11-8-08 CHSAA Intersectionals

82nd CHSAA Intersectional girls cross country championship at Van Cortland Park.

Event 1 Girls 2.5 Mile Run CC Varsity
2 Veronica Leddy 9 St. Anthony 15:12.10
4 Olicia Williams 9 St. Anthony 15:35.04
10 Sloane Russ 9 St. Anthony 16:16.25
22 Victoria Ciotti 9 St. Anthony 16:46.33
26 Erin Brady 12 St. Anthony 17:00.65
29 Erin Bayer 12 St. Anthony 17:09.54
43 Christina Machado 12 St. Anthony 17:38.01

Event 3 Girls 2.5 Mile Run CC JV Champs
1 Lauren Lavoro 9 St. Anthony 16:33.82
5 Danielle Cornell 10 St. Anthony 16:56.94
13 Kayden Becker 10 St. Anthony 17:52.12
15 Liz Fallon 9 St. Anthony 17:58.00
19 Kathleen Westervelt 10 St. Anthony 18:10.01
21 Lauren Fontana 9 St. Anthony 18:19.91
34 Nicole Krawczyk 9 St. Anthony 18:57.49
35 Genevieve Leo 10 St. Anthony 18:58.15
43 Meagan Keane 12 St. Anthony 19:14.26
50 Lauren Reinertsen 10 St. Anthony 19:32.07
53 Megan Sloan 11 St. Anthony 19:38.80
55 Samantha Duranti 9 St. Anthony 19:42.97
56 Holly Blakely 9 St. Anthony 19:44.07
57 Katerina Duarte 9 St. Anthony 19:44.77
61 Mariella Billello 9 St. Anthony 19:47.14
62 Emma Bailey 10 St. Anthony 19:48.31
65 Shannon McGahan 10 St. Anthony 19:53.30
69 Lauren Brown 10 St. Anthony 20:07.68
80 Megan Kennedy 11 St. Anthony 20:23.93
83 Taylor Glausen 10 St. Anthony 20:33.56
85 Anna Grofik 9 St. Anthony 20:41.88
86 Margaret Henfling 9 St. Anthony 20:42.19
88 Kristi Pentecoste 9 St. Anthony 20:45.03
99 Laurel Koch 10 St. Anthony 21:27.62
100 Kristen Kramer 11 St. Anthony 21:31.21
101 Erin Fay 11 St. Anthony 21:31.54
105 Sarah Jordan 12 St. Anthony 21:39.74
112 Erin White 10 St. Anthony 21:56.54
119 Molly O’Brien 12 St. Anthony 22:14.66
122 Lauren Haggerty 12 St. Anthony 22:23.79
123 Ladelyn McConnon 10 St. Anthony 22:25.10
125 Mollie Nugent 10 St. Anthony 22:38.04
130 Chelsea Strobl 12 St. Anthony 22:52.78
144 Julie Cossavella 12 St. Anthony 23:23.29
149 Victoria Cappelli 10 St. Anthony 23:38.34
158 Catherine Root 9 St. Anthony 24:00.17
176 Alexa Vranick 10 St. Anthony 26:12.34
178 Veronica Cruz 10 St. Anthony 26:41.48

Event 1 Girls 2.5 Mile Run CC Varsity
Team Scores
=================================================================================
Rank Team Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9
=================================================================================
1 St. John the Baptist 44 1 5 8 14 16 34 46
Total Time: 1:18:21.12
Average: 15:40.23
2 Saint Anthony’s 64 2 4 10 22 26 29 43
Total Time: 1:20:50.37
Average: 16:10.08
3 St. John Villa Academy 79 9 13 15 17 25 30 33
Total Time: 1:22:45.96
Average: 16:33.20
4 Kellenberg 135 3 20 32 38 42 52 110
Total Time: 1:24:29.75
Average: 16:53.95
5 Notre Dame Academy 196 19 35 41 44 57 76 101
Total Time: 1:27:24.31
Average: 17:28.87
6 Holy Trinity 231 6 23 45 64 93 114 115
Total Time: 1:29:11.14
Average: 17:50.23
7 Sacred Heart Academy 248 7 21 58 77 85 95 121
Total Time: 1:29:57.96
Average: 17:59.60
8 St. Joseph by the Sea 264 18 36 60 71 79 81 108
Total Time: 1:30:57.55
Average: 18:11.51
9 Archbishop Molloy 276 37 51 56 63 69 70 78
Total Time: 1:31:17.84
Average: 18:15.57
10 Bishop Kearney 286 24 27 28 94 113 140 141
Total Time: 1:32:15.32
Average: 18:27.07
11 Our Lady of Mercy Academy 290 48 49 53 67 73 116
Total Time: 1:32:06.59
Average: 18:25.32
12 St. Francis Prep 304 12 65 68 72 87 109 138
Total Time: 1:33:05.43
Average: 18:37.09
13 Bishop Ford 307 11 40 75 83 98
Total Time: 1:32:48.54
Average: 18:33.71
14 St. Peter’s 331 54 55 66 74 82 91 119
Total Time: 1:33:59.24
Average: 18:47.85
15 St. Joseph Hill Academy 438 47 50 99 120 122 123 125
Total Time: 1:39:45.00
Average: 19:57.00
16 Mary Louis Academy 443 59 84 89 104 107 118 124
Total Time: 1:38:47.94
Average: 19:45.59
17 Bishop Loughlin 463 61 92 96 97 117 131
Total Time: 1:39:47.00
Average: 19:57.40
18 Catherine McAuley 471 31 39 127 135 139
Total Time: 1:43:49.77
Average: 20:45.96
19 Cardinal Spellman 484 62 88 103 105 126
Total Time: 1:41:26.42
Average: 20:17.29
20 Moore Catholic 501 86 90 102 111 112 128 137
Total Time: 1:42:02.90
Average: 20:24.58
21 Christ The King 550 80 100 106 130 134 136 143
Total Time: 1:45:56.94
Average: 21:11.39

11-8-08 CHSAA Intersectionals

82nd CHSAA Intersectional cross country championship at Van Cortland Park.

Event 2 Boys 2.5 Mile Run CC Varsity
8 Patrick Murphy 11 St. Anthony 13:22.99
9 Todd Sather 12 St. Anthony 13:23.96
13 Kenneth Walshak 11 St. Anthony 13:35.04
16 Robert Cherkis 12 St. Anthony 13:41.71
39 David Kenney 12 St. Anthony 14:01.11
44 Thomas Flynn 10 St. Anthony 14:03.93
68 Matthew Fortino 10 St. Anthony 14:25.92

Event 4 Boys 2.5 Mile Run CC JV B
2 Brandon Keany 11 St. Anthony 14:05.36
8 Robert Tassey 11 St. Anthony 14:19.09
12 Nicholas Brennan 11 St. Anthony 14:23.41
17 Colin Davis 10 St. Anthony 14:36.06
25 James Krawczyk 10 St. Anthony 14:47.05
27 Joseph Lunger 10 St. Anthony 14:53.35
28 Marc Saracino 10 St. Anthony 14:54.94

Event 5 Boys 2.5 Mile Run CC JV B Race
3 Michael Azzara 12 St. Anthony 14:36.19
5 Matthew Nock 9 St. Anthony 14:43.64
7 Tyler DeRubio 11 St. Anthony 14:48.95
9 Jarad Sassone-McHugh 11 St. Anthony 14:54.56
13 Justin Therry 11 St. Anthony 15:03.38
14 Matthew Coloe 12 St. Anthony 15:04.03
17 Nicholas Mazzucca 10 St. Anthony 15:06.40
19 John Leo 12 St. Anthony 15:10.58
21 Brandon Meisner 11 St. Anthony 15:11.90
22 Nicholas Kaufmann 10 St. Anthony 15:12.52
29 Brian Smith 9 St. Anthony 15:21.91
33 Dylan Black 11 St. Anthony 15:23.55
39 Payton Hazzard 10 St. Anthony 15:26.50
41 Casey French 10 St. Anthony 15:27.74
44 Brendan Gallagher 9 St. Anthony 15:28.97
46 Matthew Bruinooge 10 St. Anthony 15:30.38
54 Thomas Thieke 10 St. Anthony 15:36.73
57 Ian Storck 10 St. Anthony 15:40.17
58 Robert Ferrara 9 St. Anthony 15:41.44
60 Anthony Musacchio 10 St. Anthony 15:44.37
64 Nicholas Sclafani 11 St. Anthony 15:47.61
69 Sean Leng Smith 10 St. Anthony 15:50.40
72 Eric Mattesich 10 St. Anthony 15:52.16
73 Ryan Gotkin 11 St. Anthony 15:52.82
76 Daniel Meehan 9 St. Anthony 15:55.24
79 Cathal Schlageter 10 St. Anthony 15:58.55
88 Luke Graci 11 St. Anthony 16:04.06
102 Matthew Murmello 11 St. Anthony 16:16.46
109 Frank Segreto 9 St. Anthony 16:25.36
111 Keith Vita 9 St. Anthony 16:26.53
116 Kevin Kreider 9 St. Anthony 16:31.00
126 Matthew Pluhowski 9 St. Anthony 16:39.26
131 Jonathan Licandro 10 St. Anthony 16:42.00
133 Nicholas Johnson 10 St. Anthony 16:43.71
135 Michael Volpe 11 St. Anthony 16:44.93
143 Warner Cooley III 10 St. Anthony 16:53.71
152 Jamie Calabretta 9 St. Anthony 17:00.68
175 Daniel Cronin 11 St. Anthony 17:23.27
186 Gerard Nicosia 9 St. Anthony 17:31.71
190 Gene Kum 9 St. Anthony 17:35.93
194 Michael Ravella 9 St. Anthony 17:42.98
195 Frank Vulpi 9 St. Anthony 17:44.59
201 Aaron Rogers 11 St. Anthony 17:49.94
217 Nicholas Paradise 11 St. Anthony 18:04.30
220 Tom Dorotheos 11 St. Anthony 18:06.19
221 Matthew Arpino 11 St. Anthony 18:07.93
226 David Vaughns 10 St. Anthony 18:15.26
236 Christian Eybergen 9 St. Anthony 18:28.88
248 Patrick LoNigro 10 St. Anthony 18:49.26
271 Dominic Nastasi 9 St. Anthony 19:23.84
280 Peter Thompson 10 St. Anthony 19:55.54
295 Austin Seda 9 St. Anthony 20:48.87

Event 2 Boys 2.5 Mile Run CC Varsity
Team Scores
=================================================================================
Rank Team Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9
=================================================================================
1 Chaminade 51 3 7 11 12 18 27 61
Total Time: 1:07:16.52
Average: 13:27.31
2 Saint Anthony’s 85 8 9 13 16 39 44 68
Total Time: 1:08:04.81
Average: 13:36.97
3 Bishop Ford 134 1 5 22 42 64 166 167
Total Time: 1:08:31.46
Average: 13:42.30
4 Monsignor Farrell 137 10 23 26 29 49 53 71
Total Time: 1:09:15.66
Average: 13:51.14
5 Holy Trinity 180 25 31 37 41 46 104 110
Total Time: 1:09:52.56
Average: 13:58.52
6 St. Peter’s 182 4 14 43 56 65 81 82
Total Time: 1:09:29.94
Average: 13:53.99
7 Regis 201 20 33 34 51 63 94 130
Total Time: 1:10:16.91
Average: 14:03.39
8 Kellenberg 212 6 19 47 67 73 95 109
Total Time: 1:10:08.98
Average: 14:01.80
9 Iona Prep 233 2 32 60 69 70 72 190
Total Time: 1:10:09.47
Average: 14:01.90
10 Fordham Prep 233 35 36 45 58 59 74 96
Total Time: 1:10:38.50
Average: 14:07.70
11 St. John the Baptist 282 24 52 54 75 77 84 85
Total Time: 1:11:29.33
Average: 14:17.87
12 St. Joseph by the Sea 305 17 38 78 79 93 100 101
Total Time: 1:11:56.02
Average: 14:23.21
13 Xavier 306 21 50 66 83 86 102 113
Total Time: 1:11:58.31
Average: 14:23.67
14 Archbishop Molloy 397 62 76 80 87 92 103 137
Total Time: 1:13:21.32
Average: 14:40.27
15 Mount St. Michael 464 40 89 108 112 115 129 131
Total Time: 1:15:11.26
Average: 15:02.26
16 St. Francis Prep 474 15 28 123 151 157 158 160
Total Time: 1:18:04.02
Average: 15:36.81
17 Xaverian 483 48 91 105 114 125 126 133
Total Time: 1:15:50.20
Average: 15:10.04
18 Monsignor McClancy 569 97 107 117 121 127 141 148
Total Time: 1:17:54.85
Average: 15:34.97
19 St. John’s Prep 584 57 98 136 138 155 156 175
Total Time: 1:20:07.73
Average: 16:01.55
20 All Hallows 634 55 99 146 165 169
Total Time: 1:22:41.41
Average: 16:32.29
21 Cardinal Spellman 679 30 119 170 171 189 196
Total Time: 1:26:33.27
Average: 17:18.66
22 Holy Cross 688 118 120 122 154 174 201
Total Time: 1:23:17.20
Average: 16:39.44
23 Cardinal Hayes 692 90 143 147 149 163 183 195
Total Time: 1:23:43.83
Average: 16:44.77
24 Nazareth 721 88 134 135 179 185 199
Total Time: 1:26:46.60
Average: 17:21.32
25 Bishop Loughlin 731 124 139 142 162 164 178 194
Total Time: 1:25:17.34
Average: 17:03.47
26 St. Dominic 751 132 140 150 161 168 172 177
Total Time: 1:26:35.91
Average: 17:19.19
27 Cristo Rey 885 145 180 181 188 191
Total Time: 1:35:47.70
Average: 19:09.54
28 Archbishop Stepinac 896 144 173 187 192 200 202
Total Time: 1:38:05.44
Average: 19:37.09
29 Moore Catholic 909 152 176 186 197 198

Total Time: 1:39:10.80
Average: 19:50.16

11-7-08 State CHSAA Semifinal 4-0 W

The Friars take control.

BY JASON MOLINET

As the first semifinal game moved into overtime and beyond, there was a fear the long delay might impact the St. Anthony’s boys soccer team. The Friars warmed up. Then they retreated into the locker room. And then players came back out to watch as Molloy advanced past Iona Prep on penalty kicks, 4-1.

By the time the Friars took the field against CHSAA Buffalo champion Nichols, an hour had come and gone. Would it have an impact on the game?

Not on St. Anthony’s. The Friars dominated from start to finish, controlling the midfield in a 4-0 win late Friday in state CHSAA boys soccer semifinal at Adelphi in Garden City. Junior Nick Masotto scored twice and Nichols didn’t manage a shot on goal until the game’s final 1:05.

Call it complete domination. In fact, starting goalkeeper Alex Naples could do nothing more than clap on his teammates. Now St. Anthony’s (19-0-1), ranked second in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, plays Molloy for the state title at 3 p.m. Sunday at Adelphi.

“They weren’t ready for our style of play,’’ said midfielder Mike Valencia, who recorded two assists. “They were just chasing us. You could hear them getting winded after just 10 minutes.’’

Masotto got things going with 21:19 left in the opening half.

It was still 1-0 early in the second half. Keith Jecewiz pressed Nichols with two great drives. The first was a flick over the charging keeper just 30 seconds into the second half. But the ball sailed just over the crossbar. Jecewiz got the ball with a shot on goal again just two minutes later. This time he fired a blast that the keeper absorbed in the gut.

The Friars finally broke through in the 47th minute when Greg Mallia dribbled through a pack of defenders and fired near corner from just outside the box. The ball sliced between a narrow gap between the keeper and the post for a 2-0 lead.

Masotto struck again three minutes later and the rout was on. Coach Gene Buonaiuto began wholesale substitutions moments later.

Matt Barry closed scoring with 3:58 left. It was a long night, but worth the wait.

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)

NSCAA/adidas Boys Soccer Rankings

Rank	School	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Sacramento Jesuit (Carmichael, Calif.)	1	25  -  0  -  1
2	St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.)	2	18  -  0  -  1
3	Norfolk Academy (Norfolk, Va.)	3	22  -  0  -  0
4	Reitz Memorial (Evansville, Ind.) *	5	23  -  0  -  2
5	St. Benedict’s Prep (Newark, N.J.)	4	19  -  1  -  0
6	Saint Louis University High (St. Louis, Mo.)	6	24  -  2  -  0
7	Guilford (Conn.)	9	16  -  0  -  0
8	Marquette University High (Milwaukee, Wis.)	7	21  -  2  -  1
9	Brentwood (N.Y.)	8	19  -  0  -  0
10	Gonzaga College (Washington, D.C.)	10	20  -  1  -  2
11	La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.)	19	20  -  2  -  0
12	Downingtown West (Downingtown, Pa.)	RV	22  -  1  -  0
13	New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.)	14	19  -  1  -  1
14	St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio)	13	17  -  1  -  3
15	Glastonbury (Conn.)	15	15  -  0  -  1
16	East Kentwood (Mich.) *	22	23  -  1  -  3
17	Guilderland (Guilderland Center, N.Y.)	18	20  -  0  -  0
18	St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.)	20	20  -  1  -  0
19	Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)	RV	16  -  0  -  3
20	The Pingry School (Martinsville, N.J.)	RV	14  -  0  -  1
21	Episcopal (Alexandria, Va.)	24	20  -  0  -  0
22	Osseo (Minn.) *	RV	19  -  2  -  2
23	La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.)	RV	19  -  0  -  2
24	Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.)	21	16  -  2  -  0
25	Beacon School (New York, N.Y.)	25	16  -  0  -  1

State Football Rankings

Boys Cross Country: Buckley Rankings

The Kevin Buckley Rankings
CHSAA Cross Country Team Rankings

The Buckley Rankings (City Champs Edition)

A. The first set of rankings come directly from “Tullyrunners Speed Ratings” (combining top two performances by the runner); each runner then gets a placing based on the numbers (runners beyond 7th athlete are displaced…all those Chaminade, St.Anthony’s & Farrell runners who are better than your 4th & 5th guy; if “back scorers” did not get a speed rating, I added 10 points for the next scorer, and 20 points for last scorer (if there is no 4th scorer with a ranking)(if you can somegow figure out this byzantine scoring method
than we can move on.org)

B. The next set of rankings is based on my biases and handicapping predictions (this is from the same man who predicted Dewey over Truman, and Mitt Romney)(my last winner at the racetrack was Bucephalus, owned, trained and ridden by Alexander the Great)

A. Tully Runners/Buckley Nonsense:
1. Chaminade (68)
2. St.Anthony’s (79)
3. Monsignor Farrell (117)
4. Fordham Prep (178)
5. St.Peter’s (179)
6. Kellenberg Memorial (180)
7. Bishop Ford (182)
8. Holy Trinity (194)
9. St.Joseph by the Sea (244)
10.Iona Prep (254)

B. Buckley Predictions: (if I were a betting man and these were my wagers)

1.St.Anthony’s (3-1)…the odds are good for a possible upset; lost to Chaminade in
NS Sectionals, but the pre-season favorites have enough talent to breakthrough here;
$100 to win on the Friars at 3-1 (they have a better chance than John McCain)

2.Chaminade (1-2)…odds-on logical favorite, but you won’t get rich betting on them;
Coach Carriero should have gotten the Republican nomination for the job he did thusfar
this season (”Bill” would have done better in the swing states than McCain and carries
less “baggage” than both candidates)

3.Monsignor Farrell…(12-1)…they have to finish 3rd; great balance, but not enough punch
to win this; need a nor’easter to move beyond this spot; Coach Cuffe, our future Treasury
Secretary in the Obama Administration, will not be happy about this

4.Fordham Prep (all other teams are listed in “the field” at 25-1, this is a sucker’s bet, for
nobody else has a remote chance of winning…sorry)…major disappointment of the year,
but they invariably run very well at this meet

5.Kellenberg Memorial…I must back my own team to qualify for the State Meet; the
Firebirds appear rejuvenated and angry after abyssmal showing last week; if top three
are in the top 20, then Firebirds can make it

6.Holy Trinity…why not as high as 4th???; if break up Kellenberg’s top three, they will
beat my #5; have run very well, with lesser talent, in this race in recent years

7.Bishop Ford…seen working out on back hills on Saturday; top 2 get very low numbers,
other scorers are suspect (”round up the usual suspects”)

8.Iona Prep…coming on, but I just think it is too much to ask for in this team effort;
obviously, the Tully speed ratings do not reflect the quality of the Gaels; why can’t they
even beat Fordham Prep?

9.St.Peter’s…individuals post good times at various meets, but never on the same day;
if put it all together next Saturday, outcome can be different than this prediction

10.St. Joseph by the Sea…can beat a couple of teams listed above, but not really a
state berth challenge

N.B. you can throw a blanket over teams #4 thru #9 for the two last state qualifiers; I
feel Fordham Prep has a slight advantage, but a dogfight will occur; for the losing
teams (and their coaches) there will be “a weeping and gnashing of teeth”
-special mention to John Donodeo, Dave Wood and Pat Dormer, who are always good
fodder for comedy, who failed to even get mentioned above

***all predictions/polls above come with a margin of error of 4% (this is close to the
Gallup, Rasmussen, Clear Politics, AP and Pew surveys)
***remember to “vote early and vote often” (see “swing states”)

Football Preview: St. Francis Prep

It’s playoff time for the Friars.

BY JASON MOLINET

It’s the game within the game. Two of the most respected coaches anywhere — and the two winningest coaches in CHSFL history — square off Friday night under the lights in South Huntington.

Vinnie O’Connor brings St. Francis Prep and his 317 career victories to Cy Donnelly Field to take on host St. Anthony’s and coach Rich Reichert. Reichert, 56, is 178-46-3 in 22 seasons at St. Anthony’s, good for a .795 winning percentage. O’Connor is still going strong in this, his 55th season at the helm of the Queens school.

This CHSFL Class AAA quarterfinal has added flavor. The game, at 7 p.m. Friday, may be about players popping pads, but O’Connor and Reichert are masters of the game plan. And no sport depends more on sound strategy than football.

St. Anthony’s (7-2 overall, 6-1 CHSFL) seemed to regain its edge on offense in last week’s 42-27 win over Mount St. Michael. But the defense is suffering from a late-season meltdown. After giving up all of 47 points in the first four games, the Friars have surrendered 129 points (26 per game) over the final five weeks.

One thing you can count on is for the Friars to play with purpose. St. Anthony’s is the seven-time defending league champ.

St. Francis Prep opened the season as the last of 12 teams in the Class AAA division. But after a 4-4 season, the Terriers earned the No. 7 seed in the CHSFL Class AAA playoffs, ahead of such regulars as Farrell and Holy Trinity.

The Terriers have lost three of their last four, including last week’s 47-7 thrashing at the hands of top-seeded Iona Prep. Running backs Tristan Akong and Robert Dougherty can be dangerous. Each has breakaway ability.

Just ask Holy Trinity, which got burned on a kickoff return and long touchdown run by Dougherty in Week 4.

There’s no doubt the Friars will be able to move the ball against St. Francis. And if the defense can revert to its early-season form, then St. Anthony’s should have no trouble.

But you can’t dismiss the Terriers outright. That’s because a true giant of the game patrols the opposite sideline. O’Connor’s presence alone demands respect.

11-4-08 NSCHSAA Final: Holy Trinity 3-0 W

Captains Caitlin Connelly (10) and Megan Fitzpatrick hold the championship plaque.

BY JASON MOLINET

No sooner had St. Anthony’s athletic director Don Buckley handed out the MVP plaque to junior Caitlin Connelly, she turned and walked toward the bench and fell into the arms of coach Donna Newman. Coach and player shared a long embrace as the fans around the St. Dominic gym went wild.

No one was bigger than Connelly as top-seeded St. Anthony’s earned a 25-15, 25-23, 25-13 win over No. 2 Holy Trinity to capture the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championship in girls volleyball on Tuesday night. Connelly was a force serving, hitting and on defense. She led the way with 15 kills.

“She is her own worst critic,’’ Newman said. “She wants to be 10 times better. She’s a real leader and a complete player.’’

St. Anthony’s (15-1) advances to the eight-team state CHSAA Class AA girls volleyball tournament at St. Mary’s in upstate Lancaster. Day 1 is pool play. The top two finishers in each bracket advance to Sunday’s semifinals.

Holy Trinity (13-3), the only team to beat the Friars this season, will be in Buffalo as well. The Titans are in the opposite pool, so the teams could meet again in the semifinals or title match on Sunday.

“I would like a chance to see them again,’’ Newman said. The teams met in the 2005 state final.

Everyone was preparing for a war in the league final. When the teams met on Oct. 16, the Titans earned a hard-fought victory in five games. It was the match of the year in the Catholic league.

Not so the third time. The Friars, playing in the final for the sixth straight season, jumped in front 13-6 in the first game and cruised to a 25-15 victory.

But the war was won in the second game. Holy Trinity pressed the Friars throughout. St. Anthony’s saw its lead cut to 22-22 with a block by the Titans’ taller front line. At that point, the entire tenor of the night teetered on the outcome.

The Friars closed out strong. Connelly’s kill made it 24-22. And with Mariel Metailos serving, Holy Trinity returned a long volley for the final point.

The third game was all St. Anthony’s. The Friars roared in front 9-3 and never looked back. As Connelly spiked the ball off a Holy Trinity rival and the ball bounced away for the final point of the match, the crowd on hand rushed the floor.

“This is incredible,’’ said Connelly, who was named tournament MVP on top of being named league MVP.

Metalios, one of three sophomores in the lineup, finished with 49 assists. Caroline Scalamandre had 12 kills. Megan Fitzpatrick recorded 8 kills. And Michele Impellizeri added 10 blocks and 8 kills.

The Friars have won 15 of 17 games since falling to Holy Trinity 19 days ago. Most importantly, St. Anthony’s won its sixth league title since 1991 and second in three years.

CHSFL Playoff Seeds

BY JASON MOLINET

The CHSFL football playoffs seeds are out with quarterfinal opponents set. The coaches meet Monday night to finalize dates and game times.

As expected, St. Anthony’s earned the second seed. The Friars will host No. 7 St. Francis Prep at 7 p.m. Friday at Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington. These teams didn’t meet during the regular season.

In the mean time, here are the CHSFL matchups:

Class AAA
No. 8 Mount St. Michael (3-6) at No. 1 Iona Prep (9-0)
No. 7 St. Francis Prep (4-4) at No. 2 St. Anthony’s (7-2)
No. 6 Chaminade (5-4) at No. 3 Holy Cross (5-4)
No. 5 St. Joseph by the Sea (5-3) at No. 4 Xaverian (5-3)

Class AA
No. 8 Kellenberg (6-3) at No. 1 Stepinac (4-5)
No. 7 St. Peter’s (6-3) at No. 2 Holy Trinity (4-5)
No. 6 Xavier (7-1) at No. 3 Farrell (2-7)
No. 5 St. John the Baptist (6-3) at No. 4 Fordham Prep (3-6)

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