11-1-08 MOUNT ST. MICHAEL 42-27 W

Junior Nicholas Flynn scored three touchdowns.

BY JONATHAN WALTER

The St. Anthony’s football team won its final regular season game at home against the Mount St. Michael Mountaineers, 42-27, in a CHSFL matchup Saturday night. Junior Nicholas Flynn rushed for 54 yards and three touchdowns as the Friars bounced back from a tough loss against Iona Prep.

The Friars (7-2 overall, 6-1 CHSFL) scored six rushing touchdowns, including a 65-yard run from Nicholas Mercurio that gave them a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter. The Friars will likely be the No. 2 seed and host quarterfinal and semifinal playoff games.

Running a variety of option plays, Mount St. Michael had the Friars defense off balance for most of the first half. The Mountaineers were going score for score with the Friars until Mountaineers quarterback Max Otano was sacked on fourth down with time winding down in the first half.

The Friars caught onto the Mountaineers’ option scheme in the third quarter. And after holding the Mountaineers rushing attack to just 20 yards on their first possession, Mercurio came through with his big run to make it 28-14.

Mount St. Michael (3-6, 3-4) showed it still had some life in the fourth quarter as Otana threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tarik Hawkins, closing to 35-21.

The Friars answered right back as Flynn scored his third rushing score of the night from 16 yards out. The Mountaineers would score one more time on a 1-yard Gary Acquah run. But the drama of the last two seasons – when the teams met in the CHSFL Class AAA championship game — wasn’t there.

These programs are headed in different directions. Mount will likely miss the AAA playoffs while the Friars begin the push for their eighth straight title.

SCORING
TEAMS………………..1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
Mount St. Michael……7…..7…..0….13 — 27
St. Anthony’s………..14…..7….14…..7 — 42
SA – Schreiber 21 run (Ferrara kick)
MSM – Otano 65 run (Samuels kick)
SA — Flynn 10 run (Ferarra kick)
MSM – Acquah 6 run (Samuels kick)
SA – Flynn 5 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — Mercurio 65 (Ferrara kick)
SA – O’Malley 39 (Ferrara kick)
MSM – Tarik 16 from Otano (Samuels kick)
SA – Flynn 16 run (Ferrara kick)
MSM – Acquah 1 run (kick failed)