2022 Catholic State Finals Recap

Article by Matt Diano

WHAT A COMEBACK!!!! 

For the first 34:49 of action, a St. Anthony’s offensive attack that averaged in excess of 40 points per game this season just could not get anything going…But in the last 13:11, they refused to be denied as they stormed back from a 20-0 deficit to score 27 unanswered points en route to claiming the program’s first Catholic State crown, 27-20, over the host Red Raiders from St. Francis High School

A Black & Gold juggernaut that had grown accustomed to passing at will on their foes, despite the best efforts of senior field general, Dante Torres, the blistering winds simply prevented the vertical game from ever finding its rhythm, as for the first time all season, the Fordham bound signal caller was held without a passing touchdown (snapped a streak of 20-straight appearances with at least one “6” in the air)…ENTER FRANK RUTA!!!

A mainstay on the Friar varsity since his sophomore year, the 5’9, 200-pound senior RB hailing from Hewlett [Ruta] stepped onto the field with 11 touchdown runs this season…He’ll be making the long drive home to Suffolk with 13 now on his resume as he both ignited and then capped off the STA output by notching his fourth multi-score performance of his swan song campaign….Certainly not a bad way to go out!!!

The gents from South Huntington down by the previously cited margin of 20-0, it was the #27 jersey getting his team on the board and shifting momentum when with a little over 1:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter, he exploded for a 32-yard trek to cut the hole to 20-7…

Following a clutch 4th &2 stand, courtesy of a gang tackle from Vincent Spina, Thomas Mackel, and Joseph DeChiaro gave St. Anthony’s possession back on their own 47, it again Ruta delivering a big gainer, as his 30-yard cruise advanced the ball to the Red Raider, thus acting as a catalyst to Torres’s eventual 4-yard keeper (7:01 remaining in the 4th quarter) that further trimmed the STF lead to just 20-14…

On the ensuing kickoff after the short touchdown run by Torres, the football gods continued to bestow favor on the Metro League representatives, as place-kicker, Griffin Goldstein (who also did banner work as an LB), booted a pop-up, which St. Francis allowed to hit the ground, thus creating an opportunity for Kenyon Miles to dart in and scoop it up to immediately restore control of the pigskin on the opposition’s 31…

After connections to Ian Strong and Timmy Longo moved the ball to the STF 12, the march almost came to a very abrupt conclusion, as two big stops from the Red Raiders initiated a 4th &1 scenario…A mis-snap that could not be grasped resulted in a loose ball, where Ruta demonstrated incredible instinct, as he picked up the pigskin and did just enough (2-yarder) to extend the series…

Later in this same drive, moments after Ruta had a 3-yard scoring play negated by a holding penalty, the Friars again found themselves plagued by tough predicament, as they stared 3rd & Goal on the 16 in the face….But alas, when their school needed them most, senior leaders made senior-level contributions, as Torres hit Strong again (15-yard hook-up where the Rutgers bound stud dragged his feet on the sideline) to put STA on the doorstep, and then polished off the go-ahead pilgrimage by striking for his second rushing TD of the night (his 13th of 2022) from a distance of 3-yards away to vault the Friars in front, 21-20, with 3:56 still to be contested in duration…

Deciding that the offense should not be the only ones to have some fun during crunch time, on the next possession of the ballgame for St. Francis, it was future Penn State Nittany Lion (for lacrosse), Jaeden Jenkins knocking down a 4th & Long pass attempt from STF senior QB, Steve Otremba, to generate a turnover on downs on the STF 23 with 2:30 to go in the state finale…Prior to the pass break-up, DeChiaro had a tackle for a 2-yard loss on 1st down, and the trio of Goldstein, Preston Carey, and Samuel Cook stuffed a scrambling Otremba on 3rd & 12!!!

Two snaps after the forced turnover, it was Ruta again rising to the occasion, turning the corner, accelerating down his own sideline, and the diving at the pylon for the 23-yard trip to paydirt to make the score 27-20 (with a mere 92 ticks standing in his way of hoisting state hardware)!!!

To the credit of Head Coach, Jerry Smith, and his squad of proud Raiders, the host school did not go down without a heck of a fight, as a couple of key runs, aided by a pass interference penalty allowed them to get as close as the STA 21…However, on the final sequence (:10 remaining in 4Q), it was MacKell stripping the ball, forcing OT, Marcus Harrison, to pounce on it as the clock trickled down…5,4,3,2,1….FRIARS=CHAMPS!!!

Wrapping up 2022 with a 6-4 overall record, despite the heartbreaking defeat tonight, the Red Raiders have nothing to hang their heads about…

Dominating both sides of the ball for the majority of the contest, workhorse, Ricardo Kidd, accounted for his 11th and 12 TD runs during the 1st half, as he opened the scoring when he followed up a turnover on downs (stifled STA on 4th & 1 to take over on the Friar 46) by breaking free for a 29-yard TD run that handed St. Francis a 6-0 lead 3:30 into the 1st quarter…

The Hamburg hierarchy now up 12-0 (12-yard run by Terrence Pendergrass w/3:28 to go in the 1st), Kidd sent his cohorts into the locker room riding a wave of adrenaline as he built off of a 32-yard scamper by Otremba, by punching it in from 10 yards out with 1:19 to go before halftime!

Defensively, just a sampling of the personnel that the Red Raiders received signature performances from included, but not limited to the following…Balaam Miller (generated a turnover on downs in the 1st quarter when his QB pressure resulted in an incomplete pass on 4th & 7 on the STF 31); Shane Giesser (returned a botched punt attempt to the Friar 29); and Pendergrass/Kynan Ulanga (combined to produce a turnover when the former jarred the ball free after a long completion to KJ Duff; the latter jumped on it at his own 10 to thwart a promising St. Anthony’s series)!

While no one can argue that they played and conducted themselves like champions, St. Francis falls to 0-4 in Catholic State title games (bridesmaids in 2015, 2018, 2021, and now 2022)!

 

Recipients of special honors during the postgame ceremony were:  

*Character Student-Athletes: Christian Oliva (St. Anthony’s) & Steve Otremba (St. Francis)

*Defensive Most Valuable Player: Griffin Goldstein (St. Anthony’s)

*Offensive Most Valuable Player: Frank Ruta (St. Anthony’s)