New City Rams Junior Midgets Celebrate State Championship Win

Game commentary provided by Head coach Jim O'Neill and Assistant Coach Ed Day.

The New City Rams Junior Midgets won the 2011 NYS Empire State Classic Championship, NFL Conference, beating the Mattydale Vikings son Friday night by a score of 20 -14. The championship game was held at Frank Bailey Field at Union College in Schenectady.

The Rams went into the game as the decided underdogs, facing a powerhouse Mattydale squad that rolled over both NYS regional champions they had faced en route to the championship game by a combined score of 51-12.

The Vikings drew first blood, scoring on their opening drive and with a successful two point conversion, led 8 - 0.  However, the New City Rams immediately answered back against their bigger opponents, scoring a touchdown and moving within two points, 8 - 6.

The Rams took control of the ball scoring midway through the second quarter, and with the conversion took their first lead of the game, 14 - 8. Mattydale regrouped as the half wound down, putting another score up.  With the Ram's defense on the attack, the extra point was denied, and both teams went into the clubhouse at halftime tied 14 -14.

The third quarter was a defensive battle, and the teams started the fourth quarter still knotted at 14 -14. With three minutes left in the game, the Rams drove and scored their third touchdown of the game, more than all of the Viking's opponents had scored combined, and took a 20-14 lead. The Ram's defense held, and when the clock expired, pandemonium broke out on the field and in the New City section of the stands, as many of the players’ families and friends had made the trip to support the team.

The Championship New City Rams Junior Midget players, aged 11 to 14,  are:

• Joseph Distefano
• Vince Maraia
• Bryan O'Loughlin
• Jake Spreckman
• Joseph Maraia
• Cedric Lafontant
• Kevin Kernizan
• Kyle O'Neill
• Henry Oatts
• Manley Dorme
• Sam Franco
• Salvatore Cannella
• Santino Crespo
• Anthony Tafuri
• Joshua Finkelstein
• Stefan Seward
• Matthew Jung
• Sebastiano Damiani
• John Biondi
• John Titus
• Tryston Vazquez

The coaching staff consists of: Head Coach Jim O’Neill, and Assistant Coaches Joe Maraia, Gerry Damiani, Ed Day, Bob DiStefano, Al Franco, and Tony Piscani. The Team Moms are Mary Kate O’Loughlin and Theresa Jung.