Flag Football: Goldstein’s Purple Swarm beats Fort Hamilton to stay undefeated
Leon Goldstein High School is technically named the Dolphins, but its girls flag football team prefers to go by another name — the Purple Swarm.
The new moniker comes from it’s tenacious defense that has not allowed a single point against all season long. Last Thursday, Goldstein’s Purple Swarm beat Fort Hamilton 26-0 in Gerritsen Beach to improve to a perfect 9-0 on the year.
“That’s our identity, we’re the Purple Swarm,” head coach Salvatore Prestianni said after Thursday’s victory. “Defense has been a huge part of our success and the reason we’re the Purple Swarm is because on every play all seven of us fly to the ball and smother the opposing team.”
Fort Hamilton is no simple team to beat either. The Tigers entered the game with a 7-1 record, their only loss from a previous matchup against Goldstein earlier in the season. Their quarterback, Maria Papadakos, is one of the best in the city, so shutting her down isn’t easy, even though the Purple Swarm made it look that way.