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.

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

Bad Break For Lucas

Atiq Lucas has scored nine touchdowns in six games.

BY JASON MOLINET

Atiq Lucas was expected to be released from Winthrop University Hospital in Garden City on Tuesday night, three days after suffering a broken leg in the first quarter of Saturday’s 24-6 win over rival Chaminade, according to St. Anthony’s coach Rich Reichert.

The senior running back, one of the top prospects on Long Island, suffered a broken right tibia and fibula when a Chaminade defender fell awkwardly on the leg. Lucas gained 4 yards and a first down before hitting the turf in pain at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale.

Lucas lay on the field for 25 minutes as both benches took a knee and the crowd grew silent.

“The first thing is you feel horrible for the kid,’’ offensive coordinator Fred Gallagher said. “Then you think, ‘Where do we go from here?’’’

St. Anthony’s and its deep backfield should be just fine. By all accounts, so should Lucas.

The school’s principal, Bro. Gary Cregan, accompanied Lucas as he was transported by ambulance. The 5-11, 185-pound Lucas underwent surgery on Sunday. A rod was inserted into the leg, Reichert said.

“It was a clean break and the doctor was happy with the surgery,’’ Reichert said. “They said he should be running again in February.’’

The rehabilitation process has already begun.

Gallagher visited Lucas in the hospital on Monday and the teen has just finished his first rehab session. No one felt worse seeing Lucas hobbled and in pain than Gallagher, who watched him grow into a feared playmaker.

Inronically, Lucas got his chance to shine as a junior when Chris Carberry was lost for the season Week 4. Lucas developed into a scoring threat and scored a 25-yard touchdown run in the championship win over Mount St. Michael.

“This is horrible,’’ Gallagher said. “He’s someone who did everything you asked. He was at speed and weight training on Wednesdays and Sundays over the summer. His enthusiasm was contagious. He set an example and each week more and more players showed up.’’

That dedication should help Lucas, who accounted for five rushing, two receiving and two kickoff returns for touchdowns in six games, recover quickly. As for his future, Reichert said the back has a strong enough body of work to remain a legitimate college recruit.

As for the Friars, there hasn’t been much time to dwell on the loss of the team’s most dynamic player. The biggest game of the season to date looms. St. Anthony’s hits the road for the fourth straight week to face 7-0 Iona Prep at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Westchester.

That doesn’t mean Lucas has been forgotten. Far from it.

“We told the kids to stay away from the hospital to let him rest,’’ Reichert said. “The kids all went and saw him anyway. [Lucas] was feeling down. So it was a good thing.’’

The Friars have a new rallying cry. Atiq Lucas may no longer be able to carry the team physically, but he should serve as an inspiration to them all. That may carry the Friars far indeed.

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)

Reichert Nears Milestone

St. Anthony’s coach Rich Reichert.

BY JASON MOLINET

Rich Reichert recorded his 175th career win last Saturday. It was a signpost on the road toward another championship, just another way to mark the success that is St. Anthony’s football.

While the Friars (4-1) face their toughest CHSFL test yet with a Sunday 1:30 p.m. date in Staten Island with 4-1 St. Joseph by the Sea, another road win would tie Reichert for fourth place on the Suffolk all-time football wins list.

Reichert, 56, is 175-45-3 in 22 seasons at St. Anthony’s, good for a .795 winning percentage.

With another win, he’ll tie Seton Hall of Patchogue coach Henry Read. That’s significant because before there was St. Anthony’s, Seton Hall was the Suffolk private school football power. And Read was its only coach, guiding the Eagles from 1940-73.

In fact, Reichert was a member of the inaugural Friars football team in 1967 and actually faced Seton Hall. St. Anthony’s lost it’s first five meetings to Seton Hall and Read. Seton Hall is 5-2 all-time against the Friars, one of the few programs with a winning record.

So whenever Reichert does get won No. 176, he and the program will have come full circle. Longtime Comsewogue coach Tom Cassese is the winningest coach in Suffolk history with 209 victories.

At his current pace, Reichert could catch Cassese by the end of the 2011 season. Where does Reichert stand elsewhere? He’s second in CHSFL history behind St. Francis Prep’s Vinnie O’Connor (316). But O’Connor, in his 55th season, is 3-1 and has shown no signs of slowing down. The Long Island and state record belongs to Bethpage’s Howie Vogts, who has 355 wins.

SUFFOLK’S WINNINGEST FOOTBALL COACHES
COACH……………SCHOOL………….YEARS……………………WINS
Tom Cassese……Comsewogue……1973-2006……………….209 
*Joe Cipp Jr……….Bellport…………..1976-92, 1996-2008……193
Fred Fusaro………Sachem…………..1971-2002……………….192 
Henry Read………Seton Hall………..1940-73………………….176
*Rich Reichert……St. Anthony’s…….1987-2008……………….175
* NOTE: Active  

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)

Football Preview: Farrell

St. Anthony’s is rolling. And it’s a good thing: The Friars (3-1 overall, 2-0 CHSFL) will be road warriors over the next month, starting with back-to-back trips to Staten Island.

Good news for the Friars: Junior quarterback Tom Schreiber appears to be the real deal, at ease in the pocket, running and a crisp passer. He’s also made smart decisions so far. The running hasn’t overpowered, but it hasn’t been asked to either. It’s gotten the job done in short yardage situations.

The defense is strong up front, led by Rafiq Wallace and Robert Welsh. St. Anthony’s has been burned deep, but few teams have a better secondary.

Special teams play has also be exceptional, from the return game powered by Atiq Lucas to the kicking duties manned by Maryland-bound Nick Ferrara.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Farrell (1-3, 0-2), coming off a 19-13 loss to Mount St. Michael. According to several reports, the entire Farrell backfield is in flux. Jonathan Derbyshire made his first start at quarterback last week, moving former starter Paul Barchitta to running back and former running back Marco Boshnack to wideout. Got that?

The big concern in this one is fact the Friars are playing on the road. The game is 7 p.m. Saturday in Staten Island at Alumni Stadum at DiTommaso Field, a field turf sports complex. Of course, turf might help the fleet Friars.

The Fariars are 23-12-2 all-time against Farrell and haven’t lost in the series since the 2000 title game. Incidentally, Rich Reichert goes for career win No. 175.

– JASON MOLINET

Game on!

Rich Reichert spent plenty of time on the phone this week with his counterpart at St. Joseph’s Prep. Even if there were no outside concerns, bussing his team to Philadelphia requires logistics worthy of a shuttle launch. But there is a big unknown hanging over Saturday’s 7 p.m. showdown. Tropical Storm Hannah threatens to make landfall in the Carolinas and then zip up the coast.

But both schools have decided to move head as scheduled. In fact, two busses filled with Friars pulled out of St. Anthony’s at 7 a.m. Friday. The idea all along was to make a weekend out of the road trip. So in that respect, Reichert is moving ahead as planned. And the game? It’s still on. We’ll keep you up to date on any changes.

Reichert Sees Son Play

While the talk of the Island might have been the anticipated clash between St. Anthony’s and Floyd, Friars coach Rich Reichert had another game on his mind. You can’t blame him. His son, Rich Reichert, a junior linebacker at American International College, was in town to face Division II rival C.W. Post. So Reichert understandably left before the end of the four-way scrimmage to see his son play. And the friars, with an army of assistants, didn’t miss a beat. By the way, AIC beat Post.

Coaches

ST. ANTHONY’S COACHES

COACH               YEARS                         W      L          T       PCT

Jack Foge              1967-1970                      17      13          2        .563

Phil Williams         1971-1975                       24      17          3        .580

Carl Johnson         1976-1979                       17      20          0        .459

Tony Antonucci    1980-1981                       12        6          0        .667

Greg Toop            1982-1986                       25      19          0        .568

Rich Reichert        1987-2007                      171      44         3         .795

Totals:                   1967-2007                     266    119          8        .691

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