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"Once upon a time three men thought of a name", is the start of our fight song. Those three men Booker McJunkin, Sid Raylas and Billy Badson thought of the name that has become home to one of New York's finest sports organizations, New York Bandit Football. The New York Bandits were really the merging of two teams in the Bronx, the minor league New York Cougars members of the United Football League and the Bronx Steelers a new team started by Eddie Serano. The New York Cougars wanted to help the community out by forming a senior football team for young men from the ages of 14-17. The Bronx Steelers who practiced on the same field but at different times had one youth team from the ages of 10-14. After meeting a couple of times the Cougars and the Steelers merged and formed the New York Bandits. The first teams to brand the new name where 2 Youth teams both members of the Brooklyn Football League . |
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Were led by Coach Sid Raylas to a 5-1 record capturing the Brooklyn Football League City Championship and the first championship for the New York Bandits.1
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Were led by Coach Chino Vasquez to a 1-5 record.
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With the first season under our belts the New York Bandits expanded into 2 Youth Teams and 1 Minor League team. The youth teams held split membership with the Peanut team moving to the City-Wide Youth Football League and the creation of the Bantam team which held membership in the South East New York Pop Warner . The New York Bandits minor league team played within the United Football League.
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| Peanut Team |
During this teams second year of play they jumped out to a quick 4-0 start and with a lose to the Harlem Vikings the team turned it around and won its next two playoff games. The Championship game was a rematch of the teams only lose to the Harlem Vikings. The Peanut Bandits fell short by a score of 18-12. We are really proud of that team, but the hard loss hurt the players. After a visit to McDonalds I think the loss was a building block for next year. This team ended its season as the City-Wide Peanut Division Runner Ups with a 6-2 record.
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| Bantams Team |
The Bantams started their season with two straight loses but were led by Coach Sid Raylas to a 7 game winning streak. This Streak included 3 straight shut-outs. This led the Bantam team to the 1996 South East New York Bantam Weight City Pop Warner Championship . This team ended the season with a healthy 7-2 Record.
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| United Football League |
The Bandits didn't do very well during their first season in the UFL. The team struggled to gain steam and completed the charter year with a 2-8 record. One win was a forfeit over the Bronx Redskins and the other versus the Red Hook Panthers. Sharing home fields with another team the Bronx Bulldogs also forced the Bandits to move to Clinton H.S. Coach Billy Badson and Booker McJunkin were poised and committed to turning things around the next season. The United Football League crowned Knute Rockne a team from Brooklyn with the second annual Big Apple Bowl Championship.
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| 1997............... |
Our history of the youth program will be completed at a later date.
United Football League
This was the year of the bad break. The Bandits were getting closer to winning some games and earning a little more respect with there gritty never quit style of football. Many veteran Bandits know this season as the year of the break away uniform. The Bandits uniforms were ordered very late and didn't exactly hold up during the season. The "Break Away" uniforms forced several players into sewing there uniforms back together week after week.
The Bandits did benefit from the folding of the Bronx Bulldogs a fierce cross town rival. With the addition of Coach Louis "Tito" Perez one of the coaches from the Bulldogs the Bandits added a great coach and several players from the Bulldogs to help bolster the New York Bandits roster. The New York Bandits were also assisted by the increased presences of second year General Manager Tina Ramsey. The Bandits were fueled by youth on both sides of the ball. 19 year old DB Markeys Giraldez #21 and RB Sequan Dowe #31 and QB John Funtes #12 made their first playoff appearance with a 5-5 record and were defeated by the Washington Heights Falcons during the first round. The New York Bandits full of promise where still #2 in the Bronx behind the Bronx Bengal's. With the UFL entering its fourth year rivals that would fuel great games in the Bronx for years to come where born. The United Football League crowned the Orange County Bulldogs with this years Big Apple Trophy.
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| 1998............... |
United Football League
After the Bandits first playoff appearance in 1997 the team was focused on returning and continuing further into the playoffs. With a win in the season opener against the Mid-State Marauders the Bandits were ready for a Saturday night meeting with the Bronx Bengal's this game went to the wire with a Bengal's winning late in the game. The Bengal's would continue to be the Bandits worst nightmare in 1998. The Bandits added several key players this season OL Steve DeJesus #55, SS Omar Wheaton #8, and RB Tim Hudson #33
The Bandits continued on during the 1998 Season with wins against the New York Warriors, Golden Knights, Queens County Wolfpack, and Brooklyn Bulldogs. With loses to the Washington Height Falcons, Westchester Chiefs, Mount Vernon Steelers and the Brooklyn Seminoles the Bandits 6-4 season record a club high for wins didn't earn a 1998 playoff.
The 1998 season was a real disappointment to the Bandits Organization. With all the improvements on and off the field the fact that the Bandits didn't make the playoff's pushed Coach Billy Badson and "Tito" Perez into searching for new players and a better system. The Bandits also learned that there was a need to increase our public image which could only help in recruiting in the future. Booker McJunkin and Tina Ramsey also continued to push the dreams and goals of the organization higher and higher. The United Football League crowned the Un-defeated Queens Vikings as Big Apple Bowl Champions.
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| 1999............... |
United Football League
The New York Bandits coming off a disappointing season where a 6-4 record wasn't enough to get to the playoffs understood that a better image and new players would be the only thing that could take this organization to the next level. The United Football League during its largest expansion since the first season introduced several teams from the newly formed UFL South division. Teams from Maryland, and Virginia made the United Football League the largest semi-pro football league in the country.
The Bandits new recruiting policy and increased public image helped add several players to the roster. With the addition of John "Big Red" Zamot #58, RB Alex Ruiz #7, RB Jovan Garcia #6, and 17 TD's from third year player WR Markeys Giraldez #21 the New York Bandits started to re-define the Bandits history books. The New York Bandits were also the first UFL North team to play any of our Southern Division opponents. The Bandits opened 1999 season with a pre-season game against the Baltimore Rams. The Bandits were proud to represent the UFL North that game but fell short in a 24-16 loss. Several opponents that plagued the Bandits past would fall victim during in 1999. The Bandits opened the season with a bye, and then a victory over the Newark Jets in week 2 which started the season off right. The Bandits would continue to rack up wins by defeating the Harlem Hurricanes, Kings County Wolfpack, Queens Vikings, and Mount Vernon Steelers. With loses to the Westchester Chiefs, Virginia Mo narchs, Kodiaks, and the Brooklyn Seminoles the Bandits would enter the playoffs with a 6-4 record. The 1999 season also witness several other first. The Bandits beat the Bronx Bengal's for the first time in team history with a 14-7 win during the first round of the playoffs. The Bandits would loss during the semi-final round to the Brooklyn Seminoles who would later face the Virginia Monarchs for the championship. With all the player additions the New York Bandits finally ended the season as the best team in the Bronx which was the first of many milestones the Bandits organization would cross in years to come. The Virginia Monarchs were crowned Super Bowl I champions this season.
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| 2000............... |
United Football League
The New York Bandits coming off its best season in team history, were pushing for nothing but improvement. The United Football League was continuing to redefine the semi-pro football world and reached out to the New York Bandits to venture on the leagues first international football game. The New York Bandits traveled with 30 players to sunny Puerto Rico, to face the Suan Juan Fires. The Bandits were helped by the addition of several new players WR Quincy Banks #3, RB Marquis Williams #28, DL Jermaine Wiggins, DL Shondell Ferguson #57, DL Anthony Anderson #94, DL Gliton Span #6 and DL Safir Sabur #93. The Bandits routed the Fires with a 52-0 victory.The New York Bandits pre-season also included wins outside of the league versus the Montclair Blackknights 32-0, and the Boston Bandits 14-0. So entering the 2000 United Football League season the Bandits were sporting a 4-0 record another first for the New York Bandits. The season started with a great 8-6 win over the defending Northern Division Champion Brooklyn Seminoles. As the season continued the wins continued coming over the Queens Vikings, New York Hustlers, and the Mid-State Marauders. Next thing you know the Bandits were 11-0. The Bandits getting ready to face the defending Super Bowl Champion Virginia Monarchs were a 20 point underdog. The Bandits were dominated by the Va. Monarchs during the 1999 season by a score of 44-9. The Bandits didn't enjoy being labeled the underdog and dominated the Monarchs with a 18-0 victory. The Bandits were 12-0 after the Monarchs game and headed into the playoffs with two more wins over the Newark Jets, and the Westchester Chiefs. The Bandits entering the playoffs with an undefeated record understood everything that the season had brought would go to waste if the team didn't make a championship game appearance. The Bandits lead all season long by the "Quiet Storm Defense" would crush the Queens Vikings during the first round. And would play to a igh t win over the Mid-State Marauders during the Northern Division Championship game. The Super Bowl Game would be a rematch of the heated regular season game against the Virginia Monarchs. The Bandits would play tough all day long and were lead by MVP DB Kevin Kirnon #40 with 4 interception and 1 for a TD. The Bandits would be crowned Super Bowl II United Football League Champions.
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| 2001............... |
United Football League
As the New York Bandits continued to rewrite every record we had to date, we also joined an elite group of undefeated UFL Champions. This was a great accomplishment considering the company. The Queens Vikings went undefeated before the Southern expansion and the Va. Monarchs were also undefeated during their Championship year. The New York Bandits were also very proud to be named National AA Champions by the American Football Association. and ranked within the top 5 in most other regional polls.
For the first time in team history it seemed like the New York Bandits had reached the top. That didn't last long at all because every other UFL and area team picked up the pace. The 2001 team started the season with a charity game versus the Bay Knights. The Bandits helped the community and secured a 28-0 win. After the Knights off the team went to Nassau, Bahamas to face the BK pro's an All Star team consisting of several players from all around the Bahamas and Florida. The trip holds many stories but the most important piece was the 20-6 victory the Bandits secured while in sunny Nassau. The New York Bandits also played the first UFL versus GSFL game in league history. The Bandits played to a close game with the SI Predators and secured a 16-0 victory. Then the game everyone waited for had finally arrived the Bandits versus the Ct. Giants. The Giants were ranked #3 by the American Football Association during the 2000 season and most people rumored the Bandits didn't give the Giants a chance at the # spot during the 2000 season.. This game played at Mount Vernon Memorial Stadium was played in front of almost a capacity crowd of fans. The Giants jumped out quickly and scored 14 quick points but the Bandits closed the gap before the half making the score 14-8. The game entered the last couple of minutes with the Giants up 17-16, the Bandits held strong and with a great play scored on a safety to take the lead. This win also continued what now had become a 20 game winning streak. As the 2001 regular season would begin the Bandits would win big over the New York Hustlers and would face the Southern Conference Va. Hornets the following week. The Bandits traveled to Richmond, Va. to face defeat by a score of 22-16 ending a 21 game winning streak. The Bandits cleared the air after that lose and re-committed to everything we had learned over the past 18 months. The Bandits put together another 7 game winning streak to enter the 2001 Playoffs with a 8-1 record. With wins over the BK. Cobras, Newark Jets, BK. Seminoles, Willingboro Bears, Rockland Bruins, New York Dark Knights and the MT. Vernon Steelers the team was poised and headed in the right direction before the playoffs. The Bandits would secure a first round bye and face the Ann. Giants during the second round and would win 28-14. With that win it setup a rematch of a tight game the Bandits had during the regular season. The game has since be labeled "Bruins -vs- Bandits II the rematch". This game was a defensive battle that lived up to its billing, the Bandits couldn't seem to punch the ball into the endzone with 4 turnovers under the 20 yard line. But the Bandits rich with history and tradition held strong until the 4th quarter and won the game 9-6. The Bandits would then face the Newark Jets who during the semi-final round bumped the Va. Hornets to setup the championship game. The Bandits scored first during the game but the Jets would score 14 unanswered points and take a 14-6 lead into the 4th quarter. The Bandits have had their backs against the wall before and this would be no different scoring twice during the 4th quarter on a TD run by #5 Dion Young and a 48yd TD return by #2 Robert Lebron off a Jet fumble. The game was sealed with a big interception by #51 Chris Boleware to slam the door shut on the Jets. The Bandits would win Super Bowl III by a score of 18-14 to complete and become the first Back to Back UFL champions.. This win also completed a 2 year run of 31 wins and 1 loss. |
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