The result was the same, but the creators couldn’t have been more different.
Abraham Ocasio is well known for great hands, propensity for catching touchdowns and is headed to college to play wide receiver. James Barry will be on the defensive side of the ball when he resumes his career at the collegiate level. But both can say they caught touchdown passes for New York City in the Empire Challenge.
Ocasio of Cardinal Hayes, who is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, predicted two scores for himself prior to the contest. He had the first TD right be for the half with an acrobatic grab. Barry of Poly Prep dived for a ball in the right side of the end zone to give NYC a lead in the third quarter of an eventual 17-14 loss to Long Island in the Empire Challenge senior football all-star game at Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium Tuesday night.
“Coming from Poly I’m not really known because I’m independent,” Barry said. “Poly taught me a lot of things. [Coach] Dino Mangiero made me a tight end. I like offense, but I love defense.”
That is where the 6-foot-1, 225-pound Barry will be playing next season. He is headed to Stony Brook and got a chance to show his skills off in front of his future Long Island fans. Barry said Seawolves coach Chuck Priore was in attendance to watch him and six recruits in the game.
“If feels good to play out on Long Island,” Barry said. … “[I’ll] get them a few interceptions next year.”
His 6-yard touchdown grab from Christ the King quarterback Terrel Hunt gave New York City a 14-10 lead with 8:22 left in the third quarter. The Syracuse-bound signal caller rolled right and fired a ball into Barry, who was running to his left. He made the catch and rolled on the turf for a score.
“Nobody can stand in front from him when he is running fall speed,” Ocasio said. “His presence is a big help. It was a good job from Barry.”
The Gannon-bound Ocasio, who caught two passes for 40 yards, had one of the game’s biggest momentum plays. With the city about to be shutout heading into halftime, but New Utrecht quarterback Jordan Paul looked his way.
“That completely changed the momentum,” New York City and Fort Hamilton coach Danny Perez said.
Between two defenders Ocasio juggled a pass in the air before pulling it in with his sure hands. He ran 5 yards for a 26-yard score to pull NYC within 10-7 with 15 seconds left in the second quarter. His first catch in the first quarter came on a pass off the hands of Wilbert Lee for a 14-yard gain and a first down.
“I caught it and I saw the end zone,” Ocasio said. “I know what I got to do with for my teams. Any team that I’m on I do that.”
A second score and a win weren’t to be for him. Paul looked his way again on a 4th-and-19 from the Long Island 47 with less than 2:00 to play in the game and NYC trailing by three, but the ball was overthrown.
“That last play was a desperate pass,” Ocasio said. “I’m happy with my one.”
