GC Thunder Halaby "C" 11's Complete Storybook Season

A great season for Team Thunder!

The Laws of Physics tells us that when a finely engineered Volkswagen Jetta meets a finely engineered Lincoln Navigator head on the bigger and heavier Navigator will come out on top. The same rule of nature holds true in football. This Sunday at blustery Burns Field in Massapequa our local heroes took on a bigger and heavier Farmingdale squad that was determined to defend their reputation and title. In spite of a strong effort from opening kickoff to final gun by the Thunder our guys came out on the short end of the score 31 - 6. Nevertheless, there were highlights galore.

The biggest highlight was seeing Brett Stewart (on the disabled list and on crutches) on the sideline cheering his team on.

The "Thunder Road - Born to Run" offense, in spite of the hard blocking and spirited play of Jack Reina, Danny Simmons, Scott Irwin, Brian Irwin, Zach Stamoulis, Michael Cassano, Danny Dolan, Matt Greene, Danny Miller, Timmy Halaby, Jack Connors and Timmy Barbaro could not sustain a long drive in the first half. The offensive drought came to an end when Timmy Halaby moon walked across the field eluding swooping Hawks for 25 yards down to the 2 yard line. Halaby punched it in to close the gap to 19 - 6. Other highlights included Zach Stamoulis with two kickoff returns: one to the Farmingdale 47 and the other to the GC 48 to give the offense excellent field position. Scott Irwin with a great lunging reception from Matt Greene, tough yards from Jack Connors, Danny Simmons and Matt Greene

Zach Stamoulis, Scott Irwin & Timmy Barbaro working hard

The "No Surrender" defense of David Gage, Kyle Wein, Albert Soussis, Timmy Barbaro, Danny Simmons, Richie Mattone, Anthony Kritis, Connor Riedel, Mike Cassano, Tommy Reina, Danny Miller, Timmy Halaby, Danny Dolan, Matt Greene, Kyle Wein, Danny Simmons, Jack Connors, Jack Reina and Zach Stamoulis produced their fair share of highlights as well. Danny Miller with a couple of stops at the line of scrimmage, Timmy Halaby with a strip and Mike Cassano on the recovery, Zach Stamoulis and Timmy Barbaro closing down the line, Dolan and Kritis and Riedel and J. Reina filling gaps, Soussis and Gage and Wein and Tommy Reina giving away 40 pounds but doing their jobs and Richie Mattone taking on flying wedges.

Brett Stewart rejoins his teammates on the sideline

But how does one fairly summarize a season that began 112 days earlier under the Hades hot August sun and continued through rain, cold, heat and more heat. The answer is: you don't and you can't. A play, a game and a season do not define a team. For some of these kids, Sunday was their final organized football game. For others, high school football and maybe even college football is in their future. But all of them can look back one day to the GCAA Thunder 11 season of 2007 and know that they were part of something exceptional. EVERY player on this team contributed to the personality, character and success of this team in his own very special and unique way. They can all be proud. They are all champions. ONE TWO THREE THUNDER!

JCon with the perfect onside kick