Patrick Burrello remembers Nov. 8, 2008 vividly. He was sitting in the stands at Curtis HS on Staten Island. The rain was pouring down.
There, he watched one of the greatest upsets in PSAL playoff history. Beach Channel, led by his brother Ben, the quarterback, knocked off the defending city champion Warriors, 8-0.
“That was the most passion I’ve seen on a field,” Burrello said. “Everybody had their hearts into the game, they all did their best and that’s why they won. They wanted it.”
Fast forward to two years later and the younger Burrello is leading Beach Channel to some more history.
Ben graduated that year and Patrick has taken over the Dolphins’ at quarterback. With him under center, they are 8-0, ranked No. 10 in the PSAL by The Post and the heavy favorite to win the Bowl division championship.
Patrick has completed 46 percent of his passes and has 10 touchdowns next to just two interceptions – eerily similar to his brother’s 2008 stats: 51 percent completions, 11 touchdowns and two picks. On Saturday in a win against Jamaica, Patrick was 7-of-11 passing for 225 yards and all of Beach Channel’s scores: through the air to Henry Adegunle and Jahvari Josiah and a 15-yard rushing touchdown.
“He’s done an outstanding job and I told him about three or four times [Saturday], ‘Way to be a leader,’” Dolphins coach Victor Nazario said. “Keeping plays alive, not doing anything stupid.”
Patrick wasn’t a lock to begin the year as the team’s quarterback. Nazario had an open competition in the preseason and sophomore Breland Archbold, the team’s signal-caller of the future, was a top candidate for the job. But Patrick ended up being something Channel needed: A no-nonsense senior who might not make the spectacular play, but he won’t make many mistakes either.
“It was kind of up for grabs,” Nazario said. “Pat, his attitude and everything, I’m impressed with it. I’m impressed with everything he’s done this year.”
Obviously, much of his quarterback acumen comes from his brother. Ben attends most home games and isn’t afraid to critique Patrick’s performances.
“He tells me a lot of stuff,” Patrick said. “Every game, even if there’s good stuff he finds bad stuff to talk about. I try to listen to him and the coaches and try to put it on the field.”
He said he’s similar to Ben in terms of leadership abilities, but he’s not as serious as his brother. Still, when he gets on the field, Patrick says it’s all business. He isn’t the rah-rah type, but he leads by example and with his poise.
“All season, when we’re on the field, off the field, going out, he’s a leader,” freshman running back/defensive back Diequan Underwood said.
Added Nazario: “He really hasn’t let me down. His work ethic, he’s never late to practice, he doesn’t miss practice. There’s really not enough that I can say.”
Patrick sounds like a coach when he laments his team’s performance against Jamaica. Beach Channel didn’t score in the second half against a team with just two wins, and that isn’t good enough.
“The second half, we didn’t continue playing the way we were in the first half,” he said. “We were all on the same page in the first half, we come out second half, one person puts their head down and everyone does.”
Perhaps he needs to channel some of that passion his brother’s team had back in 2008 when it shocked a citywide powerhouse despite being an unheralded Level 3 team. Beach Channel won’t be an underdog when the postseason begins in two weeks. But one thing will be the same – a Burrello will be under center. Next year will be the first time in six seasons that Nazario can’t say that.
“Gotta start cloning these guys or something,” the coach said with a laugh. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do.”