On a recent Sunday morning, the day started out sunny and hot, but the weather forecast predicted possible severe thunderstorms for the late afternoon. With the 4th annual SEAD Gridiron Tournament scheduled to run from 10 am to 6 pm that day, event organizer Elliot Maleh and staff anxiously hoped the weather would hold. Once again, the event was being held at the field on Ocean and Park Avenues in Long Branch.
Sixteen teams registered to play, and the competitive spirit ran hotter than the summer sun. Screaming voices and flying bodies were part of virtually every play. Off the field, players indulged in cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes, cookies and ice cream prepared by Sarah Maleh and Richard Serure’s ice cream truck.
By early afternoon, the qualifying rounds had been completed and the playoff brackets were announced by schedule coordinator Sammy Esses. As the sun continued to beat down, dark clouds, thunder and lightning began looming ominously in the distance. By 3 pm, weather conditions had deteriorated dramatically. Although lightning could be seen in the surrounding area, our weekend warriors pressed on undaunted. However, when a massive lightning bolt struck a pole at the corner of the field accompanied by an ear splitting thunder clap, players and spectators immediately began to run for their lives. A torrential downpour followed moments later, sending most contestants running for the hills. One player reported feeling an electric shock and was taken by Hatzalah to Monmouth Medical Center for evaluation. Fortunately, he was not hurt.
The tournament had seemingly been washed out, but organizers remained hopeful that people would return once the storm had passed. By 4:15 the sky began to clear, although intermittent showers continued for another half hour or so. The brave souls who had chosen to ride out the storm under the tent began calling and texting their teammates, begging them to come back. Miraculously, almost every player heeded the call, and play finally resumed at 5 pm.
The playoffs proceeded smoothly as the intensity level rose to a fevered pitch. Ultimately, only two teams were left standing, with the championship proving to be a Brooklyn/Deal showdown. Brooklyn was represented by Jamie Dweck, Gabe Shehebar, Bobby Cohen, Billy Mizrahi and Miro Sutton. Deal was led by Alfonse Mussry, Nathan Matut, Eddie Matut, Jack Abady, Steven Paige and Joe Zekaria. Despite being only a “3-gamer,” the contest dragged on past dusk. As sunset quickly approached, Minhah became a real concern.
With the game deadlocked at 2 apiece and sunset only moments away, Deal decided to try the old hook and ladder play. Jack Abady caught a pass from Alfonse Mussry, flipped it back to Nathan Matut, who then jetted the distance to the goal line for the winning score. Although it appeared to many that Jamie Dweck had actually tagged him, the refs ruled it a touchdown, giving the Deal squad an emotional victory over their Brooklyn rivals.
After a brief team celebration, Minhah was hastily recited, led by a still panting Nathan Matut. By 8:30, under a moonlit sky, medals and trophies were awarded to both teams by Morris A. Sutton and Jakey Dweck. MVP honors went to Nathan Matut.
All players and spectators enjoyed a grand time, and more importantly, over $40,000 was raised for the SEAD school. In that regard, everyone was a winner. Chazak U’Baruch to Elliot Maleh and all the volunteers and donors who made this great event possible. See you next year!
