By Matt Diano:
#1 Holy Trinity (8-0) vs. #4 Holy Cross (5-3)
When: Saturday November 13th, 2021 @1pm
Where: Holy Trinity HS (98 Cherry Ln, Hicksville, NY 11801)
Previous Meeting: 35-6 Holy Trinity on October 17th (Week 6)
Synopsis: Seeking their first crown since 2008 (runners-up in ‘16), the Green & White freight train that are the Titans of Holy Trinity simply looked unstoppable this year on both ends of the line of scrimmage. An influx of talent from across Long Island has taken a roster that was rich on experience and ability prior to their arrivals and turned them into a steamroller that has gone unchallenged the entire season. Scoring 30 or more in seven consecutive games and pitching FIVE shutouts in eight appearances, if this cohort has any flaws, then those shortcomings are known only to Head Coach, Kahmal Roy, and the almighty God; because to the naked eye, HT is as about as heavy a title-favorite as we have seen in the NYCHSFL in quite some time. The gents from Hicksville have been so authoritative in posting the only immaculate record in the Metro League this fall…When Holy Trinity last squared off with their guests from Queens [Holy Cross], the contest was competitive for the majority of the first half (the Knights actually had a chance to seize a 12-6 advantage), but eventually, as they have done all year, the monster conquered, striking for 29 unanswered points from 2nd through 4th quarters!…All of this praise (all deserved) having been bestowed upon the top-seeds from Nassau County, we don’t think the Knights should be discouraged as they head into the weekend. A program that strung a four-game winning streak in the early September-early October, HC is fresh off of their best collective performance of the season and might just be peaking for the postseason. Transforming a 26-20 win during the regular season against Mt. St. Michael Academy into a 43-14 statement in the quarterfinals, Tim Smith, has his team firing on all cylinders and playing with confidence…From quickly reviewing film from the previous meeting between HT/HC, what we saw were a lot of minor errors that doomed the Knights on 10/17, but could easily be fixed/cleaned up, thus altering the outcome!
Having exhausted every possible compliment in the above, there is no need to rehash just how complete and commanding Holy Trinity has been thus far. It suffices to say that they are the owners of the #1 offense (40.5ppg) and #1 defense (allowed a combined 39 points; 4.9/per) in all of downstate Catholic football…Utilizing a balanced attack that is putting up approximately 177 yards in the air, while chewing up an additional 163.5 on the ground, the Titans incorporate a two-QB rotation where both Zion Woodhull-Trippett (34-for-50, 714 yards, 10 TD hurls; 3 rushing TDs) and Rocco Rainone (32 of 49, 522, 6 TD throws) are equally potent in distributing the rock to any one of five very capable receivers— Dylan Braithwaite (25 catches for 594 yards, 8 touchdowns), Josiah Brown (16 grabs for 265 yards, 4 TDs), Jayden Simpson (12 snatches for 171 yards, 2 scores), Cassius Johnson-Stevens (12 catches for 166 yards, 2 TDs)), and Andre Kirton (11 receptions for 207 yards, 3 touchdowns)…In the first meeting last month, ZWT had the bolder performance, connecting on 5 of 9 for 157 yards and 1 TD pass (plus two rushing touchdowns), whereas Rainone went 5-for-8, chucking for 59 yards (1 score)…Braithwaite topped all receivers with 4 grabs for 130 yards, but it was Simpson (2 catches for 36) and Johnson-Stevens (2 for 30) who were on the back end of TD exchanges. Brown (2 receptions for 20) did not score as a pass-catcher, but did explode on a 55-yard punt return to the house…And let us not fail to reference the MVP of the unit, senior tailback/work horse, Kameron Robbins (75 carries, 786 yards, 10 touchdowns). In round 1 of the rivalry with the Knights, he trekked for 93 yards on 20 carries…Defensively, expect to hear the names Christopher Bacon, Jameer Reeder, Chad Case, Melan Williams, as well as Braithwaite, Brown, and Johnson-Stevens among others. Bacon put forth a monster effort in Mid-October, racking up 7 tackles (4 for a loss) and a pair of sacks; Reeder was the leading stop man on the day, finishing with 8; Williams and Case were credited with 7 and 5 tackles respectively; Braithwaite and Johnson-Stevens (2 tackles) each logged an INT…
For the Knights, the one constant that we never grow tired of featuring is the senior QB/DB, Devin
Grant. A “take over the game” caliber of student-athlete, the future University of Buffalo safety has NFL genes (uncle Dean Marlowe, currently plays for the Detroit Lions) possesses the skill set to also be a future mainstay on Sunday afternoons! Responsible for the lone touchdown of the game in the first meeting with the Titans, he accounted for 137 of the team’s 149 yards of offensive production, as he hit on 9 of 19 in the air for 67 yards, and used the burners to gain 70 yards (1 TD) on eight keepers. For good measure, he also ended the day with 7 stops and 2 PDs from his spot in the secondary…Should the offensive line be able to give him a more comfortable pocket this time around, we’d expect to see all of his numbers increase in the rematch…So now that we have our catalyst, the question remains, who is going to step up and provide that second wave on either side of the ball? Well, a few of the individuals that looked poised for a solid day are Nicholas McAloney, Nicolas Woods, Isaac Glaudin, and Destine McNeil. McAloney and Glaudin each made two catches for 19 and 20 yards respectively in the loss to HT in week 6. with the latter [Glaudin] also being among the top tacklers on “D” with 5. Woods, who was atop the board with 8 tackles in the game, only carried the ball on three occasions, but did have some success, averaging 4.0 per attempt. McNeil came extremely close to a pick-6 on October 17th, as he went red zone to red zone on an 85-yard INT return…Two-way linemen, Anthony Marin, needs to set the tone in the trenches…Terrance Alexander (effective on defense with 5 stops, 1 QB hurry) and Nakai Maupin are going to need to need to contribute out of the backfield so the Titans cannot lock their attention on the stud in the #15 jersey [Grant].
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#2 St. John the Baptist (8-1) vs. #3 Kennedy Catholic (5-4)
When: Saturday November 13th, 2021 @1pm
Where: St. John the Baptist HS (1170 Montauk Hwy, West Islip, NY 11795)
Previous Meeting: 34-7 St. John the Baptist on October 15th (Week #6)
Synopsis: Our second semifinal is a collision of one program [St. John the Baptist] who has been on the cusp (lost in the semifinal round in three of their past five attempts; 2015, 2016,2019) and another [Kennedy Catholic] that has been finals bound the past two seasons (2nd in 2018, champs in 2019) at the “A” level, but is out to show that they are no longer just a Whale in the small pond!!!…Boasting an experienced roster of upperclassmen at the skill positions, Phil Alba and his staff are optimistic that this is the year that the waiting game ends for the Cougars!!! Across from them on the other sideline, Dominick Tassone, is going to have his combination of polished vets and young superstars prepared to take that gigantic leap for respect that would come if they succeeded in booking a third finals appearance in a row despite jumping to a higher division…In the first battle between the two schools during week #6, the stat sheet told a much different story than the scoreboard, as only 105 yards (23 in the sky, 82 on the ground) of total offense separated the foes. Considering the margin of defeat in game #1, coupled with the fact that the Gaels have yet to beat SJB (limited chances) since returning to the NYCHFL in 2013, it is difficult to be screaming for the upset; but we do have faith in KC to make Saturday a “w” that John the Baptist is going to have to earn!
For the Cougars, the focal point/heart of an offense averaging 25 points per game this fall will be the two seniors that run the show from the backfield—QB, Kyle Chase, and tailback, Mark Anthony Scott Jr.. No stranger to pressure, the gun slinger from Levittown [Chase] has been on massive stages before and thus will not be shook by anything. Committed to St. John’s University to play baseball, as a freshman, he took his team to the CHSAA finals. When pitted against the Gaels last month, he was outstanding, notching the first of a pair of 3TD tossing (9-for-14, 119 yards) efforts this season. His second trifecta in the air occurred just last week in the quarterfinal win over Cardinal Spellman, as he connected on 10 of 14 throws for 191 yards…Scott Jr. Has been Mr. Consistent in his final year wearing the Baptist colors, as he has surpassed the century mark in EVERY game he has suited up for this fall, including a 9-carry, 115-yard, 1 TD showing in week #6 (also added a season-best 3 receptions for 42 yards, plus one additional score). Closing in on 1,200 yards for the year, the Port Jeff Station resident needed only eight handoffs to accumulate 123 yards and two touchdowns last week versus the Pilots…Elijah Alvarez had a nice day rushing as well in the previous win over KC, racking up 59 yards on five attempts…Jayson Zeva (2 receptions for 37 yards) and River Lewis- McMillan (1 grab for 13) each had one touchdown catch apiece in week #6. Zeva recently put up a 3-grab, 59 yard, 1TD affair in the quarters…Jason Campo, who was quiet last month (1 grab for 6 yards) had the best day of his career to begin the playoffs, hauling in a pair of touchdowns a week ago (2 receptions for 37 yards)…Defensively, Campo (16 tackles) and Alvarez (12 stops) were two of the SEVEN Cougars that recorded double-digit stops on 10/15. Joining them on this mind-blowing list were Patrick Moloney (20 tackles), Sean Dennehy (18 stops, 41-yard fumble recovery for a TD), Stephen Charvat (15 tackles), Jomarcus Frank (14 stops), and Patrick Shaw (13 tackles; was the one that forced that fumble). Alvarez collected 12 tackles in the quarters to top all SJB defenders last week…Bryce Robinson, who as the school’s #1 receiver, certainly will factor into the “O” game plan, made 7 stops versus KC and was steady again to kick off the playoffs with an 8-tackle display…SJB is giving up just 8 points per game in 2021!!!
Looking to answer in the form of a dynamic duo of their own in the backfield is Kennedy Catholic,
who will lean heavily on “the man of infinite abilities”, Anthony Castaldi, and sensational sophomore RB, Chris Kalle. As it pertains to the former [Castaldi], in our quarterfinal preview, we highlighted the many hats he can/probably will wear on a given-day. He is a weapon as a thrower (15-for-22, 96 yards against SJB prior), runner (75 yards + 1 TD on 15 carries in week #6), and if needed, can flip the switch and become the top receiver on the drop of a dime. Versus the Clippers last week, he accumulated 155 yards and 1 touchdown (60 with his arm on 5 of 9; 76 with is legs +1 score on 15 tries; 3 receptions for 19 yards)…Kalle, who was limited by the Cougars to his second lowest output this season (41 yards on 11 carries), has bounced back incredibly well since, running for 220 yards in week 7, 97 in week 8, and then most recently, 161 +2 scores (25 handoffs) in the 1st round of the postseason…Israel Centeno-Johnson and Nick Calandros both had multi-grab performances in both week #6 and last week’s quarterfinal. Against Baptist in Mid-October, the sophomore in the #1 jersey [Centeno-Johnson] pulled in four balls for 10 yards; the junior donning #5 [Calandros] made three catches for 30 yards. Calandros posted a season-best 56 yards (3 receptions) in the quarterfinals…On “D”, Kalle (10 tackles), Andrew Gentile (9 stops), Bobby Piesco (8 tackles; 2 TFL), Nick Mittag (7 stops), Castaldi (6 tackles, Calandros (4 stops, 1 sack), James Arefieg (4 tackles, 1 sack), Mark Theriault (2 stops, 1 sack, 2 QB hurries), and Luis Garcia Jr. (5 tackles, 1 INT, 3 pass break-ups) were all prominent in the losing effort on October 15th…Mittag (team-high 10 stops), Piesco (3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 QB hurries; fumble recovery for a TD), and Garcia Jr. (2 stops, 1 INT, 2 PDs) were equally impressive in the quarterfinals… Danny Duryea (9), Chris Hutchins (7), Casey Crawford (7; 1 PD), Nate Kraemer (6), and Evan Bernal (6) all racked up six or more stops last week and bring mojo with them into the semis!
Editor’s Note: Cumulative season stats (when available) for team’s seeded 2nd-7th, can be viewed if you refer to the quarterfinal previews…Because all #1 seeds had byes last week, their statistical totals are referenced in this article