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)

Football Preview: Iona Prep

The Friars play for their eighth straight CHSFL title.

BY JASON MOLINET

Once again, St. Anthony’s is playing for the CHSFL Class AAA title. The season ends Saturday one way or another. This situation feels similar to a year ago when the Friars faced off against the one team that tripped them up during the regular season.

Last season St. Anthony’s avenged a crushing Week 3 loss to Mount St. Michael with a memorable come-from-behind victory over the Mountaineers in the final. One year later and the Friars are hoping to work the same magic against Iona Prep, which downed St. Anthony’s 41-21 on Oct. 25.

There is one big difference between this season and last. St. Anthony’s was at full strength by the time it reached Hofstra. When the No. 2 Friars (9-2) face off against top-seeded Iona Prep (11-0) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Mitchel Athletic Complex, it will be without the team’s top two offensive stars. (The game will be broadcast live over the Internet by http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/1050espnradio/)

No Atiq Lucas or Tom Schreiber (each sidelined with broken legs) has robbed an offense of its fire. And while the Friars have proven to be remarkably deep and resiliant, the losses have been felt.

Junior Brendan Schroeder, who opened fall practice as the third quarterback, will make his second straight start. He’ll need to lean on senior running back Nick Mercurio, a threat running or catching the ball. And the offensive line will need a big game.

As St. Anthony’s plays for its eighth straight CHSFL title, there’s no doubt the coaching staff will cook up a winning game plan. The offense will score.

The real question is whether the defense can slow Iona Prep. The Gaels have piled up a division-high 372 points (Class AA team Xavier posted an insane 458).

When the teams met Week 8 in Westchester, the Gaels 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. The defense couldn’t contain the shifty quarterback.

Running back Jeff Mack finished off the Friars, running strong in the fourth quarter. Another threat St. Anthony’s has struggled to contain this season — and in a semifinal win a year ago — is wideout Chris Alfano.

All of which means the Friars need to execute at all three levels, from the defensive line to the linebackers to the secondary. The linebackers and safeties, in particular, will need to make all the right decisions. That means denying Woodson-Samuels running lanes; stringing him out. And for the safeties, aggressively supporting against the run.

It’s a tall order. But in the world of high school sports, all things are possible. And when it comes to the Friars, the possible becomes probable.

NOTE: This is the final game coverage for Friar Sports.com. We are ceasing publication.

Honoring Lucas

Chris Carberry has Atiq Lucas on his mind.

BY JASON MOLINET

Because of the weather and travel involved, the St. Anthony’s coaching staff recommended that Atiq Lucas stay home on Saturday. But Lucas was still very much with the Friars as they took on Iona Prep in New Rochelle.

It’s been an emotional week. Lucas, a senior running back, broke his right leg in a Week 7 win over Chaminade. He underwent surgery last Sunday and was released from the hospital on Tuesday.

Lucas and his parents returned to the school for the Thursday night practice. He was in a wheelchair at Cy Donnelly Field. It was one of the few times all year Lucas couldn’t escape the rush. That’s because the entire team reportedly took turns giving Lucas a hug.

Lucas is expected to make a full recovery. But his football season is done.

To honor their teammate, St. Anthony’s added Lucas’ No. 30 to the backs of their black helmets. Some even scawled the number on their eye black patches.

And as the game progressed, it was clear the Friars missed the breakaway threat. It had been suggested that St. Anthony’s could sustain the loss of Lucas because of its unusual depth in the backfield. The Iona Prep game, a rare 41-21 loss, proved that Lucas can’t be replaced.

10-25-08 @Iona Prep 21-3 W

St. Anthony’s beat host Iona Prep, 21-3, in a CHSFL JV football game.

10-25-08 IONA PREP 42-14 W

St. Anthony’s beat Iona Prep, 42-14, in a CHSFL freshmen football game.

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)

Football Preview: Iona Prep

Not only has the St. Anthony’s football team been forced to deal with the emotional fallout this week of losing its most dynamic and well-liked player in senior running back Atiq Lucas, who broke his leg in Saturday’s win over Chaminade. But how do you replace someone who has proven to be a threat running the ball, catching the ball and as a return man?

That’s the challenge Saturday against unbeaten Iona Prep. Friars coach Rich Reichert said Nicholas Flynn and Jaffrea Corley-Woods would get more playing time as a result. But the reality is running back is the deepest position on a talented team. Senior Nick Mercurio and Chris Carberry will be the featured backs with Mercurio proving particularly dangerous catching passes out of the backfield.

The real question this week is the health of junior quarterback Tom Schreiber. He hurt his knee in the fourth quarter against Chaminade and did not return. Schreiber is expected to play, but quarterback is one position that’s already taken a hit. Preseason backup James D’Aprile was lost for the season with a back injury before the first game.

That said, this one is all about the defense. The Friars (6-1 overall, 5-0 CHSFL) are on the road for the fourth straight week, facing Iona Prep (7-0, 5-0) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in New Rochelle.

The secondary had been playing injured. But cornerback Matt Metalios and safety Ryan Fumai are expected to be close to full strength. They will be tested in run support and against the pass. Iona Prep might be the most complete offense the Friars have faced.

Remember Chris Alfano? The wideout proved impossible to cover in last season’s 23-20 semifinal won. Alfano caught touchdown passes of 35 and 62 yards. He’s now a senior and just as fast.

And the Gaels got a four-touchdown performance last week from running back Jeff Mack in a 27-12 win over Holy Trinity. Quarterback Tyrae Woodson-Samuels left the game with a concussion, but he is expected to play against St. Anthony’s. The undersized signal caller has proved to be deadly accurate.

The winner likely locks up the top seed in the CHSFL Class AAA with one game left in the regular season. As if the Friars didn’t have enough motivation, no doubt they will dedicate the Iona Prep game to Lucas. This one should be emotional.

– JASON MOLINET