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They Were,
Simply Put, Awesome
On November 15, 2009, the Brookline
Knights 13-Under team capped off an undefeated season with an 18-8 triumph
over the Southside Sabres to capture the SSYFL championship, aptly dubbed
The Super Bowl. The ultimate death match was played out under the lights
at Montour Stadium on a chilly Sunday evening.
The dastardly Sabres became the eleventh
and final victim to fall before the Mighty Knights on Brookline's path to glory.
Cheered on by their loyal fans and cheerleaders, the boys in green and black
stole the show, then basked in the limelight. We are the Brookline Knights!
We are the champions! We ARE the best! Oh, how sweet it is!
Conditioned and tuned to perfection by
Head Coach Don Helman and his staff, and fueled by a talented group of skilled
position players, this indomitable force sliced through the regular season
competition with uncanny ease.
The offensive was powered by quarterback
Jerrad Tuite, running backs Michael Ignasky and Dominick DelGreco, tight end
Adam Ottaviano, split end Adam Tajuddin and an offensive line that resembled
a battering ram. These Knights put on a weekly clinic in endzone awareness,
scoring 347 total points for a healthy average of 31.5 points per game.
Ignasky's 19 touchdowns and 122 points were the most since C.K. Mayo's 126
points during the Knight's 2000 championship season. They were, simply put, awesome.
The defense rivaled the offense in both
intensity and the ability to pound the opposition into submission. The front
four formed a wall. The linebackers swarmed to the gaps and the backs protected
the airwaves. Like mercenaries, they turned carnage into an art form. Shutouts
were registered in eight of eleven games, and only twenty-six points were allowed
all season long. They were, simply put, awesome.
With most games safely in hand by halftime,
the second-teamers got ample time to show off their skills. They were unscored
upon during the regular season, and their offense was great at chewing up
the clock with long, sustained drives. These reserve Knights, most of whom
will return next season, competed at a high level. They were, simply put,
awesome.
Vanquishing Thomas-Jefferson and
Montour in the first two playoff games led to the inevitable showdown with the
arch-rival Sabres in the Super Bowl. It couldn't have been scripted any better.
It was the Knights in shining armor versus the beasts from the quarry. As in all
classic tales, good inevitably triumphed over evil. It was, simply put,
awesome.
Surrounded by his loyal warriors and
a crowd of Brookline faithful, Coach Donnie hoisted the championship trophy for
all to see. It seemed like destiny. Whatever it was, it sure felt good to be
wearing the green and black of the Brookline Knights!
For the 13 year olds, it was their first
championship with the Knights. Many of them had been with the program since
their fledgling days with the Twerps. For these Senior Knights it was a long, hard rode to the top. After eight years of patience and
dedication, they've earned the right to hold their index finger high and proclaim
themselves #1.
For the Junior players, commonly known as
Coach Donnie's Kids, it was their fourth title in six years. Hoisting championship
trophies has become a way of life for these gridiron gangsters. They are now the
winningest group of Knights in the thirty-six year history of the franchise. To
the chagrin of the rest of the SSYFL, these kids still have another season to
go!
One more time ... Oh, how sweet it
is!
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