Dan Strafford of Old Bridge, Kerel Cooper of Edison, and Pat Totaro of Brick competed in one of five regional semifinals of the WFAN Buffalo Wild Wings Fantasy Phenom Challenge at Monmouth Mall on Monday. Of 10 regional semifinalists, one winner will be announced on the air (660 AM) on Thursday afternoon.

All five regional finalists chosen by the station will join afternoon host Mike Francesa live on the air at Bar Anticipation in Lake Como on Aug. 27. The winner announced that evening could be offered a paid position with WFAN, hosting a two-hour weekly show for one year.

"You'd be on the No. 1 sports-talk station in the country, and the exposure and opportunity would be amazing," said the 28-year-old Strafford, an employee for a financial-management company with a background in radio and television. A Rutgers University graduate, Strafford worked for the Rutgers radio and television stations, did radio for the Cape Cod Summer League (baseball) in 2004, and worked for WCTC radio in New Brunswick for over four years. He currently operates a Central Jersey radio website (http://jerseysportsradio.com) and a fantasy-sports website (http://big2show.com).

Strafford has also done play-by-play for game webcasts on MyCentralJersey.com, the website for the Home News Tribune and Courier News.

Cooper, 34, is the director of online advertising operations for an Internet company. He doesn't have a background in radio, but operates a Mets video blog (http://www.ontheblack.com) that he feels has benefited him during the contest's first two rounds.

"The blog has helped me out a lot because it's different than writing," explained Cooper. "You're actually putting your face out there which correlates directly to this contest."

Totaro, 50, is the wild card of the trio. He had a few Major League Baseball tryouts several years ago, but never truly aspired to a career in sports radio. He considers himself more of a couch-potato quarterback and a regular guy with a passion for sports.

"When I sit and watch a ballgame, I'll call the next pitch and dictate what the announcers will say next," he explained. "I don't have 10 grand to go to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. This is a shot and you've got to be in it to win it."

Despite the different paths they've taken, they all share an intense passion; not only for sports, but for the station also.

"Breaking in (radio) in New York is like acting or writing in New York," said Strafford. "It's where everyone wants to be, so having an opportunity like this is something I had to pursue."

"I correlate and relate to Joe Benigno (WFAN's midday host)," Totaro explained. "You talk to him, and it's like you're talking to your own buddy in the bar. He's a regular guy."

Coincidentally, Benigno won a similar contest held by the station in 1994.