Archbishop Stepinac (6-2) vs. St. Anthony’s (6-2)
When: Friday October 27th, 2023 @7pm
Where: Archbishop Stepinac Campus (950 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains, NY 10605)
Watch: LocalLive (Stepinac Page)
Players to Watch (Archbishop Stepinac)
*Will Currid (Sr.; QB)—Enters the game as a reigning NYCHSFL Player of the Week Selection as well as a history maker after setting the all-time school records for career passing yards and touchdown throws in a win over the Chaminade Flyers….Starring a second consecutive 3,000 yard hurling season in the face with a deep postseason run, Currid is connecting at a 68.2% success rate (152-of-223) for 2,167 yards (#1 in NYS)/21 touchdowns…In 7 of 8 appearances this fall, he has registered multiple TD chucking performances, including back-to-back 4TD efforts in weeks 6 and 7!
*Lorenzo Robinson (Sr.; RB)—The most prolific tailback in the entire NYCHSFL this season, the 5’10, 200-pounder out of White Plains is averaging exactly 8 yards per carry, rushing for 924 yards and 7 touchdowns on 115 attempts…If not for the fact that he was only asked to handle the pigskin on six occasions last weekend, he likely would head into the regular season finale having already smashed the 1,000-yard milestone…Highlighted by a season-high of 206 yards and 4TD versus Holy Trinity on September 22nd, Robinson has recorded four 100+-yard trekking efforts in his swan song and has no intention of slowing down for the homestretch….To boot, is quite capable acting as a receiver out of the backfield, hauling in 21 receptions for an additional 309 yards and two more scores!
*Jordan Osbourne (Sr.; RB)—After missing some time with injury, Osbourne returned to the line-up in week #4 and has been eased back into the fray, carrying the ball just 20 times for 98 yards (3 touchdowns) since coming back…With Robinson firing on all cylinders, we are not sure if #1’s workload will increase or not; but considering that he is a former 650-yard rusher from a season ago, we absolutely do not want to rule out that he will have a key role in the last regular season game of his high school career…Osbourne ran for 20 yards on 4 carries a week ago versus Chaminade; so you see that the burst is still inside of him and all that is missing is increased opportunities!
*Darison Hooper (Sr.; WR)—The favorite target of Currid this season, the 6’0, 160-pound wideout from White Plains is currently sitting in triple-crown position on the team with program-highs of 35 catches for 542 yards, and 8 touchdowns (most among AAA WRs in 2023)….Quiet last week during a time when Coach O’Donnell was doing his best to get all of the seniors into the game, before notching only 1 grab for 6 yards in week 7, he was riding a streak of five outings in a row with 3 or more receptions (including a 13-catch game on September 16th in the win over DePaul Catholic (NJ)…
*Troy Worrell (Sr.; WR)—Coming on super strong during the back half of the fall, Worrell posted a game-high 7 grabs for 97 yards and a score last weekend to bring his seasonal totals to an impressive 30 catches for 414 yards, and 2 touchdowns…Of this quantity, 18 snatches/246 yards have occurred in his past four weeks, including a career-day on October 1st in the heartbreaking loss to Cardinal Hayes (8 hauls for 100 yards)….
*Jahi Gary (Sr.; WR)—The pattern of capable senior WRs continues with the 6’5, 195-pound match-up nightmare hailing from Poughkeepsie!…On the shelf for a few weeks during the middle of his swan song campaign, Gary returned to the line-up with conviction during week #6 and has been exceptional, making 3 grabs apiece during each of the past two weekends for a sum of 131 yards and 3 touchdowns (2 TD in his previous outing)…For the year, despite only suiting up six times, he has stockpiled 18 receptions for 356 yards and 4 total TD snatches!
*Zaire Spellman (Jr.; WR)—The seniors are not the only ones who get to have fun as part of the dynamic Crusader air strike….Spellman has distinguished himself as the future #1 target in 2024 by virtue of a solid body of work this fall that has witnessed him emerge with games of 7 (64 yards), 5 (59 yards, 1 TD), 5 (44 yards), and 4 (86 yards, 1 TD) reception in weeks 0, 2, 5, and 7….All in all, he has recorded 25 catches for 272 yards and a pair of TD grabs to leave no doubt that you cannot sleep on him!
*Kadear Dembele (Jr.; DL)—Recently picking up a scholarship offer from the likes of Wake Forest, the first-year Crusader out of West Haven is a definitive Defensive Player of the Year candidate as he has racked up a mind-blowing total of 18 stops for negative yardage this season as the highlight of an overall 57 tackles, 4 sack, 5 QB hurry resume…Tipping the scales at 300 pounds, but moving like a cat, #0 is without question one of, if not the number one feared defensive lineman in the Triple-A division!
*Eddie Palumbo (Sr.; LB)—The current hits leader in the entire NYCHSFL (regardless of classification), the 6’4, 205-pound future Yale Bulldog is averaging over 10 stops per appearance in 2023, including single-game efforts of 15, 11, 11, and 15 in weeks 1,2, 4, and 5….Credited with no fewer than 6 tackles in any one game this year, cumulatively his chart-topping sum sits at 81, including 7 TFLs…Equally confident in his abilities to disrupt the passing game as he is stuff the run, Palumbo rounds out his resume with 4 QB sacks, 2 pass break-ups, and an INT!
*Julian Ramos (Jr.; LB)—Another youngster that has announced his presence as a future superstar/pillar of the AS program, Ramos is tied for 2nd on the team in both TFLs (7) and QB hurries (4), while also sharing the #3 spot for sacks (2)…For finest outing being a 7 stop/3 TFL/2 sack performance in the loss to Cardinal Hayes during week #4, the Montrose product is fresh off of a stellar display a week ago when he made 5 tackles (2 TFLs) and had a hurry in the triumph over the Flyers!
*Deonte Douglas (Sr.; CB)—An All-State selection as a junior, Douglas seems well on his way towards securing that honor yet again in 2023, as the New Hampshire commit trails only Palumbo on the squad with 74 tackles (four games of 10+) to go along with his team-best 2 interceptions and 6 PDs….Look for the #2 jersey to be the one to draw the KJ Duff assignment as often as possible as a demonstration of strength on strength!
Damon Smith (Sr.; DB)—Accounting for no less than 5 tackles in six different games this season (52 in whole), the Bronx resident has thrived in senior season, as his emergence has further bolstered an already loaded defensive backfield for Stepinac….In addition to his stop quantity, Smith has logged an INT and is presently tied for second on the roster with eight successful pass-defenses!
*Garrison Heslop (Jr.; DB)—Living up to the family name and then some, the 6’0, 155-pound 11th grader is yet another core contributor to the “no fly zone”, as he too has logged 1 pick and 8 pass break-ups to complement his 39 total stops!
*Samuel Madu (Sr.; DB)—A “truck” who plants you when he hits you, the future Minnesota Gopher won’t arrive in the Big-10 until next season, but he is already playing week-in and week-out with that no mercy mentality…Currently the owner of a 44-tackle season, while the brutal smacks he has laid on opponents has caught our attention, it needs to be recognized that he is in a category all of his own in terms of pass coverage, as he enjoys a +10 edge over his closest teammate with 18(!!!) pass break-ups in 2023…With four separate outings of 3 or more PDs, you throw in his direction at your own demise!!
*Marco Graci (Sr.; Specialist)—Nearly automatic as a place-kicker, the Valhalla resident has converted 26 of 30 kicks this season, going 24-for-27 on PATs and drilling 2-of-3 FG attempts (long of 37)…Named 3rd Team All-State as a junior for his knack for scoring points, he is also quite masterful as it pertains to dictating opposing starting field position….Having notched 10 touchbacks on kick-offs and 4 buries inside the enemy 20 as a punter, he is a quiet difference-maker in all endeavors, but most certainly belongs in the “impact” discussion!
Players to Watch (St. Anthony’s)
*Gary Merrill (Jr.; QB)—”A laxer playing football” no more, with the exception of a slightly shaky performance in a week #6 loss to Farrell, the 11th grade field general out of BBP has been aces for the Friars in his first season running the offense…The prototypical/ideal replacement for 2022 Metro Catholic Offensive Player of the Year/All-Stater, Dante Torres, the athleticism possessed by Merrill has enabled him to be every bit the dual-threat weapon for STA that his predecessor was….Entering week #7 having already accounted for 21 total touchdowns (12 rushing, 9 throwing), Merril further bolstered his season stat line when he chucked a pair of TDs to reach double digits with his arm before taking another to the house with his legs in the victory over Holy Trinity….Likely to join the 1,000/1,000 club (passing yards/rushing yards) during the regular season finale (if he hasn’t already; box score not available for week #7), Merrill’s ability to be a Houdini and turn what should be losses into monster gains has been mind-blowing!
*Christian Alfaro (Jr.; RB)—A very solid complementary piece to the Black & Gold attack on offense, the 160-pounder out of East Northport Is more dangerous than the 341 yards and 3 touchdowns he had been credited with suggests…A consistent presence who whether he carries the ball 8 times or on 18 occasions always gives you positive results, Alfaro is gaining in confidence with each subsequent week as he strung together displays of 66, 94, and 74 yards on the ground in weeks 4-6….
*Xavier Bala (Fr.; RB)—An individual we are adding because he is fresh off of a career-best two touchdown game on land last weekend versus HT, there is little doubt that Bala is the next in a line of All-League and/or All-State tailbacks. He has all the tools and if he was being utilized as the primary RB, there is no telling how dynamic his numbers would be this fall…At 5’9, 180[pounds, he already possesses great size for a player of his age and he has the rockets to match!
*Korey “KJ” Duff Jr. (Sr.; WR)—For four years, the Rutgers bound WR/TE has proven repeatedly that you are never going to truly stop him; and even containing him has been a tall order as to the surprise of no one, he leads St. Anthony’s in every receiving category across the board and is among the overall NYCHSFL leaders in just about area as well….Through week 6, he had registered no fewer than 4 catches in any appearance this fall and had surpassed the 100-yard receiving plateau during three separate outings…Duff Jr. has a history of elevating his effort in must-win games; so are fully anticipating that despite being opposed by very formidable Crusader secondary, he is going to make his fair share of noise and have immense say on the outcome!
*Braden Mehm (Sr.; WR)—It is no secret that we have been very high on the senior from Massapequa all fall, and we are not about to jump off the ship now following a week #7 display that saw him explode for a 77-yards touchdown catch versus the host Titans….Mehm recently received an invite to visit Stony Brook University; so we clearly are not the only ones taking notice of his high ceiling!!…..His 3 grabs, 73-yard, 2TD resume September 15th marked a breakout for him and is a big reason why the Friars were able to come away with the dub….Thus, like Duff, we see that clutch gene inside of him!!!
*Johnny Russo (So. WR)—With star Tight End, Alex Menghi, being sidelined for portions of his senior season, opportunity has been afforded to several different student-athletes to embrace a larger role; and the 10th grader in the #12 jersey has been among those that have capitalized the most from the added reps….After seven games, it was the Port Jefferson Station resident sitting just below Duff Jr., for most hauls on the season with 13….Russo especially showed how impactful he can be when he grabbed a career-high 7 balls for 67 yards in the win over rival, Chaminade, on September 30th!
*Preston Carey (So.; DL)—A stud that is never late because his reputation precedes him, the future NCAA power-5 conference DL out of East Northport has been a force up the middle during the entirety of his career and is even going to get better/stronger as he continues to mature….After week #6, he was among the leaders on roster with 33 total stops (2 TFL) and 1 sack!….Because he demands double-teams, even when he is not the one making the hit, his presence on the field is itself a weapon!
*Cam Urso (Jr.; DE)—The “Eraser” for the Friar defense, the 6’2, 210-pound DE is growing quite accustomed to hearing the phrase “tackle for a loss by #88” echoed out of stadium speakers….5 of his 29 tackles resulting in negative yardage, the junior residing Melville also tops all STA personnel with 4 sacks this fall!
*Davin Foote (Sr.; DL)— Occupying the other DE spot on the field for STA, the 235-pound 12th grader has been every bit as imposing as Urso during 2023, as Foote has also collected 29 stops (4 TFLs), not to mention a pair of QB bags through seven games!
*Sam Cook (Sr.; LB)—The first of two senior linebackers that set the tone on the second level of the “D”, #44 has logged two double digit tackle games thus far in his swan song, and has come close to the mark on multiple other outings to stockpile 49 hits through week #6…
*Dante Vardaro (Sr.; LB)—Potentially the most important person on the 11-man starting unit, Vardaro is a stabilizer in every area of the game, as he entered week #7 as the program’s leading tackler (57), tied for 2nd with a pair of sacks, as well as one of the few players on the squad that had registered an interception this season….An injury against Stepinac just prior to the postseason in 2022 caused him to miss out on the chance to play in the league and state title games as a junior; so we don’t know if he is holding a vendetta against the Crusaders as added motivation… Signed to play lacrosse for the UPenn Quakers next year, #2 is one of those guys you cannot take your eyes off of, since he carries with him a history of turning defense into offense.
*Ajani Valerio (Sr.; DB)—The most active member of the defensive backfield, the 12th grade safety hailing from Selden amassed 38 tackles through 7 games to rank 3rd on the totem pole for the Friars…Considering how often we expect Stepinac to put the ball in the air, it is essential that he remain a reliable tackler that halts completions for minimal gains…
*Brendan Ott (Jr.; DB)—Not someone we had on our radar at the beginning of the year, the 11th grader is growing on us since he seems to have that natural instinct that allows him to be in the right place at the right time….While STA does not keep a count of pass break-ups, from watching game tape, the trend we have noticed is that whenever there is a proper defense on an aerial strike, more times than not, #15 is on camera and at the center of the sequence…As a bonus, Ott has shown himself to be very willing to lay a hat on people, as suggested by his 33 total tackles through week #6!
*Kevin Moore (So,; CB)—The youngest member of the starting defense, there is an aura following Moore that proclaims him to be the purest athlete on the entire South Huntington based campus…A varsity starter for the basketball team as a freshman in 2022-2023, the 6’1, 180-pounder has both the jets and the motor to follow in the footsteps of DPOY recipients such as Makhai Murphy & Ian Strong….With Stepinac marching out so many different options at WR, a lot of responsibility is going to fall onto the shoulders of the St. Anthony’s cornerbacks; and we are confident that #24 is up to the task!
Synopsis
A spectacle that was building for weeks has officially come to fruition!!!!
With Stepinac sitting at the top and St. Anthony’s cozy in the #3 spot of the current power ratings, it goes without saying that the victor under the Friday night lights on October 27th is going to earn the #1 overall seed in the 2023 NYCHSFL Triple-A playoffs!!!
Both sporting identical 6-2 records, including marquee non-league triumphs over highly touted teams from the Garden State, each school has suffered a single blemish this fall to a fellow NYCHSFL opponent, with the Crusaders losing a heartbreaker to Cardinal Hayes (33-28) in week #4, while Friar Nation saw their homecoming weekend tarnished by a 27-21 loss two weeks ago to the Lions of Monsignor Farrell!…
The last six meetings witnessing a rather balanced 6-4 edge for the gents from White Plains [Stepinac], with the exception of a Crusader sweep in 2017, the rivalry has been almost a trade-off of wins the last few seasons, with AS taking dubs in 2019 and 2021, while the visiting Friars got the better of the exchange in 2020 and 2022!!!
Both schools no strangers to putting points up on the board, St. Anthony’s has averaged 34.2 ppg this fall, while Stepinac is not far behind with a mean of 30.1…
But yet, our feeling is that this game will be won on the defensive side of the ball, as the front-7 for Stepinac is going to have to show they can contain STA junior quarterback, Gary Merrill’s ability to scramble for monster yardage, while the secondary is out to confirm that the hype is real by bottling up the arguably the best WR in NYS, KJ Duff Jr.!
For St. Anthony’s the task is also far from simple, as not only will their hosts have the luxury of being captained by the most accomplished QB in program history, Will Currid, they also happen to be blessed with balance on offense thanks in large part to current AAA yards leader on the ground, Lorenzo Robinson!!…And if that was not enough, four different WOs (Darison Hooper, Troy Worrell, Zaire Spellman, and Jahi Gary) all have recorded 18 or more receptions this year for 108 grabs (1,584 yards), 16 of which resulted in touchdowns!!
While they obviously will not be squaring off mano-a-mano, the battle between Kadear Dembele (Stepinac) and PJ Carey (STA) for the honor of most dominant DT will be intriguing since the former should garner DPOY support in 2023, while the latter has the God-given abilities to be a recipient in either of the next two seasons!….
Overall, while we favor Dembele as being the biggest potential game-changer, the depth of STA may give them a slight advantage on the DL as the likes of Cam Urso and Davin Foote have stepped up during the past two months and turned themselves into consummate playmakers with “wipeout” skill sets!!
Strong linebacking corps for each school may be create a wash at the second line of “D”, with Eddie Palumbo, Tommy Cottrell (54 stops, 2 TFLs, 1 sack, 4 hurries, 3 PDs), Morgyn Howell-Browne (49 stops, 3 TFL, 1 sack), Julian Ramos among others taking care of business for the Red, White, and Blue contingent; while the heralded tandem of Dante Vardaro & Sam Cook have gotten supplemental assistance from individuals such as Andrew Thompson, and Nicholas Skjeveland!!
While in no way doubting the St. Anthony’s defensive backfield, if there is one particular advantage that Stepinac knows it will enjoy in this pivotal contest, it will be the wealth of experienced and credentialed DBs at the disposal….Among All-Stater, Deonte Douglas, future Big-10 Conference student-athlete, Samuel Madu, coveted junior CB, Garrison Heslop (offers from Syracuse, Purdue, Minnesota, etc.), and/or Damon Smith, there is no soft aspect to the cohort!!….Together, they have 40 successful pass break-ups!!….STA is might be less polished and renowned on paper, but Brendan Ott, Ajani Valerio, and “freak”, Kevin Moore, have passed tough tests previously and will be determined to make us eat out words!!
Get your snack and beverage of choice ready in advance; because once that first whistle blows, you are not going to want to miss a second of the action as these perennial giants collide in not only a war for the top line of the bracket, but also as a very feasible finals preview!