By Matt Diano:
Will Currid (Fr.); QB – Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders
The mere knowledge of stepping into a tradition that has seen the previous four predecessors earn All-State recognition can be enough to rattle even the moist poised and gifted of prospects…Now imagine having to undertake this role as a FRESHMAN…This is precisely the situation that the 6’1, 165-pound field general out of Cross River [Currid] faced in a varsity debut loss in week #1 to St. Anthony’s. And while he performed quite admirably (10-for-15, 142 yards, 1 TD pass), you could tell from the game film that this young man had another gear in which he could go…The question of how long it would take for the former Harlem Jet to ascend was answered in expeditious fashion this past Saturday…THE FUTURE IS NOW THE PRESENT; The stud has arrived!! Demonstrating pinpoint accuracy from start to finish, the rookie signal caller hit on 19 of his 24 aerial attempts for 274 yards and SIX touchdowns in the Crusaders’ 56-35 win over Kellenberg Memorial in a battle of respective 2019 Catholic divisional runners-up…Masterful in his ability to survey the field and distribute the pigskin evenly, the fab frosh connected with three different targets on TD strikes, commencing with an 11-yard rollout to the sideline where he hooked-up with senior, Gary Wilkins (6 grabs, 112 yards) for the first of a pair of 6-point receptions…Stepinac now leading 14-0, It was sophomore, Dae Shawn Allen’s (114 yards of total offense; 3 TD catches, 1 TD run) turn to be on the back end of a perfect strike, as Currid connected on a 21-yarder in the corner of the end zone two minutes into the 2nd quarter…The diaper dandy posted his third and longest hurl of the weekend with 2:37 remaining in the 1st half, going back to Wilking on a 70-yard bomb over the middle to make the score 35-7. But he wasn’t done yet! After the Stepinac defense induced a TOD in the last 94 before the break, Currid spearheaded a two-play 38-yard march into the end zone. Setting up the drive with a 30-yard completion to Patrick Johnson, he notched a hat trick for the quarter (4th overall of the half) with an 8-yard screen pass to Allen…There was no resting on laurels for the dynamic underclassmen duo as they immediately picked up where they left off, with Allen making a 20-yard over the shoulder snatch less than a minute and a half into the 3rd for the last of his trifecta of TD catches…A KMHS two-touchdown rally brought the score within 42-21, but the proverbial nail in the coffin was hammered in w/8:56 remaining in the 4th quarter, as Currid pulled a doozy from his bag of tricks, rolling in one direction and then firing in the other to convert a marvelous 8-yard wheel route to Jayden Jenkins (130 yards rushing on 12 carries; 1 reception for the TD) as the exclamation to a nearly flawless outing…Per MaxPreps, who began compiling statistics during the 2004 season, Currid’s six touchdown tosses in a single-day is the most by a Stepinac QB in at least the past 17 years!!! Catholic football aficionados are already immensely anticipating this Thursday’s QB clash, as Currid will oppose Week #1 POTW choice, Darius Wilson, in what is sure to be the ultimate shootout of perennial AAA superpowers!
Mario Fischetti Jr. (Sr.); RB – Chaminade Flyers
In 1986, Ferris Bueller spoke eloquently about life moving pretty fast and the importance of making sure you don’t miss it…Some 35 years later, these same sentiments can be applied to the way in which NYCHSFL enthusiasts relish in the consistent play of the 5’7, 165-pound senior tailback out of Glen Head [Fischetti Jr.]…Much like death and taxes, the last two-years have demonstrated that a certainty of life is that when #24 in Crimson & Gold takes a handoff, he is ALWAYS a threat to take it the distance for the “6”…This is a fact that he illustrated on four separate occasions this Saturday in the Flyers’ 34-0 victory at home over Holy Trinity…Wasting no time in his getting his name in the box score, the returning All-Catholic/All-Long Island/NYSSWA 3rd-Team All-State selection exploded on the second snap of the game, busting through the middle and traveling 63-yards untouched to help the defending Catholic AA-1 champs from Mineola to the early 7-0 advantage…Approximately seven minutes later, the Williams College commit notched his second TD of the quarter, punching it in from 3-yards out on 1st-and-goal; he subsequently tacked on a successful 2pt conversion to increase the Chaminade cushion to 21-0. Earlier in this drive, it was his 36-yard trek that moved his school into the red zone (the opposing 14) and laid the tracks for the eventual score…Not much changed for “Super” Mario in the second quarter as he again handled the bulk of the workload and reaped the eventual benefits. His team facing 3rd-and-3 on their own 30, he cut to the outside and dashed 45 yards to move the pigskin within the Titan 25. Five plays later (following a few solid gainers on the ground and in the air by Junior QB, Thomas Stueber, + an outside penalty), Fischetti culminated the drive by plunging into the pylon from 8-yards away to put the Marianists in front 28-0 at the break…As a final act before sitting out the majority of the second half, Fischetti answered a turnover on downs forced by his teammates by taking Chaminade’s first snap of the 3rd quarter 66-yards to paydirt to complete an outstanding 14-carry, 245-yard, 4TD afternoon…Including his week #1 performance (180 yards and two touchdowns on 15 touches) in a loss to Iona Prep, Fischetti has now surpassed the century mark in 11 of his 12 varsity appearances. In addition, he has rushed for multiple scores in 8 of 12…He heads into this Thursday’s rivalry contest versus St. Anthony’s needing just 47 yards on the ground to reach 2,000 in his career. His next TD run will be his 30th overall!
Mark Anthony Scott (Jr.); RB – St. John the Baptist Cougars
Next man up; next man tough!!! Such would be a perfect description for the 5’8, 175-pound 11th grader out of Port Jefferson Station…Accustomed to sharing in the ground attack duties for an always deep and potent SJB backfield, when the program’s top-returning runner from a year ago [Jayden Louis] was sidelined with an injury, it would be on Scott’s shoulders to do his part and then some…He more than delivered this past weekend in John the Baptist’s 49-27 victory over the defending NYCHSFL “A” champions from Somers, Kennedy Catholic…Posting an incredible 14.4 yards per carry for the day, #22 in Red/White amassed 260 yards and scored THREE touchdowns on 18 rushing attempts to help Coach Phil Alba’s Cougars to their highest output since September 2018…Utilized primarily on the defensive side of the ball (DB) in 2019, Scott was credited with just 2 yards on three handoffs as a sophomore; hence it need not be said the amount of hard work applied and the degree of development he has experienced during the past 17 months…His team leading 7-6 at the time, Scott recorded the first of his two 2nd quarter TDs when he followed-up a 21-yard connection between QB Kyle Chase and WR Christian Maisel, by barreling over a Gael defender for a 1-yard TD run…Later in the 2nd stanza, having already displayed his power, the “total package” gentleman with the 3.7 GPA took his turn at showcasing the breakaway speed and agility he possesses, taking the draw up the middle, cutting to the outside (in front of his bench) and then nimbly shifting back at the goal line to evade a would-be tackler en route to the 18-yard dash to the promised land that gave SJB a 27-20 halftime edge…A KC touchdown on the initial drive of the second half evened the scoreboard at 27 apiece, but the contest was not square for long as Scott emerged with his most impressive and electrifying contribution of the afternoon when his first action of the 3rd quarter witnessed him take a handoff, shake off a tackle, reverse field and spring 81 yards down the Kennedy sideline for what proved to be the deciding touchdown…With the win, St. John the Baptist kicked off a season with a 2-0 start for the first since 2012 when they were Catholic Double-A runners-ups.