Article by Matt Diano
#1 Holy Trinity (8-1) vs. #2 Moore Catholic (9-2)
When: Saturday November 19th, 2022 @2pm
Where: Mitchel Athletic Complex (1 Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Uniondale, NY 11553)
Previous Meeting: 21-14 Holy Trinity on October 16th (Week #6)
How Holy Trinity Got Here: Receiving the bye into the semifinal round after earning the top line on the AA-1 bracket, the Titans looked the part of a defending NYCHSFL champion in both sides of the ball in their 28-7 victory over the Rams of Fordham Prep…The owners of both the #1 offense and the top-rated defense in the division, the Hicksville based program was able to score on both ends of the line, thanks in large part to the contributions of junior QB, Rocco Rainone, sophomore RB/LB, Devon Gonzalez, and junior WR/DB, Jayden Simpson….Responsible for all four of their team’s touchdowns in one capacity or another, Rainone registered a multi-TD tossing afternoon in the semis, hitting Simpson for an 11-yard connection to break ice before later playing-and-catch on a 72-screen screen to Gonzalez, where like a Bully, the 210-pound 10th grader tore through tacklers to cap off a 21-0 3rd quarter that broke the contest open (28-0)…Gonzalez, who racked up 140 yards of total offense (68 rushing on 6 carries; the 1 pass-catch for the big gainer) also ignited the game-defining 3rd stanza, as he ripped through a hole up the gut and darted 28 yards untouched on HT’s first possession of the 2nd half….The two Gonzalez touchdowns were sandwiches around Simpson’s second TD of the day, which he earned when he undercut a pass on the opposing 30 yard line and cruised to paydirt for the pick-6!!
How Moore Catholic Got Here: Not enjoying the luxury of being as well-rested as their soon-to-be finals’ opponent (Holy Trinity), for the second weekend in a row, the returning AA-1 runners-up out of Staten Island did a banner job of defending their home red soil, as they followed up a 35-7 quarterfinal win over St. Francis Prep by punching their ticket back to the ship (fourth time since 2016; titles in 2016/2019) in the form of a 14-7 triumph over St. John the Baptist in a class of respective 2021 Metro Catholic bridesmaids…In each of the two postseason victories, it was the strength of the two-man ground attack that proved to be the difference-maker, as both senior QB, John Michalski, and sophomore RB, RJ Pacheco, recorded century-mark efforts, with the latter running for 198 yards and 1 touchdown against the Terriers, complemented by a 157-yard showing versus the Cougars….Pacheco, one of the undeniable breakout stars of Fall 2022, pitched in with performances of 101 yards (2 touchdowns) in the quarters, and 155 yards (1 touchdown) this past week….Not to be overlooked or overshadowed was the contribution that the All-State future Sacred Heart Pioneer field general [Michalski] in the air, as despite only being asked to throw the ball 24 times the past two weeks, the gentleman in the #11 jersey has hurled for 260 yards and a pair of touchdowns while sporting a 58.3% completion percentage….On those few opportunities were the vertical strike has been utilized, the senior trident of Mario Ferraro, Jay’len Johnson, and Michael Zeh, have all presented appealing targets, as they have accrued receiving totals of 7 for 133, 2 for 46 (both in the semis), and 4 for 72 in two playoff appearances; Ferraro had a TD grab in the quarters, whereas Johnson was the culprit in the championship round of 4….Anchoring the stout defense that has surrendered just 14 points in two postseason outings have been the following: Dowan Coachman (21 total stops, 1 sack, forced fumble), Zeh (15 tackles, 1 interception), Michael Herbert (13 total tackles), and especially Isaiah Vanterpool, who posted a 7 tackle, 2 sack, 1 interception resume in the semis to raise his playoff quantities to 13 stops, 3 sacks, and the INT…
Synopsis: A conflict of two programs that are quite familiar with the grand stage, both of these schools are in the exact same spot they found themselves a year ago…For the top-seeded Titans, the objective will be to add the AA-1 hardware to the AA-2 crown they claimed in 2021….Second-seeded Moore Catholic on the other hand will be playing with a chip on their shoulders, as their purpose is two-fold; #1 avenge the heartbreaking 21-14 loss they suffered during week #6 of the regular season to HT; #2 erase the memories of last November 21, when they dropped the AA-1 championship game to Chaminade (43-7)….A showdown that is easily worth the price of admission, when LI battled SI on October 16th, it was an instant classic where the victor was not determined until the last 60 seconds of regulation….The contest all knotted at 14 apiece and seemingly on its way to an extra frame, it was [Devon] Gonzalez exploding for a 73-yard TD trek on 3nd & 2 that changed fate in the blink of an eye…The massive run, which was part of a season-high 168 yards on the ground for Gonzalez, was the highlight of highlights for a Titan offense that managed to accumulate 254 yards rushing (Rainone—63 yards/1TD on 7 keepers; Jameer Reeder—22 yards on 6 attempts)….[Jayden] Simpson (3 grabs for 45 yards) and Rainone (8-for-22, 65 yards) teamed up for the first touchdown of the game for the Titans, as they hooked up on a 40-yard connection….For the Mavericks, the point output came from an obvious source, as Michalski (13-for-34, 301 yards in the air; 101 yards on the ground via 10 carries) found his favorite weapon, Mattias Lighten (7 receptions for 151 yards) on a 64-yard strike in the 1st half, and then ran in an equalizer (14-14) from 12-yards out to tie the game with 90 seconds remaining in the 4th…The status of Lighten, who has been absent from the box scores for the past several weeks, is currently unknown; but if we operate on the premise that he is out, then MC need not panic as the emergence of Ferraro, coupled with the fact that Zeh (4 snatches for 107 yards) and Johnson (2 hauls for 80) both played well in week #6 should provide the Mav coaching staff with piece of mind!!!…..With both of our top-2 seeds possessing electrifying offenses that can light up the scoreboard at a moment’s notice, the outcome will likely be decided by which “D” is able to step up and make that timely stop and/or force that crucial turnover….The defensive backfields on both sidelines played extraordinary well, as Zeh notched a pair of interceptions for Moore, while Dre Kirton & Kareem Grey each picked off one pass each…Up front, Giovanni Maniscalco (team-high 10 stops), Coachman (8 tackles, fumble recovery), Herbert (6 tackles), Aqil Meredith-Smith (5 stops), and Henry Tabansi (4 tackles, 1 forced fumble) will be tasted with winning in the trenches….Their Titan counterparts—Christopher Bacon (4 stops), Reeder (4 tackles, 1 sack), Irvin Briggs Jr. (2 tackles, 1 sack), Gonzalez (3 stops), etc., will be working ferociously to hinder (not negate) Michalski to the fullest of their potential…