By Matt Diano:
Destiny has been fulfilled in New Rochelle!!!
First the first-time in program history, the Gaels of Iona Prep are your New York State Catholic Football Champions!!!
In the clash of the #1 and #3 ranked schools in the Empire State (per the MaxPreps polls), it was the hosts from the NYCHSFL building a 38-9 advantage before withstanding very late rally to upend Monsignor Martin representative, the St. Francis Red Raiders, by a score of 38-22!!!
A fierce contest that was always more competitive than the scoreboard indicated, the Joe Spagnolo mentored cohort responded to a St. Francis touchdown (7-yard run by Pittsburgh bound Jimmy Scott) on their first series of the 
2nd half that made the score 17-9, but stringing together 21 unanswered points between the final 2:00 of the 3rd and the first nine minutes of the 4th to seize the commanding edge!
The major turning point occurred with 3:18 to go in the third stanza when a mishandled punt by the Red Raiders yielded IP starting field position of the opposing 4-yard line…Three snaps later, following a loss of 5 yards on the ground and then a 7-yard completion to Michael Senatore (only grab of the afternoon), it was junior running back, Colin O’Garro (16 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD) punching it in from 1-yard away for first of the aforementioned three straight successful series for the powerhouse from Westchester! The short gainer marked the second occasion in as many weeks (also had a TD run in the Metro title contest last Saturday) that the 6’0, 200-pound hometown (New Rochelle) kid found the end, zone to give him three TD runs overall this fall!
A pass break-up by junior DB, Terrance Walden, on 4th & 4 would give the pigskin back to Iona Prep on their own 47 in the last half minute of the 3Q and they again made their opponents pay for the prime starting real estate… Marching down to the Red Raider 12 after respective 13, 9, and 14-yard ground treks from Ajani Sheppard (12 carries, 70 yards, 1 TD), O’Garro, and Justin Joly (7 carries for 50 yards, 1 score), Iona Prep cashed on when Sheppard (15-for-21, 124 yards, 2 touchdown tosses) hooked up with Joly (8 receptions for 70 yards, 2 TD catches) on a 12-yard fade route (on 3rd & 8) in the end zone for their 10th TD exchange of the year (2nd of the day) to increase the lead to 31-9 with 9:51 to go in the 4th!
After inducing a second straight turnover on downs (Joly tackled Kimal Clark two yards short of the sticks) on 4th & 10, Iona Prep hammered the nail in the coffin when they culminated a 60-yard drive on Joly’s third rushing TD of the season (11-yarder with 2:44 still to play)…Prior to the Delaware bound senior’s scoring sequence, it was fellow 12th grader, Anthony Turner (2 grabs for 22 yards) preserving the drive one snap earlier when he hauled in a Sheppard pass attempt on 4th & 9 for an 18-yard gain!
Never a squad that will meekly resign themselves to defeat, Head Coach, Jerome Smith, ought to be proud of the heart and fight demonstrated by his charges in the closing minutes of the game…Rallying for a pair of touchdown runs, with a perfect onside kick recovery serving as the connective tissue, in the last 3:00 of duration, the gents of Lake Shore Road earned respect and then some by the time the final whistle sounded…
After hitting Clark with a 33-yard dart to move the ball inside the IP 2-yard line, Otremba called his own number on a 2-yard keeper with 1:56 remaining to cut the deficit to 38-16!
Utilizing some pinball on his kickoff, senior specialist, Luke Nowak, ricocheted the old prolate spheroid off the hands of a Gael, thus allowing Hayden Marling to scoop up the loose ball…
Moments later, Ricardo Kidd, displayed some hidden talent (credited with only 31 receiving yards entering) as he caught and screen-pass and chugged 59 yards down his own sideline before getting stopped at the 1…Naturally, it was only fitting that he broke across the line on the next snap (his 9th rushing TD of his junior campaign) to account for the final score of the afternoon with 53 ticks unspoken for!
A second onside attempt in a row was secured by Joly, setting the stage for a couple of victory formation kneels and a Gatorade bath for Spags!!!
Unlike the crazy final 24 minutes of action, the first half was much more methodical as the two teams traded field goals in the 1st (24-yarder by IP’s Sean O’Neill with 6:12 remaining; 29-yard response from Nowak) on the ensuing drive…In instances, it was contributions from the special teams units that acted as catalysts…Ellis Robinson IV had a 50-yard punt return to the StF 20; facing 4th & 2, Nowak made a 5-yard catch (from Otremba, who serves as holder) on a fake FG + pass with 28 seconds remaining in 1Q!
Iona Prep did create some separation in the 2nd quarter, as Sheppard hit Joly on a 39-yarder to move the ball to the STF 12 and then later touched base with his favorite target on a 6-yard shovel pass to put the Gaels back on top, 10-3, with 9:22 to go in the half…
Fostered by another significant return (also of the punt variety) by Robinson IV, to advance the ball inside the red zone, Matt Ryan’s (2 catches, 17 yards; 1-run for 6) lone carry (off a reverse), coupled by a 3-yard run by O’Garro, and a 4-yard shovel to Turner put IP in business on the enemy 4-yard line…An offsides called for half the distance placed them deeper on the doorstep, and then Sheppard did the rest, using that 230-pound frame to bulldoze his way to the promised land for 16th ground tally of 2021 with a mere :20 left in the half!
By virtue of his 70 yards rushing (needed only 15), Sheppard will not only be celebrating a title; he will also relish in creating history as he is now the only individual in Westchester County to ever boost a 2,000 throwing/1,000 running single-season!
Zyian Moultrie-Goddard, Jayson Vavrica (at least 2 sacks), and Scot Mackie all heard their names praised repeatedly by the public address announcer after turning into outstanding defensive outings!
Clark, who if he did not reach the milestone, had to be quite close to a double-digit catching performance, shined in the defeat for St. Francis!
Iona Prep closes out their championship season on an 11-game winning streak (only blemish to NJSIAA Non-Public State runner-up, Don Bosco Prep)!
The Red Raiders, who fall to 0-3 in the NY Catholic State contest (previous losses to Archbishop Stepinac in 2015 and 2018), best hold their heads high after a very impressive 7-4 effort this year!
Both storied programs return quite an abundance of firepower in 2022; so we might just be witnessing the first chapter of a glorious/legendary saga!
*Note= All statistics are unofficial