Garden City Thunder "C" 11's Strafe Baldwin Bombers

Kyle Wein after another big tackle

WOW!!!! Like the roller coaster at Asbury Park, this game was exhilarating, energizing, exhausting, even frightening. But when the ride was over everyone was ready to go one more time. In a game that featured more twists and turns than an Ali - Frazier fight, more excitement than a Super Bowl and more heroes than "Heroes", the Thunder came out on top with a hard fought 27 -25 win.

The "Thunder Road - Born to Run" offense sent an immediate message when, on the very first play from scrimmage, Danny Miller, behind the blocking of Jack Connors, Timmy Halaby, Matt Greene, Danny Dolan, Mike Cassano, Zach Stamoulis, Brett Stewart, Brian Irwin, Scott Irwin, Danny Simmons and Jack Reina, blasted through the line and went 64 yards until being tripped up at the one yard line. Matt Greene finalized the TD from the one and Timmy Halaby ran in the extra point for a quick 7 - 0 Thunder advantage.

The Thunder kept the heat turned up when they successfully pulled off an onside kick with Timmy Halaby jumping on the football. After Timmy Halaby, Jack Connors and Danny Miller took turns running the ball into the heart of the Bomber defense, Matt Greene aired it out for a 23 yard strike to Brett Stewart down to the Baldwin two yard line. It proved to be a very costly play, however, as Brett Stewart sustained an injury to his knee that required medical attention. The team knew that losing a triple threat passer, runner, receiver and punter (make that "quadruple threat") would severely impact the offense. Brett has been treated and will be laid up for at least a couple of weeks. The team, players, coaches and fans, will miss his spirited play. The Thunder dedicated the rest of the night to Brett and wedged this one in to go up 13 - 0.

Thunder-27, Baldwin-25!

Baldwin was not going meekly into the night, however. The bigger Bombers proved it all night that they would be a tough test for the "No Surrender" defense of Connor Riedel, Anthony Kritis, Richie Mattone, Danny Simmons, Timmy Barbaro, Albert Soussis, David Gage, Kyle Wein, Mike Cassano, Tommy Reina, Danny Miller, Timmy Halaby, Danny Dolan, Matt Greene, Kyle Wein, Danny Simmons, Jack Connors and Jack Reina. Baldwin began a sustained drive of their own and eventually scored to close the gap to 13 - 7.

Byran Irwin with a huge 1st down catch & run

The Thunder came roaring back with Timmy Halaby tossing one for 13 yards to Danny Miller followed up by Matt Greene with a 40 yard laser to Timmy Halaby for another Thunder score. Matt Greene ran in the extra point to run the score to 20 - 7.

Again, Baldwin answered the challenge and again Baldwin scored to shorten the deficit to 20 - 13.

Shortly into the second half Baldwin had GC pinned back at their own 2 yard line. With a fourth and 28 and no punter available, there was darkness on the edge of town. But, on a play that did not go for a first down but may have been the turning point of the game, Matt Greene and Timmy Halaby again hooked up this time for 27 yards and just short of the first down. The play, however, put some distance between Baldwin and the GC goal line. Although Baldwin eventually scored, the "No Surrender" defense not only made the Bombers work while taking valuable time off of the clock they also stuffed Baldwin on the extra point to keep the lead 20 - 19.

Matt Greene to the end zone with help from his friends

The Thunder echoed Baldwin's answer and came back with another sustained drive highlighted by Brian Irwin's 15 yard catch and run with 15 more tacked on for a late hit. Matt Greene bounced outside of the wedge and took one in from 12 yards to make it Thunder 26 - Bombers 19. The Thunder than ran the hinge with Matt Greene sprinting in again to make it an 8 point Thunder lead. Baldwin came back with a long pass play to make the score 27 - 25. The Bombers lined up to try the only thing they could do in this situation - kick a two pointer for the tie. Maybe it was Danny Dolan, maybe Halaby or Barbaro or Soussis or Gage or Wein or Reina or Connors or any one of the Thunder or maybe it was all of them who rose up and blocked the kick to preserve a 27 -25 lead with time running out. When Mike Cassano controlled the onside kick at midfield I could almost hear Dandy Don Meredith singing "Turn Out The Lights." The cake was iced when Timmy Halaby broke off a 32 yard run down to the Baldwin 18 to move the chains and preserve a 27 - 25 Thunder victory.

The team is now in the fourth month of this football campaign. Their 16 team division is now down to the "FINAL FOUR". With the versatile and talented Brett Stewart out for the rest of the season the team knows that they have to step it up several notches. The Number 1 ranked team in the league, Farmingdale, is next on the agenda. After reviewing the season, this group of kids never quits and never surren-ders. Perhaps Farmingdale needs to crank it up several notches.

GO THUNDER!