By Matt Diano:
#1 Xaverian vs. #4 Kennedy Catholic (Friday, November 13thth @7 p.m.-Aviator Sports Complex)
After finishing as the Division A runners-up a season ago, Coach Mike Jioia’s Clippers have looked like an unstoppable force in their six games played against league opponents in 2015. Posting a perfect 6-0 record (officially 4-0 since two of the games were considered non-league contests) in these games, the Brooklyn based institution would go unchallenged, outscoring the opposition, 242-10, and pitching four shutouts along the way…One of these defensive goose-eggs would come in week #8 when Xaverian blanked Kennedy Catholic, 40-0, behind a three-headed running attack of seniors, Brandon Peterson (116 yards on eight carries and 3 touchdowns), Angelo Spata (84 yards on six carries and 1 TD), and Phil DePaulis (20 yards on three attempts, and one TD)…Defensively, the Clippers would be a turnover creating machine, forcing three fumbles (one of which was returned 50 yards for a score by junior Danny Welsome) and adding a pair of INTs from DBs, James Patsis and Julius Arcaro…While we always do our best to be optimistic, the truth of the matter is that Xaverian possesses such a significant advantage in terms of experience and skill level that it is hard to fathom the rematch on Friday night being much different than the initial match-up. This is in no way intended to be a slight of the Ted Florio led Gaels. Objectively speaking, as we noted above, I am not confident that either of the teams playing in the bottom half semifinal would pose any greater of a challenge. Winning a title this season just seems to be Xaverian’s destiny. If they perform up to their potential, they are just THAT good…For the sake of playing Devil’s advocate, if KC is to have a chance at making a game of it this weekend, a lot would be have to be asked of two-time NYCHSFL Player of the Week recipient, Alexander Benson, who is equally effective running the ball out of the backfield as he is as a target in the passing game. The junior from Beacon, NY has also shown himself to be dangerous in the return game, having brought multiple kicks back to the house…Simply put, the more Kennedy Catholic can get the ball into the hands of their diverse playmaker, the better their odds at making a positive impression. More important than wins or losses, the Gael program, which is still very much in its infancy, could really use a quality performance as a confidence booster for 2016. With all but three of their student-athletes returning next season, the best is still yet to come for the program that calls Somers, NY home.
#2 Cardinal Spellman vs. #3 St. Dominic’s (Sunday, November 15thth @Noon—Cardinal Spellman HS)
While on paper, the battle between the Pilots and the Bayhawks should be considerably closer than our top-half semifinal, here too there exists a prohibitive favorite as Spellman has already bested St. Dominic’s on two separate occasions during the 2015 season…In the first meeting, played on September 19th, our second-seeded team from the Bronx would control time of possession by pounding the ball on the ground, collecting 188 rushing yards on 36 carries (5.2/run average), including touchdown runs of 10 and 15 yards in the first and fourth quarters by junior, Rodney N’Guessan (74 yards on 13 carries), and senior Daijon Jones (74 yards on eight touches). Senior signal-caller, Marcus Ciccone, would also pick his moments wisely, as two of his three completions on the day would be to fellow senior, Lenward Williams, for touchdowns. When all was said and done, it would be Spellman claiming the 28-8 victory at home….In the rematch five weeks later (October 23rd), the only thing that would change would be the site of the game, as Spellman would again get one touchdown apiece on the ground from N’Guessan and Jones, and then add a third rushing touchdown from Maxwell Felix, as capitalized on a huge second-half to finish off the regular season sweep by a score of 24-0….For the Bayhawks to avoid losing for a third time on Sunday, the key will be to get senior field general, Max Mediavilla, off to a strong start…The only time that Dom’s has scored against this Spellman defense is when Mediavilla was able to hook-up with Rob Poncet on a 19-yard TD strike…The 6’4, 195-pound captain would finish that first game with a stat line that read 4-for-9 and 57 yards passing. When you compare that to the second meeting (0-for-5), you see just how big a role Mediavilla plays in the production or lack thereof on offense…If Head Coach, Ed Tini, is able to get his quarterback into a groove, anything is possible…Senior running backs, Nicholas Kiaer and Justin Rodriguez, along with freshman, Michael Vaughan, will need to sufficiently complement the throwing game by immensely improving upon their previous output against the Pilot D-unit….Rodriguez is entering the game on a hot streak, having scored three touchdowns in a week #9 victory over Nazareth. His 32 yards on seven carries on October 23rd was also a team high, so he might be the one to look to on the first few drives of the ballgame.