Friars Football: Team Effort Stops St. Joe Sea

Title: Relentless: Total Team Effort Helps Stop St. Joe Sea
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 10-20-07
Word Count: 1054

As if the anticipation couldn’t get any more intense. Homecoming. A battle for first place. An offense that’s nearly impossible to wrap your brain around. That’s just some of what St. Anthony’s football players were wrestling with in the days leading up to the biggest game of the season.

The Friars remember Staten Island upstart St. Joseph by the Sea very well. They needed a late comeback to edge the Vikings 36-35 a year ago. Their double wing running game resembles a Russian nesting doll, one layer revealing another until the back with the ball pops free.

But with severe weather expected to move across Long Island Friday evening, the principals of both schools decided to postpone the CHSFL showdown for 24 hours.

It was a prudent move, either way. St. Joe Sea had just four days to prepare after pulling off a comeback win over Iona Prep on Sunday. The last thing the Friars wanted was to try and stop the Vikings’ shifty attack in a downpour. And then there was homecoming to think about.

The decision proved right for another reason. Lightning struck in the South Huntington neighborhood Friday night, knocking out power to the surrounding area, according to athletic director Don Buckley.

In the end, Saturday night offered up the perfect atmosphere. From the early-arriving Staten Island fans tailgating in the parking lot to the capacity crowd of 2,500 on hand to cheer the homecoming court as it lapped Cy Donnelly Field in balloon-festooned golf carts.

High school events don’t get much better. Especially if you are a Friars fan. St. Anthony’s delivered on the football field too. The Friars put together their finest defensive effort and senior quarterback James Brady put points on the board. The result was a decisive 17-0 Friars win.

BRADY SHINES

After the defense forced St. Joe Sea (5-2 overall, 4-2 CHSFL) into a three-and-out on the game’s opening possession, the Friars took over at midfield. Brady completed two passes for 17 yards on the drive. But the Friars stalled at the Vikings’ 18-yard line when junior Nicholas Mercurio was dumped for a 1-yard loss on third down.

In trotted senior kicker Rich Grennen. Just minutes after presenting his mom with a bouquet — all seniors got a chance to greet their parents on the field before the game — Grennen booted a 35-yard field goal. St. Anthony’s led 3-0 with 4:44 left in the opening quarter.

The Friars moved the ball again two possessions later. This one was all Brady. He marched the offense 62 yards — much further if you count a pair of holding penalties — capped by a William Ruggiero 5-yard scoring run off the right side. Nicholas Ferrara added the point after to make it 10-0 with 7:30 left in the half.

Brady completed two passes for 65 yards on the drive, the latter a 33-yard strike to senior wideout Jack Kensil down to the Vikings’ 7. Brady also had a 25-yard scramble wiped out by penalty.

Brady finished the night completing 7 of 12 passes for 131 yards and rushing for 44 more on 12 attempts. He put the game away with 1:53 left in the third, plowing into the end zone on a 1-yard keeper for the final margin.

DEFENSE DELIVERS

So much time, energy and anxiety went into planning to stop the St. Joe by the Sea offense. The concept is amazingly simple. Aside from the occasional deep pass meant to catch defenders off guard, the Vikings run the ball through a wedge up the middle.

Understanding how to halt the opposition is one thing. Actually stopping the Vikings’ double wing is another matter. The Vikings entered the showdown as the highest scoring team in the CHSFL AAA division, averaging 34.5 points a game.

The Friars’ beefy defensive front and active linebackers and safeties were seemingly tailor-made to stuff the run. St. Anthony’s (6-1, 5-1) flexed its collective muscle early, stopping hard-running Vikings senior Patrick Brennan for no gain on third-and-2 on the opening drive of the game.

One week after holding Holy Trinity’s Anthony Brunetti to under 100 yards for the first time, St. Anthony’s limited Brennan — the league’s second-leading rusher — to 94 yards on 23 carries.

St. Joseph by the Sea managed to rush for 199 yards, but couldn’t crack the end zone. Senior safety J.B. Andreassi recovered a fumble inside the Friars’ 10-yard line and the defense stopped another potential scoring threat on downs.

The Vikings fought another foe: The clock. Its run-based offense drained the clock. That’s just fine when you are nursing a lead. But not when you trail by multiple scores. St. Joe’s was able to score the final 20 points to beat Iona Prep in OT just six days earlier. But there was no rallying against the Friars.

CLICKING

It was a signature victory. And the players celebrated accordingly, drawing the ire of St. Anthony’s coach Rich Reichert after the postgame handshake. The Friars might have locked up the top seed in the CHSFL Class AAA playoffs with one week remaining in the regular season, but there is still too much football left to savor any sense of accomplishment.

But the Friars are clearly building toward another championship run. The offense has gotten more diverse by the week. Ruggiero (69 yards on 14 carries) has emerged as the main back. Yet the Friars don’t need to depend on him or Brady for big gainers. Mercurio and junior Atiq Lucas are home run threats running or catching the ball.

And the kicking game has been a real strength. Reichert can send out either Grennen or Ferrara to hit a field goals from virtually anywhere. Add to that Ferrara’s dual threat kicking off and at punter. He usually pins the opposition deep. There’s no doubt St. Anthony’s has consistently won the field position game this season.

Aside from a first quarter meltdown against Mount St. Michael, the defense has played superbly.

With one contest remaining until the playoffs, the Friars are playing their best football. Therein lies the danger. Rival Chaminade is next. The inconsistent Flyers have close wins over Holy Trinity and Mount St. Michael and blowout losses to St. Joe Sea and Farrell.

What Chaminade team shows up Friday at 7 p.m. in South Huntington is irrelevant. How St. Anthony’s responds is all that matters.

MVP

Give defensive coordinator George McLaren credit. The double wing offense St. Joesph by the Sea runs has given foes fits. The Friars have surrendered a combined 77 points in the last two showdowns with the Vikings. This one seemed destined to go to the team that scored last. But the Friars defense put together arguably its finest performance of the year. Yes, St. Joe’s did pile up 199 rushing yards. But the Vikings registered zero passing yards as the Friars recovered a fumble inside the 10-yard line and stopped another drive on downs.

KEY PLAY

James Brady shook off a holding penalty that pushed St. Anthony’s back to the St. Joe’s 40 and two plays later hit Jack Kensil between two defenders. The ball lodged in the wideout’s facemask until he tucked it away for a 33-yard gain down to the 7. William Ruggiero scored on a 5-yard run two plays later for a 10-0 lead with 7:30 left in the first half.

SCORING

TEAM………………………1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Joseph by the Sea…0…..0…..0…..0 — 0
St. Anthony’s…………….3…..7…..7…..0 — 17
SA — FG 35 Grennen
SA — Ruggiero 5 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — Brady 1 run (Grennen kick)

Friars Football: Week 7 Preview

Title: Monday Morning Quarterback / Week 7 Preview
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 10-14-07
Word Count: 516

With all due respect to Chaminade, St. Anthony’s faces one last real challenger this regular season. People have been looking for excuses to downgrade the Friars ever since a hard-to-imagine loss to Mount St. Michael in Week 3.

Yes, the Friars stumbled badly in the Bronx. But it was one bad day. One quarter, really. St. Anthony’s picked itself off the field and went back to work. The Friars have gotten better week-by-week. Another regular season title is within reach and the Friars should go into the postseason with confidence and momentum.

That will hold true if — and only if — the Friars can get past St. Joseph by the Sea on Friday. This is a team that’s given the Friars fits before. It’s a team that MSG broadcaster Mike Quick has lauded as a darkhorse from Day 1. It’s a team that’s explosive on offense. And it’s a team — like St. Anthony’s — that suffered an embarrassing loss earlier in the season (to Staten Island rival Farrell).

Now that’s something every Friars football player can relate to. So put aside the bravado. Tone down the trash talk. You are playing a team very much like yourselves. Go out there and simply hit someone. This is the night the Friars find out who they are.

St. Joseph by the Sea at St. Anthony’s

WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: South Huntington
RECORDS: St. Anthony’s (5-1); St. Joseph by the Sea (5-1)
THE SCOOP: THIS GAME HAS BEEN POSTPONED 24 HOURS BECAUSE OF WEATHER. Staten Island upstart St. Joseph by the Sea beat Iona Prep 34-27 on Sunday. But it was anything but easy. The Vikings needed an interception in overtime to put the game away. Iona Prep actually led 27-14 in the third quarter. But St. Joseph rallied to score the game’s final 20 points. Pat Brennan rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries and has a CHSFL-best 954 yards and 10 scores. So the challenge for the Friars is a simple one: Stop Brennan. The defensive front did a good job holding Holy Trinity’s running game and Anthony Brunetti to check. The Friars will need a repeat performance. This marks just the third meeting between the schools, all since 2005. The previous two games were high-scoring affairs. So don’t expect any different here. Much of the pressure on offense will fall on Friars quarterback James Brady. What’s new? He needs to shake off his worst passing performance of the season and get everyone involved.

2006 REWIND

ST. ANTHONY’S 36, ST. JOE SEA 35
These teams combined to score 91 points in a 2005 thriller, so this Week 4 match-up spelled trouble. And trouble is what St. Anthony’s got when quarterback James Brady went down with a hamstring injury in the second quarter. The Friars trailed 35-29 late in the game when backup Anthony Gagliano put together the winning drive. He completed a 40-yard pass to Lou Loria to move into Vikings territory. Keith Shannon, who rushed for 112 yards on 22 carries, capped the heroic march with a 1-yard scoring plunge in the final minute and Mike Barbour added the decisive extra point.

Friars Football: Friars Shut Down Brunetti

Title: Run Stoppers: Friars Shut Down Brunetti, Run Away From Holy Trinity
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 10-13-07
Word Count: 1063

It was a designed draw, just as most of his runs begin. St. Anthony’s senior quarterback James Brady dropped back, bobbed on the balls of his feet as if setting up to throw and then tucked the ball under his left arm and shot up the middle through a crease.

Brady was past the line in a blink, stepped through a hand tackle and headed toward the end zone just 13 yards away. As he approached the goal line, Brady grabbed the football with his right hand and thrust it into the air.

That was the defining image of a day ruled by Brady runs and a stubborn St. Anthony’s defense. Brady scored three times to power the Friars past rival Holy Trinity, 34-14, in a key CHSFL clash Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 800 in Hicksville.

Brady’s 13-yard scoring run came with 56 seconds left. It capped another gritty performance by the hobbled senior. Brady injured his left foot against Iona Prep and hasn’t been healthy in the four weeks since.

Still, Brady was the one MSG cameras trained on and reporters quoted in the post-game confusion. The 6-1, 215-pound Brady shook off a poor passing day to rush for a season-high 114 yards on 11 carries and touchdown runs of 1, 1 and 13 yards. He also completed 5 of 12 passes for 63 yards and an interception.

FAST START

It’s always important to set the tone early — especially on the road. Like the rest of the league, Holy Trinity hadn’t beaten the Friars in recent memory. The streak was 13 in a row, dating to 1993. The Titans were hungry to stop the streak.

Then came the opening kickoff. St. Anthony’s senior return man J.B. Andreassi took the ball at the 15 and jetted up the middle, though a gap in the wedge and into open field. No one caught Andreassi. He pulled up 85 yards later and the Friars led just 12 seconds into the game. Rich Grennen’s point after attempt put St. Anthony’s in front 7-0.

The defense — along with a questionable call by Titans coach Tony Mascia — gave Brady and Co. the ball at midfield with 5:53 left in the first quarter. That’s when senior linebacker Craig Staub dropped Holy Trinity quarterback Michael Lagalante for a 10-yard loss on fourth down.

Brady extended the lead to 14-0 nine plays later with a 1-yard keeper. Another long march late in the second quarter — 73 yards on 12 plays — sent the Friars into halftime ahead 21-7.

STALLED

There will be those who claim the contest was much closer than the score indicates. But pull back the curtain and there’s an even harsher reality behind the perception.

The bottom line: Holy Trinity (2-4 overall, 2-3 CHSFL) struggled to move the ball. Sophomore sensation Anthony Brunetti entered the day with 728 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns to power the Titans. He owned five 100-yard games.

That streak was stopped by the Friars (5-1, 4-1). Holy Trinity managed 89 yards on 34 carries — good for 2.6 yards per carry — and Brunetti (67 yards on 16 attempts) was held out of the end zone.

The return of Rutgers-bound defensive tackle Scott Vallone helped. Winless Xaverian rushed for 147 yards against the Friars. But that was with Vallone sidelined by a neck injury. His presence, along with the Friars’ swarming linebackers, did a solid job of bottling up the Titans.

Holy Trinity’s first score was aided by two 15-yard penalties. Both were questionable. The first was a facemask. The infraction was clear. But the player in question let go of the facemask almost immediately. The second was a late hit by Vallone. But if his hit was late, the flag was thrown even later by an uncertain official.

EXPLOITING WEAKNESS

Lagalante was the lone bright spot. One year after getting hurt in a loss to St. Anthony’s, Lagalante accounted for both Holy Trinity scores. But again, things weren’t as they seemed.

A roughing the kicker penalty kept the second Holy Trinity scoring drive alive. Then Lagalante hit consecutive 31-yard passes, the latter a strike to junior wideout Gregory Walsh in the back of the end zone to close the gap to 27-14 early in the fourth quarter.

The secondary has been a source of strength for the Friars. But the St. Anthony’s defense was missing three quarters of its secondary on Trinity’s scoring drive. Andreassi cramped up and left the field on the series. Lockdown cornerback Matthew Metalios, who made several big plays against Xaverian, was already on the bench getting treatment. And senior safety Dan Basil, a real playmaker, was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a possible concussion.

With three of the Friars’ best players on the sideline, Lagalante suddenly found holes in the defense and exploited them. He couldn’t repeat that magic when the Titans got the ball back with 4:21 left. Lagalante drove the Titans to the St. Anthony’s 33 before senior linebacker Kevin Waite wrapped up a workmanlike performance with a 7-yard sack on fourth down.

No, this one wasn’t close.

END RESULT

Want to know how badly each team wanted this one? A scuffle broke out following a St. Anthony’s kickoff return midway through the fourth quarter. Andreassi got buried on the play and a scrum ensued.

By the time emotions finally cooled, both Holy Trinity and St. Anthony’s were assessed offsetting personal foul penalties and Holy Trinity senior Kenneth Murphy was ejected. No doubt adrenaline had turned to frustration for Holy Trinity as the Friars had the game in hand.

St. Anthony’s rushed for 253 yards and won the game at the point of the attack. Coach Rich Reichert called upon his players to show who was the more physical team. That point was made time and again. The line gave backs Nicholas Mercurio (64 yards on nine carries) and William Ruggiero (54 yards on 13 attempts) room to roam.

Even though the defense forced just one turnover (a Ryan Fumai interception), eight plays ended in losses.

The Friars will need another stellar effort against the dynamic ground attack of Staten Island upstart St. Joseph by the Sea. The Friars host Sea at 7 p.m. Friday.

The winner of that game could well earn the top seed in the Class AAA playoffs. Adjust your chin strap. The stretch run is finally here.

MVP

Senior quarterback James Brady, still bothered by a nagging foot injury, showed his leadership skills time and again against rival Holy Trinity. After the Titans cut the deficit to 14-7 midway through the second quarter, Brady led the Friars on a 12-play, 73-yard march. It culminated with a 1-yard push into the end zone on fourth down. It was one of three rushing touchdowns on the day for Brady, who scrambled for a season-high 114 yards on 11 carries. He also completed 5 of 12 passes for 63 yards and an interception.

KEY PLAY

Nothing sets the tone like running back the opening kickoff. That’s what super senior J.B. Andreassi did, taking the kickoff up the middle untouched for an 85-yard score and 7-0 St. Anthony’s lead just 12 seconds into the game. Andreassi, a safety, also scored on a 70-yard interception return last week against Xaverian.

SCORING

TEAM……………………1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Anthony’s………..14…..7…..0….13 — 34
Holy Trinity……………0…..7…..0……7 — 14
SA — Andreassi 85 kickoff return (Grennen kick)
SA — Brady 1 run (Ferrara kick)
HT — Cureton 6 pass from Lagalante (Matias kick)
SA — Brady 1 run (Grennen kick)
SA — Ruggiero 3 run (run failed)
HT — Walsh 31 pass from Lagalante (Matias kick)
SA — Brady 13 run (Ferrara kick)

Friars Football: Week 6 Preview

Title: Monday Morning Quarterback / Week 6 Preview
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 10-8-07
Word Count: 747

OK, Friars fans. The holiday is over. I’m not talking about Columbus Day, although most students did enjoy a four-day hiatus. I mean the football schedule.

Winless Xaverian represented a break from the pressure-packed CHSFL schedule for St. Anthony’s. The X-Men, as the announcer at Kings Bay Field in Brooklyn repeatedly called Xaverian on Saturday night, was a team that no one was afraid to play or even conjure up doomsday scenarios about.

The Friars’ 27-6 win was the equivalent of a scrimmage. And coaches found plenty to hound players about. The game was just what St. Anthony’s needed after a tough three-week stretch. Well, the holiday is over.

Three teams remain on the schedule — Holy Trinity, St. Joseph by the Sea and Chaminade — and each represents a bear trap in the woods. One misstep and — snap.

It begins Saturday with the final road game of the regular season, a 1:30 p.m. start in Hicksville against rival Holy Trinity. Don’t be fooled by the Titans’ 2-3 record. They are as good if not better than a year ago when they fought the Friars to a standstill for one half.

The question is can the Friars measure up to last season’s accomplishments? Did your ears just pop? That’s the pressure of another championship run rising once again. The forecast calls for that pressure to be at its most intense Saturday just before game time.

St. Anthony’s at Holy Trinity

WHEN: Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
WHERE: Hicksville
RECORDS: St. Anthony’s (4-1); Holy Trinity (2-3)
THE SCOOP: Holy Trinity is coming off its biggest win of the season, an impressive 45-28 flogging of Staten Island power Farrell. The Titans have won two of their last three, sandwiched between a frustrating 7-6 loss to Chaminade. The Titans moved the ball up and down the field but couldn’t finish. One drive was stopped by Chaminade safety Andrew Morici, who intercepted a pass at the Chaminade 5-yard line. But that offensive brownout was followed by a blowout. Sophomore Anthony Brunetti rushed for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries to sink Farrell. Senior quarterback Michael Lagalante is a year older and wiser. He’s thrown five touchdown passes this season. Look out for senior linebacker Robert Lazos, a real playmaker for the Titans. The Friars have utilized several options on offense the last two weeks — eight different players carried the ball for 188 yards against Xaverian — and are poised for a breakout game. The big question is will Brunetti find running room or not. If Rutgers recruit Scott Vallone (neck) doesn’t play for the second straight week, the Friars will surely miss their big run stuffer on the defensive line. Someone must step up or Holy Trinity could make things interesting

2006 REWIND

ST. ANTHONY’S 35, HOLY TRINITY 7
Each team entered the game 4-0. But only St. Anthony’s emerged unbeaten, pulling away for a 35-7 win. The defense stuffed Holy Trinity quarterback Michael Lagalante on a fourth-and-1 play from the St. Anthony’s 14-yard line just 4:21 into the game. That set the tone on a night when the Friars forced three turnovers, sacked the quarterback five times and turned away the Titans twice in the red zone. Junior defensive tackle Scott Vallone (pictured above) finished with 11 tackles, three for a loss, and one sack. Holy Trinity’s lone touchdown, which sent the teams into halftime tied at 7, was set up by a pass interference call that could have easily gone the other way. John Gagliano took the first play from scrimmage to open the second half and broke away for a 41-yard touchdown run, the first of 28 unanswered points by St. Anthony’s. Holy Trinity, which scored from 30 or more yards six times in its first four games, could not connect on the big play against the Friars. And after a night on the run from the Friars’ relentless line, Lagalante left the game with an injury with 4:24 left.

THE SERIES

St. Anthony’s leads the all-time series with the Titans 23-8 dating to 1974 and has won the last 13 meetings. Holy Trinity last beat the Friars, 28-13, in 1992, part of a 3-6 season for St. Anthony’s. Last year’s game was one of the most anticipated in the history of the rivalry with each team 4-0. But the Friars broke it open in the second half to win, 35-7. Here’s the last five meetings:
•2003: St. Anthony’s 47-24

•2003 CHSFL semis: St. Anthony’s 64-34

•2004: St. Anthony’s 13-6

•2005: St. Anthony’s 42-7

•2006: St. Anthony’s 35-7

Friars Football: Friars Dominate Xaverian

Title: Xclamation! Friars Hit The Road, Dominate Xaverian
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 10-6-07
Word Count: 972

A marathon day began for many St. Anthony’s seniors sequestered in silent classrooms with enough tension hanging in the air to pull a 16-wheeler down the highway. That’s right, SAT Saturday.

As if hours spent clinging to a No. 2 pencil and tapping every corner in the brain weren’t exhausting enough, the football team needed to be back at school by 2 p.m. St. Anthony’s had a road date with CHSFL foe Xaverian in Brooklyn.

So a long day turned downright painful once the yellow school busses carrying the Friars limped along the Belt Parkway in stop-and-go traffic until pulling off the road at Sheepshead Bay.

It didn’t take long for Friars to take out their collective frustration. Winless Xaverian had no answer for the dynamic offense St. Anthony’s trotted into the walled facility known as Kings Bays Field. Senior quarterback James Brady led scoring drives on the Friars’ first two possessions and the defense pitched a shutout for 45 minutes as St. Anthony’s earned a convincing 27-6 win.

Yet in the postgame locker room, Friars coaches were far from impressed. This was an uneven performance at best, and with rival Holy Trinity looming on the schedule, the staff ripped into players. St. Anthony’s (4-1 overall, 3-1 CHSFL) has yet to play a complete game.

“This was a lost opportunity to get guys more playing time,” coach Rich Reichert explained. He added: “You have an X on your back every football game.”

Offensive coordinator Fred Gallagher promised lots of running come Monday.

No doubt this was a day these teenagers couldn’t wait to end.

FAST START

The game was never in doubt. Brady ensured as much with a strong opening quarter. He opened the first offensive series by whipping the ball to Michael Capozzi for a 17-yard completion to the Xaverian 42-yard line.

Brady finished the drive five plays later by bolting up the middle with a 19-yard touchdown scramble. Senior Rich Grennen pounded the extra point through the uprights for a 7-0 Friars lead just 3:49 into the game. A partisan crowd of 250 roared its approval.

The offense got the ball back 42 seconds later in Xaverian territory. Junior running back Nicholas Mercurio rumbled 5 yards before Brady found senior wideout Jack Kensil open in the right flat. The 6-3, 180-pound Kensil did the rest, turning upfield and shaking three tacklers en route to a 34-yard touchdown. As Nicholas Ferrara converted the point after attempt and extend the lead to 14-0, 6:39 remained in the first quarter.

Brady and Kensil hooked up four times for 56 yards on the night as Brady completed 9 of 16 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown. The quarterback rushed for 46 more yards on nine carries and another score.

RESILIENT D

Until he was knocked out of the game late in the first half, shifty Xaverian running back Jaquan Bethune proved to be a major headache for St. Anthony’s defensive coordinator George McLaren. The 5-9, 168-pound junior piled up 78 yards on 11 carries and refused to go down on first contact.

It seemed as though there was a huge hole in the middle of the Friars defense. Indeed, there was. Rutgers-bound defensive tackle Scott Vallone, one of the premier run-stuffers in the nation, was on the sideline. So was fellow lineman Miguel Roque.

Roque was nursing a shoulder injury. Vallone left last week’s Farrell game in the third quarter with a neck injury. After getting treatment on the bench, Vallone pleaded to go back in as Farrell moved the ball late in the game. His cries fell unanswered.

The 6-3, 265-pound Vallone was a silent bystander in Brooklyn, wearing his jersey and sweats. Vallone’s absence from the lineup was precautionary. But no one can say if he’ll even play next week against Holy Trinity.

Little wonder Xaverian (0-5, 0-4) found running room. Gifted quarterback Najee Tyler couldn’t get it done through the air. He tossed three interceptions and was sacked five times. The Clippers still managed to put a scare into the Friars by racking up 147 yards on the ground.

END GAME

Reichert’s crew showed there was more than one way to put away a football game. Ferrara, who showcases his booming kickoffs after each Friars’ score, got a chance to prove himself as a marksman with 9 seconds left in the half. He boomed a 42-yard field goal into a slight wind with plenty of room to spare.

Reichert had hoped the offense would respond in the third quarter the way it opened the game. But the Friars bogged down again and again and managed just one more field goal — this time a 21-yard attempt by Grennen with 9:22 left — extending the lead to 20-0 midway through the fourth quarter. It was one of two drives that stalled inside the 10. Another was simply stopped on downs.

The defense finished off Xaverian moments later. Tyler aired it out deep over the middle and senior safety J.B. Andreassi snared it. A footrace ensued as Andreassi blazed 70 yards for a touchdown — the second interception return for the Friars defense this season.

That’s when the second unit began to filter onto the field. And that’s how Xaverian finally got on the scoreboard. Tyler beat the backups for an 8-yard touchdown pass to Gerald Mistretta with 2:32 left.

In the end, St. Anthony’s drove out of Brooklyn with a win under its belt and no serious injuries. Yes, there were lapses on both sides of the ball. But when you play a winless team, the tendency to dismiss them as a threat is impossible to resist.

St. Anthony’s did what it needed to against Xaverian. Enjoy it. The schedule gets tougher from here on into the playoffs. The Friars will need to elevate their game. A far bigger threat is next: Holy Trinity.

MVP

Junior Nicholas Ferrara — that’s right, the kicker — proved to be as big a weapon as the Friars possessed. His kickoffs boomed into the end zone for touchbacks, a huge edge in the battle for field position. Ferrara did yeoman work as a punter. He also added two extra points and an impressive 42-yard field goal that traveled well beyond the uprights. In fact, it hit the side of a building.

KEY PLAY

Senior receiver Jack Kensil showed he has more than sure hands, but the resolve of a playmaker when he broke a 34-yard touchdown. He took a short pass and broke three tackles down the right sideline with 6:39 left in the opening quarter for a 14-0 edge. It was his fourth score in five games and has emerged as a favorite target for James Brady.

SCORING

TEAM……………………1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
St. Anthony’s………..14…..3…..0….10 — 27
Xaverian………………..0…..0…..0……6 — 6
SA — Brady 19 run (Grennen kick)
SA — Kensil 34 pass from Brady (Ferrara kick)
SA — FG 42 Ferrara
SA — FG 21 Grennen
SA — Andreassi 70 INT return (Ferrara kick)
X — Mistretta 8 pass from Tyler (kick failed)

Friars Football: Week 5 Preview

Title: Monday Morning Quarterback / Week 5 Preview
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 10-1-07
Word Count: 390

The number was a stunning one. One week after managing all of 17 rushing yards on 25 carries, the Friars had to do something to ignite the offense. Averaging 0.68 yards per carry isn’t going to move the chains, much less win a football game.

But that’s what happened in the Bronx against Mount St. Michael Academy. St. Anthony’s simply couldn’t make headway. The result was an ugly 22-12 loss.

One player helped change the Friars’ fortunes Friday night against Staten Island power Farrell. Senior center Austen Fletcher put his 6-3, 285-pound frame to use, plowing holes through the Farrell defense big enough for the kickline to dance through.

The offensive line took its cues from Fletcher and responded with a dominating performance. James Brady had time to throw and eight different players carried the ball for 267 yards and three rushing touchdowns. A fumbled snap late in the game was the only misstep.

The Friars boasted a hefty 6.8 yards per carry and the scoreboard in the South end zone reflected as much. St. Anthony’s 42, Farrell 30. Those are numbers worth remembering.

St. Anthony’s at Xaverian

WHEN: Saturday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Kings Bay Field, Brooklyn
RECORDS: St. Anthony’s (3-1); Xaverian (0-4)
THE SCOOP: Welcome back from the edge, Friars fans. After a harrowing week of uncertainty, St. Anthony’s tattooed Staten Island power Farrell 42-30 on Friday night to get back in the CHSFL title hunt. St. Anthony’s went on the offensive against Farrell, throwing for 192 yards and rushing for 267 more. The only question is how offensive coordinator Fred Gallagher will replace running back Chris Carberry (right knee). The Friars hit the road to play winless Xaverian on Saturday. This one should be over by halftime. This is only the third meeting ever between the two schools. The Friars are 2-0 lifetime, with wins in 2003 and ’04. The Clippers have dropped games to Chaminade and Holy Trinity. And they are coming off a 31-21 loss to Iona Prep. This was not what was expected of Xaverian one year after going 9-2 and winning the Class AA title. Top back D.J. Spadaro has struggled to find running room. But undersized wideout Paul Perez has made some big catches in the spread offense. If the Friars can put some pressure on quarterback Najee Tyler, then the Clippers will crack.

Friars Football: Friars Rebound, Blow Out Farrell

Title: Train Wreck: Friars Rebound, Blow Out Farrell
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 9-28-07
Word Count: 1140

There were signs of progress everywhere you looked Friday night, from the newly finished parking lot at St. Anthony’s that extended toward the stadium to the return of Chris Carberry. One had a fresh coat of asphalt; the other a heavily taped right hand and wrist.

Plenty of doubt still hung in the air. Especially after the Friars turned in a dismal performance six days earlier in a 22-12 road loss to Mount St. Michael Academy. It was the team’s first loss after 64 wins in a row against CHSFL foes. When you look at it compared to the larger body of work that is Friars football, the game hardly registers a beat.

But in the vacuum of one week in the current season, falling in the mud and rain to the Mountaineers touched off several rocky aftershocks. That national ranking courtesy of USA Today? Gone. The top spot in the NYSSWA Class AA rankings? St. Anthony’s tumbled to No. 11, behind local powers Floyd (2), East Islip (7) and Farmingdale (9). For the first time since its inception, the Friars failed to crack the MSG Tri-State Top 10.

Longtime coach Rich Reichert called it window dressing. Yet one bad day stripped the Friars bare. The rankings are trappings of success, but none mean as much as a CHSFL championship. Six-time defending champ St. Anthony’s is still very much in the hunt for title No. 7.

“The pressure is off us,” Reichert told his players before facing off against Staten Island-rival Farrell. “The only thing that matters is the present.”

IN THE MOMENT

St. Anthony’s thrived in the moment Friday against Farrell. The defense buckled down and the offense aired it out. The overheated scoreboard left at the end of a long night at Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington would have misled anyone who did not actually watch the first three quarters of action.

The Friars led 28-6 and 42-14 before walking away with a 42-30 win. Farrell scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns and tacked on two-point conversions as quarterback Michael Gentile picked apart the Friars’ second-team defense.

The decision to keep the first unit offense in the game irked Reichert enough that he sent his starting offense out for the final drive of the game. St. Anthony’s moved 39 yards on two plays before letting the clock run out at the Farrell 14-yard line. Point made, even if it didn’t show up on the scoreboard.

It was a remarkable showing considering how inept the offense looked in the Bronx. Senior quarterback James Brady, apparently much better after injuring his left foot two weeks earlier, dazzled.

He already has offers on the table from Army and Division I-AA Georgetown. But offensive coaches from Missouri stopped in to see Brady on Wednesday. And his performance against Farrell will only help raise his profile as a legit Division I recruit.

The 6-1, 215-pound Brady completed 10 of 12 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Brady hit four different targets and sprayed the field. He found the open man in the flat, over the middle and on streaks behind the secondary. It’s a highlight reel that would impress even “Ole Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier.

GUT CHECK

Brady also ran nine times for 27 yards. But the opening drive of the game stalled at the Farrell 36 when Brady was stuffed for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1. It was an ominous start for the less-than-capacity crowd of 1,500 on hand.

The defense answered. Rutgers-bound defensive tackle Scott Vallone smashed through the line and dropped Tom Cauto for no gain on third down, forcing the Farrell offense off the field after just four plays.

It took the Friars just 1:52 to march 69 yards, capped by a last-second pitch by Brady to Nicholas Mercurio. He took the ball and raced down the right sideline as if fired out of a cannon — untouched — for a 40-yard touchdown run. Rich Grennen’s point after attempt gave St. Anthony’s a morale boost and 7-0 lead.

The Lions (2-2 overall, 1-2 CHSFL), fresh off a 26-21 upset of fellow Staten Island power St. Joseph by the Sea, responded on the ensuing drive. The 6-3 Gentile found sure-handed wideout Anthony Evangelista for a 18-yard fade in the end zone. The duo would combine for eight catches, 122 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

But Farrell missed the extra point, so the Friars still led 7-6. Mercurio extended the lead to 14-6 only 1:31 later when Brady hit the running back on a crossing pattern. Mercurio did the rest, turning up the open right side for a 39-yard touchdown.

The Friars took a 21-6 edge into halftime after senior linebacker Kevin Waite intercepted Gentile at the goal line on the last play of the second quarter. If there were questions or lingering doubt, the Friars answered them in one impressive half.

NEW WEAPON

If Mount St. Michael exposed one glaring hole in the Friars’ quest for another championship, it was the lack of a breakaway threat. Blazing speed will trump even the best game plan.

Offensive coordinator Fred Gallagher may have found it in junior running back Atiq Lucas. One play after Carberry went down with a right knee injury, the shifty Lucas proved he could get tough yardage by plunging into the end zone on third-and-goal from the 1.

While Carberry, who may have suffered ligament damage, was on the bench with his leg immobilized, Lucas got the call again. J.B. Andreassi halted Farrell with an interception. Lucas took the ball and showcased his cutback ability and breakaway speed to score on a 34-yard run with 7:01 left to make it 42-14.

Gallagher greeted Lucas on the Friars sideline with a bear hug.

The news wasn’t all good. Carberry, who missed the Mount St. Michael game with an injured wrist, may be done for the season. That will be a blow considering the gifted junior ran for 85 yards on 14 carries against Farrell.

LOOKING AHEAD

Reichert couldn’t help but put an arm around Carberry after the game ended, telling the world: “If you didn’t have bad luck, you’d have no luck at all.”

St. Anthony’s must move forward without one offensive weapon. But after lighting up Farrell for 42 points, there’s newfound confidence and Lucas might get more opportunities to outrun defenders.

The gloom that permeated the evening gave way to a harvest moon and the cool night air. The Friars (3-1, 2-1) appear to be back on track. Another road test, this time to Brooklyn to face Xaverian next Saturday at 7 p.m., awaits. Xaverian is coming off a 31-21 loss to Iona Prep and is off to an 0-4 start.

For one night at least, the Friars could walk off the field with the same swagger of old. How long will it last?

MVP

Senior quarterback James Brady was on target the entire night, completing 10 of 12 passes for 192 yards and touchdown strikes of 39, 24 and 23 yards. Brady also ran nine times for 27 yards. He put St. Anthony’s ahead 28-6 on the first drive of the second half, hitting Jack Kensil in stride for a 23-yard score.

KEY PLAY

Coach Rich Reichert’s pregame speech. The team made the long march from Cy Donnelly Field to the school 20 minutes before kickoff. Once the players settled down, massing on one knee in the middle of the cramped locker room, only then did Reichert speak: “This is going to be a train wreck,” he shouted. “I want people on the ground all night long.” He was wired for sound by MSG, so look for the clip sometime in the near future.

SCORING

TEAM……………………1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
Farrell……………………0…..6…..8….16 — 30
St. Anthony’s………….7…..14…7….14 — 42
SA — Mercurio 40 run (Grennen kick)
F — Evangelista 18 pass from Gentile (kick failed)
SA — Mercurio 39 pass from Brady (Ferrara kick)
SA — Capozzi 24 pass from Brady (Grennen kick)
SA — Kensil 23 pass from Brady (Ferrara kick)
F — Evangelista 20 pass from Gentile (Caputo run)
SA — Lucas 1 run (Grennen kick)
SA — Lucas 34 run (Ferrara kick)
F — Boshnack 5 run (Boshnack run)
F — Mormando 11 pass from Gentile (Evangelista from Gentile)

Friars Football: Week 4 Preview

Title: Monday Morning Quarterback / Week 4 Preview
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 9-24-07
Word Count: 501

There are lots of questions in the wake of Saturday’s dreary 22-12 loss to Mount St. Michael. You want to point fingers? The officials? The clock operator? The equipment guy in charge of the cleats? Who is that, anyway?

Yes, plenty of questions. None of them are valid. Big plays doomed St. Anthony’s. Not bad officiating (could they at least place the ball on the right yard line once?). Not that obscenely-fast scoreboard clock (time was kept on the field). Not shoes with better traction in the muck (Mount had no problem in the rain).

Two things became clear as the game wore on. One: Mount had athletes that were simply faster than the Friars’ fastest player. Two: The play-calling didn’t help. How different would the endgame had been had St. Anthony’s kicked extra points after each touchdown instead of going for two and failing?

The score would have been 22-14, and the Friars would have been down a single score. Leave the two-point play for the end, if you need to use it at all. Instead, St. Anthony’s trailed by two scores and that fact alone made any comeback attempt all the more daunting.

Mount St. Michael made the plays and deserved to win. But St. Anthony’s is the better squad. Remember that if these teams meet again. A lot went wrong for the Friars on Saturday. After 64 straight league wins, a slip-up seems like disaster. It’s not. Just learn from it and move on.

Farrell at St. Anthony’s

WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Cy Donnelly Field, South Huntington
RECORDS: Farrell (2-1); St. Anthony’s (2-1)
THE SCOOP: St. Anthony’s is coming off its first regular season CHSFL loss since 1998 and its first to a CHSFL foe since falling to Farrell, 24-23, in the 2000 title game. That’s a dynastic run. But this isn’t the time for reflection or the Friars could be in danger of losing two in a row for the first time since 1997. Farrell is driven to do more after a disasterous 1-9 season a year ago. The Lions are 2-1 and feature senior quarterback Michael Gentile, who stands 6-3 and is an effective passer from the shotgun. He has a sure target in Anthony Evangelista and solid running back in Marco Boshnack. After losing a 32-28 shootout with Mount St. Michael, Farrell rebounded with a win over a very good St. Joseph by the Sea, 26-21. The good news is St. Anthony’s has shown flashes of brilliance in the secondary. Farrell will have a tough time throwing the ball. And the Lions don’t appear to have a lock-down defense, either. Farrell has given up 67 points in three games. Those matchups make a St. Anthony’s rebound more likely.

THE LAST FIVE

St. Anthony’s and Farrell have met 36 times since 1979. The Friars own a 22-12-2 series edge. Here’s the last five meetings:
•2004: St. Anthony’s 21-7

•2004 CHSFL final: St. Anthony’s 17-14 2OT

•2005: St. Anthony’s 47-0

•2006: St. Anthony’s 32-16

•2006 CHSFL quarters: St. Anthony’s 39-22

Friars Football: Friars Pull Away From Iona Prep

Title: Costly Win: Friars Pull Away from Iona Prep But Injuries Mount
Publication: Frairs Football.com
Author: Jason Molinet
Date: 9-14-07
Word Count: 1129

Three hours before kickoff and the entire St. Anthony’s defense sat in the back of the school auditorium as coordinator George McLaren went over schemes. Senior tackle Scott Vallone intently listened in from the front row, leaning on the railing as if straining to capture every syllable.

“It’s about how you line up,” McLaren said. “If you line up right, then you’ll do very well.

“They’re gonna come up with something we haven’t seen. A couple of years ago, it was a double pass. Expect the unexpected.”

What really troubled McLaren and the entire St. Anthony’s staff was the fact that they had just three days of practice to prepare for CHSFL rival New Rochelle-Iona Prep. When the teams met a year ago, the result was a closer-than-expected 20-14 win that wasn’t decided until the final moments.

Shutting down Iona Prep’s dynamic offense was the singular concern in the hours before kickoff. As McLaren pointed out, they were about to line up against a unit that might show as many as 13 different formations.

“There’s a lot of questions,” McLaren said. “If you are thinking about it too much, then you won’t be playing fast. You can’t play fast if you don’t line up right.”

By the end of the rain-soaked Friday night at Cy Donnelly Field in South Huntington, McLaren could breathe easy. The defense acquitted itself just fine. The Friars intercepted three passes, including one for a score, to help St. Anthony’s pull away from Iona Prep, 31-21.

PAINFUL WIN

No, there was no let-down from the Friars defense. But that didn’t mean the night was a complete success. To the contrary, the league opener proved costly.

There was no worse sight than junior running back Chris Carberry standing stone-faced on the sideline in the fourth quarter, his right forearm immobilized with a splint and ace bandage. The initial diagnosis: broken right hand.

Backfield mate James Brady also suffered a painful injury late in the first half. The All-Long Island senior quarterback sat out the final 2:53 getting treatment for a sprained left ankle. His loss was felt almost immediately.

Backup Richard Cocchi drove St. Anthony’s to the Iona Prep 4-yard line before fumbling away the snap with 43 seconds left and the Friars leading 14-7. That missed opportunity would haunt the Friars until late in the game.

Brady returned for the third quarter, but he was reduced to gimpy signal caller in rainy conditions. He could hardly plant to throw and lost elusiveness running the ball. Suddenly, the St. Anthony’s offense that piled up 39 points and 420 yards in a rout of St. Joe’s just one week earlier slowed to a sputter.

FAST STARTThe game began in much the same way last week’s ended — with St. Anthony’s firing on all cylinders.

Brady drove the Friars 56 yards on seven plays to open the game, capped by an 8-yard scoring strike to Jack Kensil in the right corner of the end zone. Rich Grennen’s point after kick made it 7-0.

Then came the first of two interceptions by senior safety Dan Basil. He stopped one Iona Prep drive at the goal line with 5:34 left in the first quarter, picking off Ryan O’Neil and returning it the length of the field for a touchdown.

Wait. A block-in-the-back penalty wiped out the return — and the score.

The ball-hawking Basil got another chance two series later. This time Basil took O’Neil’s errant pass and galloped 25 yards for the score. Nicholas Ferrara’s kick extended the St. Anthony’s lead to 14-0 with 11:51 left in the half.

IONA PREP RESPONDS

That’s when things began to unwind for St. Anthony’s. Brady’s pitch to no one with 7:12 left was scooped up by Iona Prep linebacker Morris Hilton, who raced 42 yards with the fumble and didn’t stop until he reached the end zone.

The play was one of three first-half fumbles for the Friars.

And when Iona Prep took the opening kickoff of the second half and then drove 80 yards — highlighted by a 26-yard pass by O’Neil on third-and-10 from midfield — the Gaels sent chill through the stadium. O’Neil’s 5-yard touchdown pass to wideout Tim Murray two plays later tied the teams at 14.

St. Anthony’s has won six straight CHSFL titles and 66 consecutive league games. The Friars took a 23-game winning streak and No. 22 national ranking into the game. You don’t build that kind of resume without learning to overcome.

RELENTLESS

Gimpy or not, Brady returned to the rain-slick field. All the while, concerned voices from the sideline yelled at Brady to walk rather than run between plays. His ankle didn’t need any more trauma.

Brady ignored the advice. The Friars responded to Iona Prep’s first offensive score with a 65-yard march, mostly thanks to the hard-running Carberry. Senior William Ruggiero broke a 35-yard run to the Iona 29 and Carberry did the rest, carrying four straight times for 17 yards.

On third and 2, junior Atiq Lucas took an end around 10 yards to the Iona 2. Carberry plowed into the end zone on the next play, a 2-yard burst up the middle with 6:48 left in the third. Grennen’s kick made it 21-14.

Another Friars drive stalled at the Iona Prep 29 late in the third when Carberry was stuffed for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-1. Was this when the gifted young back was lost — possibly until the playoffs?

The St. Anthony’s defense came to the rescue. Senior linebacker Kevin Waite jumped in front of a receiver in the flat along the Iona Prep sideline and picked off O’Neil with 9:50 left in the game. He returned the interception 59 yards to the Gaels’ 11, stealing away momentum.

Junior Nicholas Mercurio put the game away on the next play, jetting through the open right side for an 11-yard touchdown run and 28-14 edge.

Brady powered the Friars’ last scoring drive. He made several gritty runs into the heart of the defense, setting up a 27-yard field goal by Grennen with 4:41 left to extend the lead to 31-14.

Brady finished the night 8 of 13 for 95 yards and a score while running for 52 tough yards on nine carries. Carberry had 63 yards on 16 carries. Who knows if either will be on the field when St. Anthony’s hits the road for its next contest in the Bronx on Saturday against CHSFL power Mount St. Michael.

The game is a rematch of last season’s Class AAA title game, a 21-20 thriller won by the Friars. No doubt Brady will do everything possible to be in uniform. Carberry’s injury, however, is much more limiting.

It should serve notice to an entire program. Winning a seventh straight CHSFL title will be anything but easy.

MVP

Senior safety Dan Basil recorded a pair of first-half interceptions against Iona Prep. The first pick — at the goal line — stopped one promising Iona Prep drive. The second was returned 25 yards for a touchdown to push the Friars’ lead to 14-0 just 9 seconds into the second quarter.

KEY PLAY

Senior linebacker Kevin Waite took the air out of Iona Prep by returning an interception 59 yards to the Gaels’ 11-yard line with 9:50 left and St. Anthony’s clinging to a 21-14 edge. Junior running back Nicholas Mercurio scored on the next play. Game over.

SCORING

TEAM……………………1…..2…..3…..4 — FINAL
Iona Prep………………..0…..7…..7…..7 — 21
St. Anthony’s…………..7…..7…..7…10 — 31
SA — Kensil 8 pass from Brady (Grennen kick)
SA — Basil 25 interception return (Ferrara kick)
IP — Hilton 42 fumble recovery (Mottola kick)
IP — Murray 5 pass from O’Neil (Beckett kick)
SA — Carberry 2 run (Grennen kick)
SA — Mercurio 11 run (Ferrara kick)
SA — FG 27 Grennen
IP — Dunkley 94 kickoff return (Beckett kick)

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