The Dyker Heights Athletic Association finished up another fine football season, with its own Super Bowl Sunday.
Rookie division (7/8 year old) play saw the #1 seed Seahawks take on the #2 seed Patriots. Both teams got there by winning exciting semi-final games. The Patriots beat the #3 seed Chiefs 14-7 in an overtime thriller.The Seahawks gave away a 21-point lead to come back and win in exciting fashion, with just seconds remaining.
In the big game, the Patriots played big and won the championship by a 21-7 score.The Patriots jumped off to a 7-0 lead on a 50-yard breakaway touchdown run by Andrew Migliore. Later in the first half, the Patriots scored on a 25-yard run by Michael Arndt, giving them a 14-0 lead.
The Seahawks would fight back and score on a short pass with about three minutes left in the half. The pass went from Nicholas Oliviero to Robert Bonomolo. With the score at 14-7, the Patriots drove the length of the field and scored on a fourth down, 14-yard touchdown pass from Arndt to Daniel Fogliano, as time expired. Other key offensive players for the Patriots were Nicholas Cincuini and Joseph Cascio, who both came up with big receptions.
The second half of this game was all about defense, as neither team scored a point. The Patriots’ defense was outstanding. The line-backing trio of Migliore, Cascio and Mario Manna made plays all over the field. Manna”s vast improvement throughout the year was an integral part of this defense.
The pass rushers kept constant pressure on the quarterback, including a huge sack by Marc Gonzalez. The rest of that unit, made up of Michael Menegatos, Christopher Auletti and Vincient Tolve, helped harass the QB all day long. The defensive backfield of Fogliano, Arndt and Cinquini simply played tremendously.