10-25-08 @Iona Prep 41-21 L

Tom Schreiber runs for yardage against Iona Prep.

BY JASON MOLINET

There was a quiet expectation of a comeback buzzing along the St. Anthony’s sideline. And when Nicholas Flynn sprinted into the end zone for the two-point conversion with 4:58 left in the third quarter on Saturday, the rally seemed inevitable.

The Friars trailed host Iona Prep, 28-21, at that point. The defense followed up with a big stop, and suddenly St. Anthony’s had the ball back and all the momentum. Giants don’t lose and St. Anthony’s has reigned atop the CHSFL for much of the last two decades. But with a steady rain in its collective face and a gusting wind sweeping the field in New Rochelle, the comeback came undone.

Flynn never fully hauled in the pitch from quarterback Tom Schreiber and a defender fell on the wet ball at midfield with 17 second left in the quarter. It took all of seven plays for Iona Prep to find paydirt. One week after a four-touchdown effort, Iona Prep running back Jeff Mack scored for the third time against the Friars, the last on a 5-yard run to essentially put the game out of reach.

With one week remaining in the regular season, undefeated Iona Prep locked up the top seed in the CHSFL Class AAA playoffs and sent a message to the rest of the league by blowing out seven-time champ St. Anthony’s, 41-21.

The Gaels (8-0 overall, 6-0 CHSFL) rushed for a remarkable 343 yards. Quarterback Tyrae Woodson-Samuels had 166 yards on 14 carries and two scores and completed 5 of 9 passes for 101 yards and another touchdown.

“Our defense played horrible,’’ St. Anthony’s coach Rich Reichert said. “We never really stopped them. We never stopped the run.’’

Senior running back Nick Mercurio led St. Anthony’s with 95 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns and one catch for 21 yards.

Last season, the Friars saw their 64-game CHSFL winning streak snapped Week 3 against Mount St. Michael. The Friars rebounded and ripped off 13 league wins in a row in the year since, including a title game win over Mount.

Reichert must once again right the ship. Because of its winning tradition, losses seem to hit this team much harder. The work began on the field immediately afterward.

“It’s one regular season loss,’’ Reichert told his players. “That’s all it is. Now we’ve got to get better.’’

The Friars (6-2, 5-1) close out the season at home at 7 p.m. Saturday against rival Mount St. Michael.

What do the losses to the Mountaineers and Iona Prep have in common? So much, it seems. A game-time decision at quarterback, foul weather and a trip across the Throgs Neck Bridge.

Last season it was James Brady nursing a foot injury. And he proved ineffective in the mud, unable to avoid the rush. The result was a 22-12 loss.

After hurting his right knee against Chaminade, Schreiber had to show the coaching staff he was ready to go on Saturday. Brendan Schroeder warmed up with the offense too. Just in case.

But with a circus-like atmosphere on the Iona Prep campus – there are no bleachers, just a hill where fans set up tents – Schreiber got the nod and took the Friars nowhere on the game’s first possession.

Schreiber ran for 75 yards on 18 carries and completed 8 of 14 passes for 119 yards. He took a pounding on every play and Reichert eventually pulled his starter late in the fourth once the reality of the situation sank in.

Behind Mack and Woodson-Samuels, the Gaels marched 64 yards on nine plays. Woodson-Samuels, as he would do all afternoon, confounded the Friars’ defense with his elusiveness and straightaway speed. He opened scoring with a 24-yard touchdown.

St. Anthony’s responded on the next series. Nick Mercurio did much of the damage, highlighted by a 23-yard run down to the Iona 8-yard line. He scored on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with two seconds left in the opening quarter. Nick Ferrara’s kick tied the teams at 7.

Ferrara put the Friars in front 10-7 with a 20-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Iona Prep took the lead for good, 14-10, with 5:50 left in the half. The Gaels moved 80 yards on five plays with Mack (156 yards) bowling into the end zone from 1 yard out.

St. Anthony’s fumbled away a prime scoring opportunity at the Iona Prep 17 just before halftime. Once again, Iona Prep ripped through the St. Anthony’s defense, going 83 yards on nine plays. Woodson-Samuels hit Chris Alfano on a 21-yard post pattern with 1:22 left.

Schreiber moved St. Anthony’s from his own 16 to the Iona Prep 29 with nine seconds left. After a pair of time outs meant to ice the kicker, Ferrara went out and nailed – with plenty of room to spare – a 46-yard field goal to close the gap to 21-13.

Woodson-Samuels picked up where he left off in the second half. His 23-yard keeper, sandwiched between 29- and 21-yard runs by Mack, set up a 1-yard Mack touchdown and 28-13 lead.

With Schreiber running the option, the Friars moved 82 yards on the ensuing possession. Marcurio finished the time-consuming series with a 1-yard dive with 4:58 left in the third. The two-point run made it a one-possession game.

But Iona Prep had other plans. The Gaels ran away from the Friars and now have the inside track to the title game. If the teams meet again, it will be at Mitchel Athletic Complex one month from now with the title on the line.

SCORING
TEAMS………………..1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Anthony’s…………7…..6…..8…..0 — 21
Iona Prep…………….7….14…..7….13 — 41
IP – Woodson-Samuels 24 run (Carthy kick)
SA — Mercurio 1 run (Ferrara kick)
SA – FG Ferrara 20
IP — Mack 1 run (Carthy kick)
IP – Alfano 21 pass from Woodson-Samuels (Carthy kick)
SA – FG Ferrara 46
IP – Mack 1 run (Carthy kick)
SA – Mercurio 1 run (Flynn run)
IP – Mack 5 run (kick failed)
IP – Woodson-Samuels 5 run (Carthy kick)