Schreiber Undergoes Surgery

St. Anthony’s junior quarterback Tom Schreiber underwent surgery to repair a spiral fracture of the fibula on Sunday at Winthrop University Hospital in Garden City. Schreiber was injured in the first quarter of Friday’s CHSFL Class AAA quarterfinal game against St. Francis Prep. We at Friar Sports.com wish him a speedy recovery.

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

Football Preview: St. Joseph Sea

It will be up to St. Anthony’s linebackers such as Storm Harris to stop the Vikings.

BY JASON MOLINET

One down. Three to go. The St. Anthony’s football team is in the midst of a brutal four-game stretch of road games. And not just any opponents. After dispatching Farrell last week, the Friars return to Staten Island to face St. Joseph by the Sea.

The game is 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. (At least the traffic on the Verrazano Bridge should be light.) And while St. Anthony’s (4-1 overall, 3-0 CHSFL) can’t afford to look ahead, showdowns with Chaminade and Iona Prep await.

This week is all about the Vikings. St. Joe’s (3-1, 2-1) was unbeaten and ranked ahead of St. Anthony’s by the state Sportswriters Association just one week ago. Chaminade jumped on the Vikings early and scored a 31-14 knockout.

That bodes well for the explosive Friars, who have outscored foes 55-21 in the first quarter and 71-33 in the second so far this season.

The defense stepped up and shut down the Vikings’ often-times confounding single wing offense a year ago. The Friars will need a similar effort to slow the Vikings’ impressive ground attack. Lyle McCombs and Andrew Armarto have each rushed for at least 500 yards and five touchdowns this season.

The Vikings are one-dimensional. But they will have to stop a St. Anthony’s team that’s scored on special teams, and with the run and pass. Get Atiq Lucas in open space and he’ll break a big play. Junior Tom Schreiber — who Newsday’s Gregg Sarra called the top quarterback on Long Island this week — has great field awareness.

It all adds up to another Friars win. And a long bus ride home.

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)

9-13-08 DELBARTON 52-14 W

Friars quarterback Tom Schreiber made his home debut a memorable one.

BY JASON MOLINET


There was a moment when doubt crept into the mind of junior quarterback Tom Schreiber. One week after the St. Anthony’s offense struggled to move the ball in a downpour against nationally-ranked St. Joseph Prep in Philadelphia, the Friars found itself challenged once again.

New Jersey power Delbarton had threatened to turn Cy Donnelly Field into its own private retreat. There was the RV in the parking lot, a hub for tailgating Green Wave fans. And the painted teenagers in the stands made their presence known. But that was all just window dressing to what Delbarton did on the field.

Barely five minutes into Saturday night’s non-league football showdown in South Huntington, quarterback E.J. Schneider threw a short touchdown pass to put the Green Wave in front 14-7. Could St. Anthony’s keep up? Schreiber, making just his second career start, wondered. So did virtually everyone else among the crowd of 2500.

Boy, did St. Anthony’s ever respond. Schreiber threw two touchdowns and senior Atiq Lucas found the end zone three times as the Friars scored the game’s final 45 points in a stunning 52-14 victory. But there’s no time to enjoy the offensive output.

The CHSFL schedule begins with a big date with rival Holy Trinity at 7 p.m. Friday.

Schreiber’s night began ominously enough. He threw an interception to end the first series of the game and give Delbarton the ball at the Friars’ 17-yard line.

But after the Green Wave scored, Lucas took back the momentum with an electric 84-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Nick Ferrara, who missed last week’s game with a foot injury, kicked the first of seven extra points to tie things at 7.

Schneider hooked up on a 79-yard pass to set up another Delbarton score.

“I was a little worried to be honest,’’ said Schreiber, who completed 5 of 9 passes for 187 yards and two scores. “But we responded. Big time!”

As if shot out of a cannon, senior running back Kevin O’Malley took the first carry of the next possession 69 yards to the end zone. Once again, the Friars had answered.

The turning point came late in the opening quarter when linebacker John Burk reached out and pulled in an interception, giving St. Anthony’s the ball at the Delbarton 23-yard line. Junior Nicholas Flynn scored on a 1-yard run four plays later for a 21-14 edge.

With Delbarton driving, the Friars’ Ryan Fumai hauled in an interception near the goal line. It was the first of two picks for the senior defensive back.

St. Anthony’s responded with a crushing blow. Schreiber found Lucas open behind the coverage and the fleet back did the rest, turning the hookup into a 69-yard touchdown pass for a 28-14 lead with 7:58 left in the half.

It was a laugher from there.

MVP
One week after St. Joseph Prep (Penn.) shut down Atiq Lucas, the speedy senior back managed just 1 yard on three carries against Delbarton (N.J.). Really! Lucas might not have carried the load out of the backfield, but he found other ways to impact the game. First off was his 84-yard kickoff return for the Friars’ first touchdown. Then Lucas broke a 69-yard score on a catch and run. He also added a 3-yard touchdown run. His rushing stat line might not look impressive, but performances don’t come much bigger.

KEY PLAY
Any of Lucas’ three scores might fit the bill. But nothing was more jaw dropping than watching unheralded senior Kevin O’Malley burst through the line and jet through the Delbarton secondary en route to a 69-yard touchdown run. It helped forge a tie at 14 and change the dynamic of the game.

SCORING
TEAM…………………..…1……2…..3…….4 — FINAL
Delbarton (N.J.)………….14…..0…..0…….0 — 14
St. Anthony’s……………14…17…21…….0 — 52
DEL – NA 1 run (NA kick)
SA – Lucas 84 kickoff return (Ferrara kick)
DEL – NA 1 pass from Schneider (NA kick)
SA – O’Malley 69 run (Ferrara kick)
SA – Flynn 1 run (Ferrara kick)
SA – Lucas 69 pass from Schreiber (Ferrara kick)
SA – FG 30 Ferrara
SA – Fiorvanti 64 pass from Schreiber (Ferrara kick)
SA – Lucas 3 run (Ferrara kick)
SA – Carberry 14 run (Ferrara kick)