Teddy Fitzgerald, Brandon Curtis in sync as South Side defeats Xavier
Brandon Curtis of South Side (14) nets the first goal of the game against Xavier during Kellenberg’s Firebird Invitational soccer tournament on Sunday in Uniondale. Credit: Dawn McCormick
South Side’s Teddy Fitzgerald dribbled with pace along the left sideline in the 42nd minute, with Xavier defenders both in front and behind him.
“I know I’m faster than both of them,” Fitzgerald said. “As soon as I got into the [18-yard box], I see Brandon [Curtis] out the corner of my eye.”
The junior delivered a low cross as Curtis slid forward to score the game’s opening goal.
Ten minutes later, the duo connected again as Fitzgerald’s corner kick found Curtis’ head. By the time Quinari Mesqita scored a 19-yard free kick with 2:34 remaining to give South Side’s boys soccer team a three-goal advantage, a scoreless first half was but a distant memory.
Some highlights for South Side v Xavier…
— Michael Sicoli (@Michael__Sicoli) September 20, 2026
- Brandon Curtis scores a header off a corner kick from Teddy Fitzgerald to give the Cyclones a 2-0 lead.
- Quinari Mesquita adds insurance via a free kick, setting up a 3-0 win for South Side. pic.twitter.com/PLAynliACT
South Side handed Xavier its first loss of the year, 3-0, at Kellenberg’s third annual Firebird Invitational Sunday in non-league play.
“We don’t really play Catholic schools, so we didn’t really know what to expect going into this,” Curtis said. “But we played really hard today.”
The Cyclones’ defense, led by Mason Woo, Colin Levine and Damien D’Antonio, excelled at blocking shots that could’ve otherwise challenged goalie Ryan Hoffman. Communication, from Hoffman in goal to Curtis up top, never wavered, and neither did the pressure forwards Curtis and Mesqita levied on Xavier’s back line.
South Side sophomore Mark Stewart had an impressive day in the midfield, winning numerous challenges. He did well to clean up errant passes forced by high pressure courtesy of forwards Curtis and mesqita.
“He’s a smart player,” South Side coach Pat Corvetti said of Stewart.
“Today, he played really good defense for us in the midfield.”
South Side (4-0-4) began the season with four ties in its first five games. Corvetti noted that the team hadn’t taken advantage of its goal-scoring opportunities.
Corvetti: “Today was a complete game for us, and I think everybody was just very hungry.”
With a powerhouse Garden City team coming to town Tuesday, the Cyclones must stay that way.
“This is the first game we’ve really come out and shown what we could do,” Fitzgerald said.
“In the first 10 minutes, pressing, not stopping, running, yelling — it’s everything. That’s exactly what we have to do against Garden City.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
