11-22-08 CHSFL Class AAA Final 48-35 L

Senior Kevin O’Malley found the end zone against Iona Prep.

BY JONATHAN WALTER

It was a big day for Jeffery Mack and the top-seeded Iona Prep Gaels as they defeated No. 2 St. Anthony’s, 48-35, in the CHSFL Class AAA championship on a cold and windy Saturday evening at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale.

Mack rushed for 396 yards and scored all seven of Iona Prep’s touchdowns. The Gaels ended their season a perfect 12-0, beating St. Anthony’s (9-3) for the second time this season and ending St. Anthony’s seven-year championship run.

The Gaels started out strong, scoring on their first possession of the game. After getting the ball at their 20-yard line, Mack burst through the pile and with his great speed, outran the Friars defensive backs for a 50-yard run all the way into the end zone.

The Friars offense on the other hand, looked nothing like the impressive unit that dominated all season. After catching a short pass from quarterback Brendan Schroeder, Nicholas Mercurio fumbled the ball and Gaels defenders fell on top of it. Iona Prep capitalized upon the Friars’ error, and with the help of a 16-yard run from Mack, took a quick 14-0 lead.

Nicholas Ferrara put the Friars on the board with time running down in the first quarter and with the howling wind at his back. He nailed a 37-yard field goal.

But that didn’t change the game plan of Iona Prep. The Gaels continued to hand the ball off to Mack, who ran for 55 yards on the next drive. Mack’s 6-yard score, his third of the game, made it 21-3.

The Friars made things interesting going into halftime. On an 8-minute, 18-play drive starting at their own 25, the Friars ate up the second quarter and scored on an 8-yard Kevin O’Malley touchdown. The Friars scored again after linebacker John Burk intercepted a pass from Iona Prep quarterback Tyrae Woodson-Samuels.

A 31-yard run from Nicholas Flynn pulled the Friars to 21-16 going into halftime.

An eighth straight title was not meant to be. The Gaels ran away with it in the second half. Mack added two more long touchdown runs, including a 71-yarder, to increase the lead to 19 points.

The Friars rallied late and scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, including a 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Flynn, but would fall short.

SCORING
TEAMS………………..1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Anthony’s…………3….13…..0….19 — 35
Iona Prep……………14…..7….14….13 — 48
IP – Mack 50 run (Carthy kick)
IP – Mack 16 run (Carthy kick)
SA – FG Ferrara 37
IP – Mack 6 run (Carthy kick)
SA — O’Malley 8 run (run failed)
SA – Flynn 3 run (Ferrara kick)
IP – Mack 47 run (kick failed)
IP – Mack 71 run (Mack run)
IP – Mack 19 run (kick failed)
SA – Flynn 78 kickoff return (run failed)
SA – Martin 4 pass from Schroeder (pass failed)
IP – Mack 38 run (Carthy kick)
SA – Mercurio 48 run (Ferrara kick)

11-16-08 CHSFL Class AAA Semifinal 37-15 W

Brendan Schreoder quarterbacked the Friars to victory.

BY JONATHAN WALTER

Rivalry games don’t get much bigger. St. Anthony’s had to deal with the loss of quarterback Tom Schreiber during the week and at the same time prepare for the biggest game of the season.

Call it a perfect storm of events. The second-seeded Friars weathered the storm, and behind a 24-point third quarter, beat No. 6 Chaminade, 37-15, in a CHSFL Class AAA semifinal on Sunday at Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington. The Friars shined on defense, forcing Chaminade to punt five times, recording three interceptions and two fourth-down stops. The strong defensive play put the Friars in good field position all game long, and put the team in a position to win.

Now the Friars (9-2) are one win away from their eighth straight championship. They advance to the CHSFL AAA title game and will face No. 1 Iona Prep (11-0), which downed St. Anthony’s, 41-21, during the regular season. The game is a 4 p.m. Saturday at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale.

The Friars offense had trouble finishing drives early and turned to their reliable field goal kicker in Maryland-recruit Nicholas Ferrara. All he did was convert on field goals from 31 and 29 yards out. St. Anthony’s took a 6-0 edge into intermission.

Chaminade (6-5) wrested away momentum – and the lead — in the third quarter. Friars quarterback Brendan Schroeder, in his first game as the starter, was intercepted by linebacker Timothy Pond, setting up the Flyers at the St. Anthony’s 22-yard line. Quarterback Ryan Higgins put the Flyers on the board with a 7-yard strike to receiver Robert Lucas. The extra point gave the Flyers a short-lived 7-6 lead.

Kick returner Nick Flynn gave the Friars excellent field position with a 75-yard kickoff return fielded at the 1-yard line. However, the Friars offense still had trouble picking up the first downs. Ferrara pounded another field goal, this time from 23 yards out to put the Friars up 9-7.

Two interceptions netted the Friars 14 quick points. Friars linebacker Paul Alessandri intercepted a pass at the Chaminade 24. Schroeder wasted no time as he completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to receiver Pat Fiorvanti on the next play.

On Chaminade’s next possession, Higgins threw another interception right into the arms of cornerback Matt Metalios, who jumped receiver Michael Ehrhardt’s route. Metalios ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown. After Ferrara’s extra point, the Friars suddenly led 23-7.

The Friars offense finally got the big yards they were looking for. After getting the ball at the Flyers 42, they pounded the ball with their running backs. Kevin O’Malley finally broke away from a couple tackles and took the ball 33 yards into the end zone.

The Flyers scored once more in the fourth. Christopher Dooley came through with a 4-yard touchdown run for the Flyers, but it was too late. With time winding down, the Friars ran out a huge chunk of time on a drive where they ran the ball eight times and put the ball in the end zone on another O’Malley run to crush all hope of a comeback for Chaminade.

Now St. Anthony’s is back where it belongs – in the title game.

Chick here for game photos courtesy of John Barone:

SCORING
TEAMS………………1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
Chaminade…………..0…..0…..7…..8 — 15
St. Anthony’s……….0…..6….24…..7 — 37
SA – FG 31 Ferrara
SA – FG 29 Ferrara
C – Lucas 7 pass from Higgins (Connelly kick)
SA – FG 23 Ferrara
SA — Fiorvanti 24 pass from Schroeder (Ferrara kick)
SA – Metalios 27 INT return (Ferrara kick)
SA — O’Malley 33 run (Ferrara kick)
C — Dooley 4 run (Dooley pass)
SA – O’Malley 1 run (Ferrara kick)

11-7-08 CHSFL Class AAA Quarterfinal 31-14 W

Tom Schreiber was lost in the first quarter.

BY JONATHAN WALTER

The injuries continue to mount for the St. Anthony’s football team. The second-seeded Friars may have beaten No. 7 St. Francis Prep, 31-14, in a CHSFL Class AAA quarterfinal on Friday night, but they lost their most irreplaceable player in the process.

Starting quarterback Tom Schreiber was sacked on the third play of the game and suffered a spiral fracture of the fibula, according to one account. He was transported by ambulance to Huntington Hospital.

St. Anthony’s (8-2) was already making due without its most explosive player in running back Atiq Lucas. He broke his leg against Chaminade three weeks ago. But at least the Friars had depth to draw from in the backfield.

There’s no replacing Schreiber. He finished the regular season with the second-best quarterback rating in the CHSFL AAA division. His loss will be tough for the Friars to overcome with two weeks of football left.

Schreiber, a top lacrosse prospect, will have to rehab hard to make it onto a lacrosse field in the spring.

Even still, junior Brendan Schroeder executed the St. Anthony’s game plan well enough.

Down 7-0 going into the second quarter, the Friars were looking for a spark after losing their leader in the first. Nicholas Ferrara got things started with a 38-yard field goal.

The Friars defense answered the call next as defensive back Taylor Chaney intercepted wideout Irick Baccari’s pass on a trick play and ran it back 64 yards for the score. Tight end Jerome Grazioli caught the two-point conversion to put the Friars up 11-7.

After trading punts, the Friars got a big play on special teams when linebacker Paul Alessandri blocked punter Thomas Brady’s kick. The ball fell into the end zone and Alessandri fell on it for the touchdown.

The Terriers managed to close the gap to 18-14 before the half on a 56-yard pass-play from quarterback Nicholas Ramirez to running back Tristan Akong.

That’s a close as St. Francis Prep (4-5) got. Nick Mercurio had a 61-yard touchdown run in third quarter and Kevin O’Malley finished off the Terriers with a 1-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter to make it 31-14.

SCORING
TEAMS………………..1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Francis Prep………7…..7…..0…..0 — 14
St. Anthony’s…………0….18…..6…..7 — 31
SFP – Akong 33 run (Brady kick)
SA – FG 28 Ferrara
SA – Chaney 64 INT return (Grazioli pass)
SA – Alessandri recovers blocked punt in end zone (Ferrara kick)
SFP – Akong 56 pass from Ramirez (Brady kick)
SA – Mercurio 61 run (kick failed)
SA – O’Malley 1 run (Ferrara kick)

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)

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)

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)

10-12-08 @St. Joe’s Sea 37-28 W

Nick Mercurio scored twice against St. Joe Sea.

BY JASON MOLINET

Quarterback Tom Schreiber and running back Nick Mercurio each ran for two touchdowns as St. Anthony’s rallied past host St. Joseph by the Sea, 37-28, Sunday in a CHSFL football showdown in Staten Island.

Schreiber rushed for 104 yards on 12 carries and scored on runs of 9 and 12 yards. He also completed 7 of 11 passes for 108 yards with one interception to power the offense. His 9-yard scoring run in the second quarter put the Friars up 13-8.

But St. Joe’s took a 14-13 edge into halftime, capitalizing on a rare Schreiber miscue. The Vikings stopped a potential St. Anthony’s scoring drive with an interception at the SJS 15-yard line. Vikings running back Andrew Armato scored from 1-yard out with 6 seconds left to give the homecoming crowd a lift.

A 26-yard Nick Ferrara field goal gave St. Anthony’s a 16-14 third quarter lead. But it was short-lived. Electric running back Lyle McCombs countered with a 59-yard touchdown run.

The resilient Friars answered in typical fashion – with a 21-point run to leave no doubt. Atiq Lucas, who rushed for 62 yards on seven carries, put the Friars ahead, 23-22, thanks to a 38-yard run with 2:20 left in the third.

Mercurio made it 38-22 with his second touchdown of the day, a 1-yard run in the fourth. The versatile Mercurio finished with 52 yards on nine carries and three catches for 49 yards.

St. Anthony’s (5-1 overall, 4-0 CHSFL) won the battle of Staten Island after back-to-back victories over Farrell and St. Joe’s. Now comes a date with rival Chaminade (5-1). The game is 7 p.m. Saturday at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale.

With the win, Reichert, 56, improved to 176-45-3 in 22 seasons at St. Anthony’s, good for a .795 winning percentage. He also tied Seton Hall of Patchogue coach Henry Read (1940-73) for fourth place on the Suffolk all-time football wins list.

The Vikings (4-2, 2-2) have now dropped two in a row.

SCORING
TEAMS……………………..1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Anthony’s………………7…..6….10….14 — 37
St. Joseph by the Sea…….8…..6…..8…..6 — 28
SA – Mercurio 3 run (Ferrara kick)
SJS – Armato 14 run (Armato run)
SA — Schreiber 9 run (run failed)
SJS – Armato 1 run (pass failed)
SA – FG Ferrara 26
SJS – McCombs 59 run (McCombs run)
SA – Lucas 38 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — Schreiber 12 run (Ferrara kick)
SA – Mercurio 1 run (Ferrara kick)
SJS – Favale 23 pass from McCombs (run failed)

10-4-08 @Farrell 41-27 W

Friars quarterback Tom Schreiber tossed a pair of second-quarter touchdowns against Farrell. [FILE PHOTO]

Under the glare of light towers and a hostile crowd Saturday night in Staten Island, St. Anthony’s junior Tom Schreiber put all comparisons to his predecessor to rest. Already a renown lacrosse player, Schreiber showed he is a worthy successor to 2007 CHSFL offensive player of the year James Brady.

Schreiber engineered a 24-point second quarter as St. Anthony’s pulled away from rival Farrell, 41-27, in a CHSFL game. He completed 8 of 16 passes for 130 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Each time Schreiber answered a Farrell scoring drive with a touchdown pass of his own.

His 32-yard strike to Nick Mercurio tied things at 7.

After Farrell senior Anthony Evangelista, the program’s all-time leading receiver, hauled in a 7-yard scoring pass to go up 13-7, Schreiber responded. He hit Atiq Lucas for a 25-yard touchdown. Nick Ferrara’s point after kick put St. Anthony’s (4-1 overall, 3-0 CHSFL) ahead for good, 14-13.

James Brady’s legacy is hard to shake. In fact, Brady is starting at Georgetown. The two-year starter at quarterback was a special player who ran the offense with ease and showed true character and grit whenever the Friars needed it most.

Schreiber stepped into the vacuum left by Brady and never looked back.

But Farrell (1-4) had to deal with more than Schreiber. The Friars took a 21-13 edge when senior defensive back Ryan Fumai took an interception 65 yards for a touchdown. Maryland-bound Ferrara converted a pair of field goals and four extra points.

Lucas, who added a fourth quarter touchdown run, finished with 86 yards on six carries. One week after hauling in a touchdown against Xaverian, Tim Wine added 73 yards on 6 receptions.

St. Anthony’s coach Rich Reichert reportedly wasn’t happy with his team’s execution. But he’ll take the win anyway, the 175th of his career. Reichert, in his 22nd season, is 175-45-3 (.795 winning percentage). Just one coach in CHSFL history has 200 wins.

The victory also sets up a showdown for first place with another Staten Island power in St. Joseph by the Sea, currently ranked fifth in the state by NYSSWA, one spot ahead of the Friars. Sea (3-0, 2-0) faces Chaminade in Mineola on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and then hosts the Friars next Saturday.

NOTE: No photos this week.

– JASON MOLINET

 
SCORING
TEAMS ……………………….1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Anthony’s…………………0…24…..7…10 — 41
Farrell…………………………0…13……7.….7 — 27
F — Derbyshire 3 run (Evangelista kick)
SA – Mercurio 32 pass from Schreiber (Ferrara kick)
F – Evangelista 7 pass from Derbyshire (kick failed)
SA – Lucas 25 pass from Schreiber (Ferrera kick)
SA — Fumai 65 INT return (Ferrara kick)
SA – FG 27 Ferrara
F – Boshnack 48 pass from Derbyshire (Evangelista kick)
SA – Lucas 40 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — FG 24 Ferrara
SA – O’Malley 14 run (Signa kick)
F — Evangelista 27 pass from Derbyshire (Evangelista kick)

9-28-08 XAVERIAN 38-14 W

Friars special teamer Benjamin Aloi scores on a 70-yard kickoff return. [PHOTO BY JAMES ESCHER]

BY JASON MOLINET

No sooner had the ball been kicked into play than it found the hands of junior up man Benjamin Aloi. The St. Anthony’s special teamer did what anyone would with 11 opposing players closing in.

He ran.

Aloi broke free down the left sideline before being corralled at the Xaverian 27-yard line. His 40-yard return set up the Friars’ first possession of the game nicely. And it underscored just how potent the St. Anthony’s return game has become this season.

Aloi may not be a marquee name. But his contributions were as significant as anyone’s in Sunday’s 38-14 win over Xaverian in a CHSFL football game before a homecoming crowd of 3,000 at Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington.

Not only did St. Anthony’s capitalize on the prime field position Aloi gave the offense to open the game — Chris Carberry would eventually score on a 1-yard run — but Aloi struck again just before halftime. He grabbed another squib kick and raced 70 yards for a touchdown. Nick Ferrara added the extra point for a commanding 28-7 lead.

The kickoff return for a score was the third in as many weeks for the Friars. Atiq Lucas provided the first two. Which is why the Xaverian coaching staff opted not to kick in his direction. It didn’t matter.

And Lucas still made his presence felt with two catches for 40 yards and a 3-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter.

Once again, junior quarterback Tom Schreiber made all the right moves. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 248 yards, highlighted by a 41-yard touchdown strike to Tim Wine in a 14-point first quarter.

Xaverian senior quarterback Najee Tyler, a Division I recruit with all the size and tools, beat the Friars deep at times. He ran for a 2-yard score and tossed a 62-yard touchdown. The Friars also intercepted Tyler twice. In the end, he was not enough.

But the Friars (3-1 overall, 2-0 CHSFL) do have trouble ahead in the form of four straight road games. Back-to-back trips to Staten Island await. Traditional rival Farrell is up next at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

Nothing has thrown these Friars for a loss yet. Not the postponement of homecoming. (The game was moved from Friday to Sunday because of weather). Not the strong-armed Tyler. And certainly not Xaverian’s attempt to negate the Friars’ special teams.

Just ask Benjamin Aloi, the Friars’ unheralded star on homecoming Sunday.

SCORE
TEAM……………1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
Xaverian………..0….14…..0…..0 — 14
St. Anthony’s….14….17…..0…..7 — 38
SA — Carberry 1 run (Ferrara kick)
SA – Wine 41 pass from Schreiber (Ferrara kick)
SA – Mercurio 1 run (Ferrara kick)
X — Tyler 2 run (Petrie kick)
SA – Aloi 70 kickoff (Ferrara kick)
X — Mistretta 62 pass from Tyler (Petrie kick)
SA – FG 37 Ferrara
SA – Lucas 3 run (Ferrara kick)

9-19-08 HOLY TRINITY 62-13 W

St. Anthony’s quarterback Tom Schreiber runs away from the Titans defense. [PHOTO BY JAMES ESCHER]

BY JASON MOLINET

A throbbing headache forced Atiq Lucas to shut down early. As much of an impact as the senior running back made — is there a better player in the state in open space? — he was just one playmaker in an arsenal full at the fingertips of offensive coordinator Fred Gallagher.

St. Anthony’s was on a roll Friday night at Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington, and it’s doubtful anything could have stopped the Friars. With MSG, ESPN radio and Newsday on hand, CHSFL rival Holy Trinity showed it wasn’t up to the task.

The result was a lopsided 62-13 Friars win. St. Anthony’s put the hammer down for the second straight week.

Lucas helped the Friars take a 34-13 lead into halftime with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown — his second in as many weeks — and a 50-yard scoring run. But in the end, seven different players reached the end zone for the Friars. Lucas was just one element of a downright scary juggernaut.

One player settling into his role better than anyone could have expected is junior quarterback Tom Schreiber. He had the unenviable task of replacing 2007 CHSFL offensive player of the year James Brady.

And he’s done it. Schreiber completed 6 of 10 passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 78 yards on eight carries and two more scores as host St. Anthony’s (2-1, 1-0) overpowered rival Holy Trinity. By the way, those numbers reflect three quarters of work.

But if the Titans (2-1 overall, 0-1 CHSFL) took something from an otherwise forgettable night, it was the performance of first-year starter Robert Morrisey, who completed 9 of 28 passes for 126 yards and touchdown passes of 46 and 12 yards.

Morrisey was also at the center of the play of the night. With St. Anthony’s ahead 28-13 late in the second quarter, Holy Trinity drove 57 yards to the Friars’ 8-yard line. But on fourth-and-4, Morrisey took the snap, rolled right — and got leveled from behind by St. Anthony’s senior defensive end Rafiq Wallace.

So a chance to keep the pressure on disappeared. And when Friars junior quarterback Tom Schreiber tossed a 35-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive, so did all hope of beating the Friars.

MVP
How about the entire defensive front? Wallace gets credit for the most bone-jarring hit, but junior Robert “Bubba” Welsh looked impressive for the second straight week. And what can we say about backup Eric Peccia? The 5-8, 190-pound senior is a second teammer only because of his size, but he’s shown the drive of someone much bigger. Peccia swooped in and picked up a fumbled pitch and rumbled 19 yards for a touchdown. Did we mention that the Friars held one of the league’s most dangerous backs to under 100 yards? Yeah, these guys were MVPs.

KEY PLAY
The game’s first three offensive plays were all Schreiber. He froze the Holy Trinity defense when he rolled left and then took off for an 8-yard gain. Then came a 32-yard strike to Timothy Wine down to the Titans’27. Finally, Schreiber took the snap, dropped back, shook off a would-be tackler in the backfield and jetted through a crack on the right side for a 27-yard touchdown. I doubt Rich Reichert drew it up that way, but it was masterful execution.

SCORING
Team……………..1……2…..3…..4 — F
Holy Trinity………7……6…..0…..0 — 13
St. Anthony’s…..21….13….21…..7 — 62
SA — Schreiber 27 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — Schreiber 16 run (Ferrara kick)
HT – Johnson 46 pass from Morrisey (Dreiss kick)
SA – Lucas 90 kickoff return (Ferrara kick)
SA — Lucas 50 run (Ferrara kick)
HT — Walsh 12 pass from Morrisey (run failed)
SA — Schroeder 35 pass from Schreiber (kick failed)
SA – Carberry 12 run (Ferrara kick)
SA – Fiorvanti 33 pass from Schreiber (Ferrara kick)
SA — Corley-Woods 43 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — Peccia 19 fumble recovery (Ferrara kick)

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