out an extremely close win Saturday night over V2 Vodka with QB Paul Jung leading the winning drive with less than 2 minutes to play. But, the real props belong to an extremely spunky V2 team who played the whole game with 6 players and still came within a few seconds of winning the game. Well played Molly and the rest of the V2 team!

For the second week in a row shoddy QB play put team coors light behind, and for the second week in a row the team regrouped and won, remaining undefeated for the season. Sean K has his first league TD but more importantly rushed Greco's QB spectacularly, accounting for at least one sack and countless hurried throws. Adam S. and Augustine W. played like the had glue on their hands, catching everything that was thrown their way and Brian W came up with a spectacular Starling-like diving catch in the second half. But in this league defense wins championships, and Steve A played like the trophy was in his sights, single-handedly stopping the Empire from scoring when they had 1st and goal; twice he batted a sure TD throw down and once he stopped the QB from rushing into the end zone. Greco played a good clean game and gave it their all, but they were down to seven players and were missing their QB.

Recap to follow.

Recap

Coors Light

Octavio played like a very good apple on sunday, bringing his A game to every single snap. Coors Light was down 12-0 early but made some quick adjustments and had a scoring explosion from then on. Adam, a new addition to the team, made a great debut both on offense and ondefense, and Jeff and Augustine made some key catches and ate up huge yardage after every one of them. Raymond is an unstoppable force at the rushing position; not even running through the box and roughing the passer penalties can stop him when he's on like that. Steve aaronson is the new Randy Moss (much better than the old Randy Moss), calling his own number in the huddle, then delivering with grace and speed on deep patterns, and of course there is the team's MVP: Starling, who quietly inspires the team each and every week with his stellar play and his strong leadership. Special shout outs go to Nick, who after a shaky start caught everything thrown his way, and Tal, who as usual towers above everyone else, especially when it matters and we need an important score or two.

Gym Ratz

Sporting a hangover from the previous game, the Gym Ratz hobbled into Riverside Park and faced off with the undefeated Coors Light squad. The Ratz took a quick lead as the Victor-Josh Express To The Endzone got the scoring started quickly. Coors Light was caught on their heels and went down by two scores before starting their comeback and eventually taking the lead. The game quickly became a shootout of epic proportions with Josh Brown catching three touchdowns and John McLellan scoring another and Coors Light matching step for step with 4th Down conversions made on both sides. The Ratz were climbing back in the second half, but were eventually done in by late scores by the Light putting them away for good.

That's Life, that's what all the people say, You're riding high in April, Shot down in May But I know I'm gonna change that tune, When I'm back on top in June That's Life and I can't deny it Many times I thought of cutting out But my heart won't buy it

But if there's nothing shakin' come this here July I'm gonna roll myself up in a great big ball and die. My My

-Frank Sinatra

A close game that came down to the last possession, Philip Marie squeaked out a win over a very game Uncle Jack's team that is better than its record. The key play was a second-half pick by Ryan that stopped Jack's momentum, and he added the extra point at the end of the drive. Rod also had an INT-this one unwanted on a 4th down long ball!-but who can blame a QB for wanting to get his hands on every ball.... Great to have him playing a little defense, too. Todd and John added scores, and new player Josh found his calling as rush blocker.

Recap to follow.

Recap to follow.

Recap to follow.

FORFEIT.

Recap

Due to a high number of traveling professionals, Team Eagle did not enough players for this week's game and had to forfeit its game against Team Phillip Marie.

Bamboo 52

Well what a beautiful day for a football game, Bamboo 52 v Jacks Steakhouse. From the beginning the odds favored Jacks Steakhouse with 12 members of their team showing up vs on 7 for Bamboo. The first half was very close, with Bamboo Scoring first and making the extra point but Jacks Steakhouse coming right back with a touchdown but no extra point. This went on till the end of the first half with a score of 14-13 Bamboo. Second half was a different story, Jacks changed their strategy but Bamboo was able to hold them and took a 13 point lead in the second half As the clock ran out, Jacks scored an awesome touchdown and the extra point which brought them to within 6 points but it was not to be and Bamboo 52 WON! 26-20. Jesse, Floyd, Jason and Rich all scored, a big BAMBOOOO to you guys and next week we go up against POSH.

Uncle Jack's Steakhouse

In what was their best effort to date, The Big Meat of Uncle Jack's Steakhouse lost a nail biter to Bamboo 52. Tied at halftime, both teams fought it out in blustery conditions. For Uncle Jack's, special shout outs to Alexander Meadows for his excellent pass rushing which kept us in the game. Excellent effort by the duo of the Wills (Wright and Orsburn) connecting on several great passes and scores. Diva Jackee Dupree continues to be our secret weapon and got us out of several tough situations with great catches and runs. Great defensive effort by John Morrison, Monte C., David Badillo, and Brian Houtz at linebacker and Antwan Allen at corner. Our continued progress every week has The Big Meat looking forward hungrily to our first win.

Therapy won its second game in a row with a strong effort against Gym Bunnies. For the second week in a row the defense held the other team to one touchdown. Therapy fell behind 7-0 after a turnover and then scored 34 unanswered points. As was the case in all the games Therapy played so far it was a total team effort.

Phoenix jumped out to a 3-TD lead in the first half that Team Posh fought to overcome. Posh roared back in the 2nd half with 3 touchdowns of it's own......a 10-yard catch followed by a 20-yard run in which Will C. managed to outrun 3 posh defenders to score in his first NYGFL game......a drive downfield in which captain Dan Majerle caught 4 consecutive passes cumulating in a touchdown......and a hard-fought 15-yard catch by the always tough Nick Sacco. In the end Posh could not overcome a strong Phoenix defense and an especially smart quarterback. Shoutouts to Norm Piasecki for a HUGE sack on 4th and goal, to Rory O'Neill who had several instrumental tackles in his first NYGFL game, and a huge welcome back to Dan 'Daddy' Quinn who contributed with fierce blocking that prevented QB Steve Tedaldi from being sacked even once. Posh would also like to wish a speedy recovery to running back Derek Korbly who was injured in the Gay Superbowl. We'll miss you!

The Ratz were drunk with power after swallowing all the V2 they could handle, defeating Miss Lenore and her band of merry men 31-19 in late Saturday action. Rookie Tyler B. came up with 2 touchdowns and an interception and Joe Ditta came up with a pair of touchdowns to match his pair of sacks to lead the Ratz. Mikki Cotter played terrific defense and John McLellan fought through an ankle injury (plus a horrific boyfriend injury) to emotionally lead the Ratz to another victory.

Team Splash earned its first victory of the season, defeating Greco Empire by a score of 28-14. In his second start of the season Quarterback Mark Kinarney dramatically improved his passing accuracy and distribution of the ball to a variety of wide receivers. Having showed poise in the pocket and an ability to throw long and short passes, Kinarney scored four touchdowns.

Substituting for Cyd Ziegler, Greco Quarterback Oscar Ortega put up a valiant effort throwing two touchdowns and scrambling out of the pocket on several key drives.

The receiving corps of Splash stretched the defense down the field. Edmund Shockey and Vincent Richardson each caught a TD pass, while Jeff Berman caught two long passes in the end zone. Ed V. kept the ground game running as he made several rushes on key game situations.

After surrendering a total of 100 points in the first two games, the Splash defense kept pressure on Greco's offense, forcing two turnovers and only 14 points. In his first game in the league, Middle Linebacker Jonathan Schlesinger intercepted the ball on a crucial down late in the second quarter. At cornerback, Mark Nelson kept the receivers blanketed. Meanwhile, Shockey and Matthew M. provided a solid pass rush, forcing the quarterback to scramble out of the pocket.

Coors Light

Steve starling continues to have an MVP-like season as he intercepted a key pass as the opposition was driving late in the game. Augustine was a monster in the middle and made a huge diving catch to keep a scoring drive alive, Octavio pulled a bomb out of the air to score what would be the winning touchdown, Steve Aaronson made some amazing defensive stops when there was no one else to make them, Nick D'andrea kept everyone calm in the huddle then coolly went out and caught every ball that was thrown his way, and Tal had about 150 YAC's as he rumbled for 2 touchdowns, the last of which was only possible because of a huge block laid out by - who else? - steve starling. An outstanding overall effort by the 7 guys who showed up and had to play both sides of the ball the whole game. Henrietta Hudson put up a valiant effort and played a clean game but our defense was stifling and we held them to one touchdown the first 59 minutes, and one last minute TD when the game was no longer in question.

Henrietta Hudson

It was a tough game Bryan had a couple long drives resulting in two touchdowns and no extra points. Bryan threw one touchdown and Paul threw for one. We limited them to 3 touchdowns and no xtra points. Our defensive held them down consider that they score more then 30 points each game they play and also they score 66 points a league high this season. Bryan also had interception and so did one of our linebackers, Lenny. Consider that the quarterback we play against was the mvp for the superbowl that had 26 tds and no interception I see it as an accomplishment.

Recap

Henrietta Hudson

Henrietta Hudson pulled out a tough win against Gym Ratz, 37 to 30. Our Game 2 recap is recognizing the Henrietta Hudson defensive effort. After a tough first half, Henrietta Hudson regrouped and refocused our defensive scheme. As a result, we played strong defense forcing several turnovers. Nna Okochi shut down a Gym Ratz drive with a fourth down and inches to go sack on an option QB play. Nna also had an interception he returned for a TD. Robbie Mayer also returned an interception for a long TD run. Aaron Rochman and Joe R. also had interceptions - Aarons to end the game and seal the win. In addition there were some strong defensive plays knocking down passes by Mike Goonan and Aaron. Defense won the game for Henrietta Hudson thanks to solid 2nd half defense by the whole team and these individual game turning plays.

Gym Ratz

The Ratz (1-1) and the Hawks (1-1) (eventually) began an epic struggle on Saturday night at Chelsea Waterside Park. Sam Lehman started at quarterback for the Ratz and performed magnificently passing for 5 touchdowns. Gym Rat Chris M. made a big splash in his Fall 2007 debut catching 2 touchdowns and opening up the field for everyone on offense. Henrietta matched the Ratz score for score until a interception in the 2nd Half was returned for a touchdown, putting the Hawks up by 2 touchdowns.

The Ratz showed tons of heart getting right back into the game with a long steady drive with Mikki Cotter calling the plays to come back to within one score. A big 4th down stand led to the game being tied at 30 with a few minutes left. But, unshaken, Paul Jung marched the Hawks down the field and passed for the winning score with less than a minute to go. One last ditch effort got halfway down the field before finally ending in an interception.

The Ratz go into their bye week getting ready for a showdown with 1-1 V2 when the league starts up again after the holiday weekend.

Eagle

First of all, our hats off to team Posh, under the leadership of Dan Maierle, for an outstanding game. Game two of the 2007 Fall Season was a fairly solid one for Team Eagle. Last week we played the peewee members of our team; this time we brought out the big guns. It was once again an abridged version of the team, but nonetheless, it was great to welcome Al, Derek, Javier, Ken and Paul to live play for the first time this season. Our offense showed early on that we meant business. With Paul making his first start as QB, we were able to score early in the game to take and maintain a six point lead for most of the game. Our defense was also very strong. We were able to stop Posh at least twice and have one of our rookie player, lil' studmuffin R., intercept a ball that led us to a two TD lead. Al, Derek, Joel, Ken and R. showed an amazing ability to de-flag the fastest Posh man that ran by them. The game ended with a bang, when the lil' studmuffin and our dear captain Javy-poo collided in the middle of a play, resulting in a split lip and three stitches for Javy Poo.

Posh

In game 2 Team Posh struggled to live up to their powerful showing in week 1 because of the absence of a few key players that were sorely missed. The 'Posh 7' did their best to keep up and made a strong showing in the first half with two key touchdowns by Joe Scattergood but in the end could not stick it out. Big shoutouts to the team members that showed up and played their hearts out!

Coors Light

In a game that started about two hours too late and where the field was about 20 yards too short we beat a very dedicated Philip Marie team. Although they didnt have their starting QB, their offense was very effective and they gave us a run for our money on both sides of the ball. In the end we prevailed in a very close, tough, but cleanly played game.

Philip Marie

Philip Marie showed a lot of heart late (very late) Saturday night and left it all on the field. Down to 8 players and with 2 first-time QBs taking turns, the Purple scored 4 times and snagged 3 INTs. An all-around effort on both offense and defense kept the hope alive up till the last 10 minutes. Aaron connected with Serge to pull the team closer, but Coors Light continued its effective and balanced attack. Ryan came away with the catch of the season from the middle of the pack, and Joel kept the offense steady as a first-time center with no bobbled snaps. Special thanks to Hector and Josh for the purple cupcakes...which might explain the incredible team spirit even after the loss. I recommend you all try one!

Recap to follow

Recap to follow

It was a battle of mythical proportions: a fiery Phoenix crew versus a mighty Greco Empire. Phoenix set the tone for the titanic clash as they unleashed a can of offensive whoop-ass on the field. Player #55, with his leopard-like catches and power runs put Phoenix in the lead in the first quarter. Still, Greco Empire with their double D defense (i.e., Dominic & Drew) kept the Phoenicians at bay long enough for those fiery Spartans to wonder if they could maintain that lead. The Phoenicians continued to shake in their pretty (but masculine) booties once eagle-eyed QB Cyd executed some well-timed stratagems, utilizing the trinity of Brian, Paul, and Junior - each intercepting, blocking, catching and advancing like well-trained Stoics. Still, Phoenix had a reservoir of deep resolve hidden under their wings, as they built a force field of defensive play. Undaunted, Greco pulled out their big guns as powerhouse Brian charged like a battering ram into the end zone; and the Phoenicians could not keep men of steel Paul and Junior from running an offensive campaign that Hillary C. would die for.

At halftime, Greco was down by 7 but not discouraged. Seven, with his trademark cannonball speed, became a de-flagging machine and gave the ferocious Mike P. and Chris H. a chance to spread their own can of defensive fury on the Phoenicians. Still, fatigue did not set in for the Phoenicians. Instead, it fueled them, particularly P#55 and #3, both of whom executed plays that left Greco cursing at their surprise attacks. For all of Greco's fortitude and tenacity, the football gods declared this round for Phoenix, 26-18. And while players on both teams proved themselves valiant heroes in the making, much like reality TV, there can only be one at the top. Both teams will live to fight one day more - and for the next battle, rest assured, that Greco Empire Will Strike Back.

Recap to follow

Recap

Philip Marie

The first game of the season was a nail-biter that came down to a defensive hold at the goal line just before the 2-minute warning. After a 18-12 PM lead midway (5 different scorers!), both teams established a good rhythm on defense in the second half. Mustafa had a key sack for PM. But Phoenix scored first after the break and made the PAT, taking the lead for the first time. Philip Marie struck back when Rod's 30-yard rocket split the defenders in the endzone, gift-wrapped for Todd for being right on his mark.

A special league welcome to PM rookie Aaron who scored the first TD of the fall season off a deflected pass. And welcome back old-timers John and Joe, who added points and made big stops throughout the game.

Coors Light

Team THERAPY put up a valiant effort and played to the end against us even though they only had 6 players and a sub at QB. Every single player on their team played hard and showed a tremendous amount of team spirit. Our team salutes their hard work and dedication. There were no highlights or lowlights, just a bunch of guys playing good clean football on a Saturday night.

Therapy

A reduced but ardent Therapy squad took on Coors Lite last Saturday. While the final eventuality seemed foreordained, team Therapy played the entire contest with fervor and zeal giving prefigure of the flourishing to come this season.

Posh

In week #1 of the fall 2007 season, Team Posh, led by 1st year captain Dan Majerle, was victorious with a 38 - 12 win over the Uncle Jack's Steakhouse team. Team Posh was able to get out of the gate early, building up a 25-0 halftime lead with steady, offensive marches up the field and a fierce defense.

A few shoutouts........ Captain Dan Majerle showed tremendous, all around leadership in leading his team to their season opener victory. His play calling and leadership on the field [both offensive and defensive] help calm the nerves and butterflies that we all shared.

Second year QB Steven Tedaldi played smart football, throwing for 4 touchdown passes and found an open receiver on almost every play. Great job Steven! Derek Korbly proved once again why he is regarded as one of the top running backs and all around players in the league. He scored a TD, caught numerous receptions, and helped us organize our defensive strategy.

Nick Sacco scored 2 touchdowns, 1 of which was a monster interception that was returned all the way after eluding several would-be tacklers. He was all over the field on offense and defense, and showed us all what the meaning of competitiveness is, and what it means to play tough!

Anthony DiMatteo did an amazing job adjusting to the new rushing/blocking, came up with some big catches, and controlled the offensive huddles. He even sprinted for a first down after QB Steven flipped the ball back to Anthony while being chased by a 'Steakhouse' rusher.

Hugo Loyola scored a TD, had a few other solid catches, and threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Joe Scattergood deep down field. Hugo was also solid on defense as our deep cornerback.

Michael Schaner had an awesome first game in the NYGFL; he came in as a rusher on D and put massive pressure on the opponents QB [he just missed getting a sack]. Mike also scored a TD in his first game on a 7 yard pass from QB Steven; Great job Mike!

Normie Piasecki put major pressure on the QB all game [as always], adjusted to some new roles on both offense and defense, and caught an extra point!

And last, but not least..... Joe Scattergood came up with some great catches [no surprise there!], had great tackles and made an awesome catch and run into the end zone for his first of many TD's this season.

A big shout-out to the Uncle Jack's Steakhouse team for their sportsmanship and a great competitive game! We wish Rory and his "Beefcakes" good luck the rest of their season.

Greco Empire

The fall 2007 season opener for Greco Empire marked the beginnings of a team brimming with collaborative spirit and dedication against an equally tough and cohesive V2 Vodka team, led by captain Jason West and QB Molly Lenore.

Armed with its full squad (except for Drew R, Dominic Petruzzelli, and Paul Decarlo), the Empire set the pace by being the first to score. Led by QB Cyd Zeigler, the Empire played a strategic offensive game in the first half, with short passes and pitches to gain quick first downs. Cyd had a nearly 100% completion rate, as he connected long throws to Andrew Clyne and Brian Daly for key touchdowns. V2 came back to match Empire's TDs, but a superb defense, led by asst captain Oscar Ortega, kept the drives long and put pressure on Molly. Noel De La Rosa and Chris Holdren provided a strong defensive line that kept rushing to a minimum.

By halftime, Empire was down by 8, owing to great catches by V2's Jay Coleman, Jonathan Bloom and tight defense by many of V2's new players. But that didn't shake Empire's confidence. They started the second half with possession of the ball and put another TD on the board with a superb catch by Brian Daly. Key interceptions by Brian and Cyd and consistently flawless catches by center Jeff G. helped turn the tide to set the Empire on a winning path. On defense, Seven's aggressive and relentless rushing earned him a rare 3 sacks. Meanwhile, captain Mike Pinelli dominated as the center linebacker, rarely allowing a single rush past him and deflagging and deflecting key plays. Chris Holdren kept a tight zone defense by not allowing any significant play to get past him. V2 kept fighting back, aided by key sacks by their wondrous rusher, Julie Guerrero. Still, offensively, the Empire dominated the remainder of the game. Cyd and Jeff G collaborated on short pitches, one of which led to a TD. Oscar's smooth game repeatedly led the Empire down the field, positioning the team for strong offensive plays and touchdowns. Cyd himself demonstrated strong running skills, as he took the ball to the end zone as well. Key offensive plays by Noel De La Rosa ensured that the Empire kept its lead, while the strong and consistent receptions by Chris Holdren in the end zone helped increase the lead and secure the Empire's first win.

Gym Ratz

Those dirty Ratz are back up to their old tricks! Victor V. passed for 5 TD's, Josh Brown returned an INT for a touchdown and caught another and unknown, unheralded rookie Sam Lehman caught 2 scores to cap off his NYGFL debut. Splash capped off the first half scoring with an early candidate for Play of the Year where a pass was tipped by two defenders and fell into Ed Vellecha's waiting arms. The Ratz take on Henrietta Hudson next weekend in their Tuaolo Conference debut in a showdown between former Manhunt co-captains Paul Jung & Kelvin Cabrera.

Recap to follow.

Gym Bunnies

The afternoon did not go Eagle's way as they began with only half their roster. The first play of the day, Eagle threw a pass into a ThunderBunny interception that led to the first of many touchdowns. In one brilliant Eagle play, a completed pass and some quick footwork allowed the receiver to fly uncontested downfield, scoring their only points for the outing and helping Eagle avoid the big egg. At halftime, Bunnies led 27-6. The second half, shortened by time constraints, was no different, with the ThunderBunnies crashing through Eagle and hopping accR. the goal line a few more times.