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)

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.

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)

10-29-08 NSCHSAA Semifinal 4-0 W

Jennifer Meier had a goal and assist.

After a quiet but cold first half, No. 1 St. Anthony’s heated up. The result was a 4-0 win over No. 4 St. Francis Prep in the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA girls soccer semifinal on Wednesday night at Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington.

Junior striker Rachel Nuzzelese, back from a hamstring injury, helped her teams shake off a 12-day layoff with three second-half goals and an assist. Senior Jennifer Meier, who scored three times in the regular season finale, came back with a goal and assist against St. Francis Prep.

Nuzzelese battled through the St. Francis Prep defense and five midfielders to score on a through ball from Kerri Shannon two minutes into the second half to make it 1-0. She struck again in the 51st minute and the rout was on.

Senior goalkeeper Shannon Cosgrove made three saves to record the shutout.

The Friars (14-4-2), in the league final for the 19th time in the last 21 years, will play for the title at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Adelphi.

 
SCORING
TEAMS………………….1…..2 — FINAL
St. Francis Prep……….0…..0 — 0
St. Anthony’s…………..0…..4 — 4
GOALS — SA: Nuzzelese 3, Meier.
SAVES — SFP: Pratesi 7; SA: Cosgrove 3.

10-9-08 @St. Francis Prep 3-1 W

Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA girls soccer game at St. Francis Prep. Makeup game. St. Anthony’s won, 3-1.

10-8-08 ST. FRANCIS PREP 3-1 W

Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA girls soccer game against St. Francis Prep. St. Anthony’s won, 3-1.

9-11-08 St. Francis Prep 4:15 p.m.

Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA girls tennis match against St. Francis Prep at North Shore Tennis Club in Flushing.

10-7-08 @St. Francis Prep 4:15 p.m.

Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA girls tennis match at St. Francis Prep.

11-8-08 @St. Francis Prep 10 a.m.

CHSFL freshmen football game at St. Francis Prep.

CHSFL Bonus Action Tonight

The non-league game between CHSFL Queens rivals St. Francis Prep and Christ the King has been moved to a neutral site. The teams will play under the Friday night lights at St. Anthony’s at 7 tonight.