10-18-08 @Chaminade 24-6 W

Jaffrea Corley-Woods scored on an 11-yard run.

BY JASON MOLINET

St. Anthony’s senior Nick Mercurio scored twice to help offset the loss of Atiq Lucas in a costly 24-6 win over rival Chaminade on Saturday night before a huge crowd at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale. The battle of 5-1 teams saw the Friars reassert themselves on defense and show just how deep they can go.

The Friars (6-1 overall, 5-0 CHSFL) took a real blow to their collective psyche and the offensive game plan when Lucas went down after pounding up the middle on third-and-1 from the St. Anthony’s 48-yard line. Lucas ran for 4 yards before going down at midfield. After a 25-minute delay, Lucas was carted off the field by paramedics.

Lucas had a protective cast placed around his lower leg. The nature of his injury – or how long Lucas will be out – is still unclear. He reportedly broke his ankle. It’s likely Lucas, a surefire Division I-AA prospect, has played his final game as a Friar.

Without Lucas, perhaps Long Island’s top playmaker, St. Anthony’s fed the ball to senior Nick Mercurio. He ran for a career-high 115 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.

Mercurio got the Friars on the board one drive later. After breaking away for a 40-yard run down to the Chaminade 5, Mercurio finished off the drive with a 1-yard plunge with 41 seconds left in the opening quarter. Nick Ferrara’s point after kick made it 7-0.

Undersized junior running back Jaffrea Corely-Woods stepped up in the second quarter, putting the Friars in front 14-0 with a 11-yard scoring run with 7:54 left.

Ferrara extended the lead to 17-0 with 56 seconds left in the half. His 25-yard field goal capped a drive that began at the Friars’ 32 and lasted 12 plays.

The defense did its job. One week after surrendering 28 points to St. Joseph by the Sea, the Friars gave up just two first downs in the first half against Chaminade (5-2, 3-2). The Flyers didn’t cross midfield until the fourth quarter. That drive was stopped at the Friars’ 10 when Chaminade quarterback Stephen Chmil was stuffed on fourth-and-1.

A late fumble set up the Flyers’ lone score. Chmil hit John Urbank in the back of the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 5 with 36 seconds left in the game. The kick failed.

Iona Prep plays Holy Trinity at 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Westchester. If the Gaels win, it sets up a showdown of unbeaten CHSFL teams in New Rochelle next Saturday at 1:30 p.m. That’s how tough the schedule has been for the Friars: Every week seemingly is the biggest game yet.

SCORING
TEAMS…………………………………..1……2……3…..4 — FINAL
St. Anthony’s…………………………7…..10……7……0 — 24
Chaminade……………………………0……0……0……6 — 6
SA — Mercurio 1 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — Corley-Woods 11 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — FG Ferrara 25
SA — Mercurio 14 run (Ferrara kick)
C – Urbank 5 pass from Chmil (kick failed)