Garden City 10's Fighting For The Playoff

Top Row: J. Reina, Cassano, C. Byrnes, Pagonis. Bottom Row: Dutton, C. Byrnes, Holland.

This Sunday the Garden City White 10's will be playing for he right to go to the NCYFL playoffs. This would be the first time that this particular class will have made the playoffs. The game is set for 1:00 p.m. at the Garden City High School. That is correct...the Garden City High Schoo! The opponent will be the Warriors from Franklin Square. If you want to see a game that will bring you back to your childhood,then put on your maroon clothing and come on down and cheer until you lose your voice.

Meet some of the players:

Offensive Line:

Conor Byrnes is the right end. He has the nicest smile on the team and most ferocious football attitude. The reason he smiles so much is because he is so happy he is dominating his opponents.

Michael Cassano is the right tackle. Without a doubt the most powerful lineman on the team. You do not want to get in his way.

Top Row: Hughes, Reidell, Valez, T. Reina, Kritis. Bottom Row: Dolan, Halaby, K. Byrnes, Burdi.

Louis Pagonis is the right guard. Louie is a rookie but at times you would never know it. When he stays low, and you go backwards. He has awesome potential and we see it at times.

Zach Stamoulis also plays right guard. Zach sustains his blocks better than anyone in the league. Sometimes you see Zach pushing his man into the safety. He gets better every week.

At center the team has the toughest boy in the league. Jack Reina might be the smallest center in the league but has the biggest heart. He is always seen knocking around much bigger players. He is tough as nails.

Danny Dolan plays left guard. He makes his opponents cry to their mommas. He is relentless when he comes after you. Many times opponents end up in the supine position looking up at the stars because they were unlucky enough to have to face him.

Brian Tully.

Kieran Byrnes plays left tackle. He is extremely smart. He figures out whatever angles he needs to get the job done. Trying to get by him is like trying to play chess against a super computer...almost impossible. But just because he is smart, doesn't mean he will not inflict some pain on you. You best step out of the way.

Brian Tully plays left end. He gets the job done every time. He is asked to do a lot of things and always comes through for his teammates. Hook blocks, shoestring blocks, double teams, hit a linebacker, hit the safety, etc. He always comes through.

Ryan Giacini plays left end. He is also asked to do a lot. Whether it's making over the head catches or shuffling in the plays, Ryan has never disappointed his coaches. He does everything well. A real pleasure to coach.

Mullin, Connors, Halaby, Miller, Dolan.

Offensive Back Field:

Left Wing Back is Danny Miller. He can kill you in many different ways. He will run you over, drag you and out-run you. He cuts back well and will leave you standing still. He is the workhorse on the team.

Jack Connors is the full back. He will run you over and step on your chest if you don't turn around and run. He blocks like his life depends on it and will drag you if you ever try to tackle him. His blocking is registered as a legal weapon with the Garden City Police Department. If you go home in one piece then you had a good game against Jack.

Kevin Mullin is the right wing back. He can run fast and hard into the line. You better be ready or he will fly past you. He will make you lose your shoes trying to tackle him. He is an emotional player who gets up for the big games.

Zach Stamoulis.

Timmy Halaby is the quarterback. He is the complete package. Runs hard with moves. Fights for the extra yards. Will make you look bad when you try to tackle him and has speed to make it "To The House" like a minny Michael Vick.

Defensive Line:

James Dutton is a coach's dream. He listens well and learns. He does exactly what the coach asks. He fights like there is no tomorrow out there. He has made many contributions this year. When he hits you, you will feel like you were in a car accident.

Anthony Velez is a tough kid. He stays low on the D-line and is tough to push around. He clogs holes and forces runners to bounce into the hands of the linebackers. He is a rock, solid tackler and a major force on the D-line.

Michael Holland is an animal out there. He will kill you with his speed off the ball. He made a huge sack that helped win a game. He tackles well and is a great kid.

Liam Fitzgerald is a rookie. You would never know it. He is a very sure tackler and is very aggressive. He gives offensive linemen nightmares when they think about how to block him. If you are dumb enough to try to run through his gap, well, I hope you have medical insurance.

Linebackers:

Tommy Reina is everywhere. If you are watching a football game and there is a tackle being made, most likely Tommy Reina is involved. He has a real nose for the ball and loves contact. The coach thinks he is a "little crazy" but is sure glad he is on our team. He will tackle anybody, anytime, anywhere!

Anthony Kritis plays outside linebacker. He is not big but he is a sharp shooter. He will not allow a runner past him. You would be better off staying home and playing X-box than trying to play against him on a football field. He comes up like a lion and feasts on his running back prey.

Connor Riedell plays everywhere on Defense. He plays all of the positions well. Over the years he might have played every single defensive position there is. Anytime the coaches put in a new defensive game plan, Connor is involved. He has a real nose for the ball and loves to crunch people.

Brian Hughes is the little big man. Pound for pound the hardest hitter in the league. He fears no man. It's pretty simple when it comes to Brian. If you have the ball in your hands you will be meeting the dirt soon thereafter. All thanks to Brian. He is extremely aggressive and is not afraid to propel his body into the mix.

Safety:

Joey Burdi is quite the athlete. He will cover you man to man. He will cover a zone like a blanket. He refuses to allow anyone to catch a pass anywhere near him. But the real trouble is when you decide to run the ball and Joey comes up hard and splits you in half. He is a very sure tackler and has stopped many breakaways.

Sad Note:

This week during practice one of the teams toughest and favorite players was injured. Anthony Velz, #29, went down with a broken wrist. His team will miss him immensely and has decided to rally around this unfortunate experience and dedicate this game to Anthony. Every tackle and every gain will have a touch of Anthony's spirit in it. I am sure the boys will be psyched up like mad dogs, when Anthony's name is shouted during the pregame ritual on the sidelines. Lets win this one for Anthony!!!!

Many of the boys play two different positions at different parts of the games. It you want to witness them in action, come out this Sunday to the big game at the high school. They plan to make it a long hard day for Franklin Square.