The story of the New York Spartans started at a BP gas station on Boston Post Road.  It was there that the concept of the Spartans was developed.  The blueprint being a younger based Semi-pro football team that was predicated on getting young men developed into college or better career setting using football as a networking tool.  After approaching existing teams on a possible aquisition to carry out these goals, it was decided that the project would be built from scratch.  And so, The New York Spartans were born.

The first meeting for players took place at the Que Lounge.  The meeting was attended by many of the stars that led the Spartans in year one.  This was where the creed of the Spartans was first introduced.

A few of many born from greatness

We work together in one reflection

All who oppose are rendered nameless

Spartans are warriors of perfection

Championship Bound… Believe That… Championship Bound

2008 NEW YORK SPARTANS  SCHEDULE
2008 Season (10-8)                                   3rd Place GRIDIRON ELITE CLASSIC
Fall (7-5) Spring (3-3)                                  EMPIRE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
SPRING SEASON
Date	Time	OPP	PF	PA	RECAP
3.30	10:00 AM	L.I. Demon Knights	12	13	heartbreaker
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
4.6	12:00 PM	Connecticut Bearcats	18	25	close call
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
4.13	12:00 PM	New York Venom	32	0	1st win
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
4.20	10:00 AM	Long Island Panthers	10	0	shutout
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
4.27	12:00 PM	Long Island Ravens	6	38	tough loss
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
5.4	11:00 AM	Connecticut Bearcats	20	7	3rd Place Game
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
FALL SEASON (BNEFF)
Date	Time	OPP	PF	PA	RECAP
9.13	4:00 PM	@ Middlesex Vikings	28	22	comeback
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
9.2	6:00 PM	New Jersey Cynder	12	21	just short
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
9.27	6:00 PM	New Jersey Longhorns	12	14	60 min
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
10.4	6:30 PM	@ Philadelphia Bengals	6	12	finish
		Haddington Rec Center Phil PA
		New York Venom
10.11	6:00 PM		20	16	Hom 3 TDs
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
10.19	2:00 PM	@ New York State Broncos	26	0	Phil 2 Def TDs
		Pelham Bay Park, Bronx NY
10.25	6:30 PM	Tacony Eagles	0	28	Eagles 2 Def TDs
		Kennedy HS, Bronx NY
11.8	7:00 PM	@ Tacony Eagles	18	14	uhaul
		American Legion Field, Phil. PA
11.16	1:30 PM	North Philadelphia Cowboys	2	0	Forfeit
		GRIDIRON ELITE STADIUM
11.23	12:00 PM	@Westchester Packers	19	2	Div Champ
		Saunders HS, Yonkers NY
		EMPIRE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP			EMPIRE
12.7	1:00	New Jersey Longhorns	2	0	CONFERENCE
		Kennedy HS, Bronx NY			CHAMPIONS
		Big North East Football Federation League Championship			Keystone
12.14	3:00	Northwest Giants	12	55	Wins
		Hillburn, New York

The Spartans started practice in the icy grips of winter.  The team showed that they had the work ethic to beat the odds as many first year teams had failed to field for their first games.  Many veteran teams had also folded due to the mounting financial crisis with the price of gas making traveling to games nearly unbearable.  Then came the first annual Gridion Elite Classic.

   

The Spartans hosted this tournament as a kickoff of the team and organization as a whole.  The Classic was a huge success in that it brought quality hard hitting, clean football to the NYC area during a season that was previously unheard of.

Week 1 Long Island Demon Knights Loss 12-13  - Couldn’t find a way to score in the end to win inaugural game.  Came out the gates fast to early lead, but inexperience costs the Crimson at the end.

Week 2 Connecticut Bearcats Loss 18-25 OT - Again came out the gates fast.  Couldn’t hold on final drive and Bearcats force overtime.  After converting Spartans unable to punch it in during shootout style OT.

Week 3 New York Venom Win 32-0 - Spartans get on the left side of the record column with a huge win over soon to be BNEFF Conference rival New York Venom.  Offense hit on all cylinders with defense shutting out the Venom in the 1st win in franchise history.

 

Week 4 Long Island Panthers Win 10-0 - Spartans pitch second shutout in as many weeks as the defense records 8 sacks.  Shawn Kellman leads the way as the Spartans torment the Panther offense all day long.

Week 5 Long Island Ravens Loss 6-38 - Long Island powerhouse Long Island Ravens come into Gridiron ELite Stadium and deal the Spartans their 1st loss in 3 weeks in convincing fashion.  The Spartans were awestruck giving up 30 first half points. 

Consolation Game (3rd Place Game) Connecticut Bearcats Win 20-7 - Spartans exact some revenge for an opening day heartbreaker.  Defense holds Bearcats potent running attack in check as quarterback Jason Reyes leads the offense to 3rd place finish in the first Gridiron Elite Classic,

The Spartans applied for membership to the Big North East Football Federation.  Unveiling their plans for the fall season and announcing that 15 players from the spring team had been accpeted to colleges in the northeast. 

 

 

Week 1 postponed because of hurricane.  Postponement sets up a final week matchup with defending BEFF Champs for the regular season BNEFF Empire Division Championship.

 

With week 1 postponed Spartans host week 2 and pull out a victory in exciting fashion.  4th quarter comeback lead by quarterback Dave Hom as the BNEFF is put on notice that the first year Spartans are a team to be reckoned with.  Down late in the game the Spartans runng back LA Agustin led the ground game to a late touchdown and a 28-22 win

The Spartans came out in week 2 trying to ride the wave of a very successful opening day.  They came out the gates in less than stellar fashion falling behind by two scores before mounting a comeback.  After Rashid Darrisaw hauled in a long td pass, the Cynder pulled away with an interception that was returned for a touchdown.  A late field goal sealed the victory for New Jersey 21-12.

For the second straight week the Spartans faced a team from the Garden state, and for the second straight week the were unable to get a win.  This time the number were put up in the first half wit the Spartans jumping out to a 12-0 lead.  Late in the game miscues on defense brought the Longhorns back in what would be a playoff preview.  Spartans drop this one 12-14.

 

Licking their wounds from a two game slide the Spartans came into West Philadelphia trying to get on track.  The Bengals jumped out early as it seemed the Crimson were unable to find their way through the darkness of the Philadelphia night.  The Bengals showed no brotherly love as a late Spartan rally came up short Bengals win 12-6.

  

 

With a 3 game losing streak looming over their heads the Spartans found themselves playing for their season early in the BNEFF year.  Another division loss would mean the playoffs woud not be in the cards for the young Spartans.  This time the Spartans would play a full 60 minutes as quarterback Dave Hom would connect on 3 touchdown passes and the defense played lights out through  most of the game.  A late score made the final appear closer than it was but the most important stat was Spartans win, 20-16. 

 

The Broncos were looking for their first win of the season while the Spartans were looking for their first road win.  Turnovers played a huge role in this one as rookie of the year Phillipe Gordon recovered a fumble and returned an interception for touchdowns, and Rashid Darrisaw caught a 65 yard touchdown pass from Hom.  Defense picks up the donut, sacking the Broncos quarterbacks and dreams of an upset 26-0. 

 

Torrential downpour did as much to the Spartan offense as the Tacony defense.  The first half couldn’t have gone much worse as the Spartans 5 turnovers in the first half made a win an impossibility.  2 touchdowns on interceptions that were returned to the house sealed a 28-0 first half and after regrouping the Spartans showed the focus that would help later on in the season, final the same 28-0.  

 

 

There are games that define the season, and this was the one for 2008.  With transportation problems stemming from a bus that never showd, to a perfect storm of players unable to make the 110 mile trip to Tacony for a home and home eries.  After getting smashed by the same team iin New York, you can imagine that the cards were stacked against the Crimson in this one.  Traveling with 18 players in 3 cars and a U-Haul utility van, the Spartans showed up with quality and not quantity.  A loss would mean elimination.  The game started with a back and forth big plays that knotted the game at 8.  The Spartans went up at the half after a 105 yard interception return for a touchdown by Dwayne Lowe.  Down late, Lowe took a reverse and went 25 yards to paydirt and with a last gasp Eagle drive being snuffed out by the defense the Spartans season was still alive.  Spartans get back in the U-haul after collecting a 18-14 win.   

 

Game forfeited by North Philadelphia Cowboys, sets up crazy playoff scenario which would have the Spartans win and be Division Champions, lose = end of season. 

 

The makeup of the Westchester Packer ame would come as a finale and winner take all matchup.  The defending BNEFF champions had gone through an undefeated 2008 campaign and were looking to cement their place at the top spot in the Empire.  The Spartans special teams misfired on a punt which was blocked for a safety.  That would be the only points tha the Packers would score.  In what could only be described as a monumental effort, the defense pitched the shutout and even put up points as Shawn Kellman returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown.  After kicker Paul Ramierez mishandled another snap on a punt he had the wherewithall to find Sheldon Davis for a 65 yard touchdown pass that broke the Packer spirit.  Reuben Kearse pounded through the Packer defense for the nail in the coffin and the Spartans are Division Champs 19-2

 

Playoff football was nothing new to the Spartans, as they were playing for their season for the past month.  However, after finding themselves on the brink time and time again, they had perserviered and found themselves division champs with a first round bye.  Their opponent for the Conference title, the same Longhorn team that had come into Gridiron Elite Stadium and handed the Spartans a loss in week 3.  The game started like a heavyweight fight with each combatant landing punch and counterpunch until the Longhorns found themselves deep in their own territory.  As the Longhorn quarterback rolled out, a well timed blitz by Laroy Warner resulted in a sack for a safety.  That ended up as the final as the Spartans hoist the Empire Conference trophy Spartans win 2-0.

 

 

 The magical run of 2008 would have been even more memorable had the young Spartans found a way to get it done against the undefeated Giants.  Rashid Darrisaw’s two kickoff returns for touchdowns were the only bright spots for the Crimson who were a step behind the more experienced Northwest Giants.  The final showed that pretty much everything that could go wrong did as 55-12 would be the battle cry of an offseason of renewed motivation. 

2008 was a great year, with many accomplishments unheard of for a first year team.  Many memories and contributions from players who will be making news on college campuses and on the Spartan roster for years to come.