St. John the Baptist (4-3) vs. Xavier (5-3)
When: Saturday October 28th, 2023 @1:30pm
Where: St. John the Baptist HS Campus (1170 Montauk Hwy, West Islip, NY 11795)
Watch: Youtube (SJB Page)
Players to Watch (St. John the Baptist)
*Maxwell Bowers (Jr; QB)—At one time the #3 man on the depth chart, the 6’1, 180-pounder out of Brightwaters was summoned into the line-up because of an injury to Kevin Pilewski….Demonstrating that it truly is a “next man up” mentality in West Islip, Bowers might not be the prototypical polished gunslinger of his predecessor, but he found a way to win….Fresh off of establishing new career best with both his arm and his legs in a week #7 victory over Xaverian, the 11th grader connected on 6-of-14 throw attempts for 113 yards, highlighted by his first career TD hurl; he’d also run for 53 additional yards on seven keepers…Since stepping into the starting line-up, he is hitting at a 50% rate (14-for-28; 258 yards) and is averaging just under 5 yards per carry (113 yards on 24 tries)!
*Andrew Simmons IV (Sr; RB)—-Perhaps the biggest breakout star of the fall for the Cougars has been the Deer Park resident, who is approaching the 500-yard milestone for the season, entering week #8 having gained 481 yards and scored 5 touchdowns on 72 carries…Two weeks removed from the first century mark (121 on 11 carries in a dub vs. Holy Trinity) effort of his varsity career, the 160-pound tailback has run for 60 or more yards in five of seven outings in 2023 and has no intention of removing his foot from the gas! The emergence of Simmons has taken a lot of the pressure off of Bowers!
*Michael Wheat (Sr; QB/DB)—A utility player as well as an ironman, the Hicksville product, has seen action taking the snaps (7-for-17, 111 yards, 1 TD toss), but primarily has been used as an RB, trekking for 143 yards 27 hand-offs….Because they want to keep him fresh for defensive responsibilities, Wheat is spotlighted on offense as opposed to an every down performer….On “D”, he has been credited with 10 stops (2 TFL) and an INT from his spot in the secondary!
*DJ Lisbon (Sr.; WR)—-A bona fide match-up nightmare out wide due to his size (6’4, 190), Lisbon is without question the #1 target as evident by the fact that he enjoys a +11 advantage over his next closest teammate with 20 receptions for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns…Out of the gate on fire by combining 9 grabs for 307 yards and all four of his scores in his first two appearances of 2023, the change in the QB situation has affected his output; but even on a modest day, he still has managed to bank multiple grabs (4 games of 3 or more snatches)….Simply put, if the ball goes skyward, #11 is going to be on the back end of the exchange for times than not!
*Luka Skoda (Jr.; LB/RB)—A certified beast on the defensive side of the ball, Skoda has made an art of living in the opposing backfield, as 11 of his 35 tackles this season have resulted in negative yardage. The statistical leader in just about every category across the board through week #6, he topped all SJB personnel in stops, TFLs, and QB hurries (6), while his sack quantity (5) was 2nd on the roster!!….Watching the game film on the victory over Holy Trinity two weeks ago felt like a case of the movie “Multiplicity”, as his name/number were called so often (6 stops, 4 TFLs, 2 hurries) that if we did not know better, we would have thought there were 2-3 clones of him at various positions….Originally not someone for factored much into the plans on offense, the need for creativity and/or additional options has led to the 210-pounder from Merrick being introduced as a power-back, as he has rushed for 56 yards and a pair of scores (7 carries) during the past two weekends!
*Calogero Rosado (Sr.; LB)—Active on just about every snap on “D”, the hybrid LB/Safety was second on the Cougars (trailing only Skoda) with 28 tackles through week #6…Amassing six or more stops in three of his first six appearances, the Central Islip resident makes his presence known, as he is third on the squad with 2 sacks, and has added an interception to his resume in 2023!!
*Branden Raines (Sr.; DE)—Another “human highlight reel” in his knack for blowing up plays every chance he gets, the 6’3, 205-pound senior is not about to end his scholastic career with a whimper….On the heels of a 10-tackle, 6 TFL, 4 sack explosion during the week #7 triumph over Xaverian, he now has 20 stops, 13 TFLs, and nine sacks in the past three weekends alone…..All in all, he has accrued 33 hits, 16 stops for minus yardage, and 12 QB bags…If Raines is able to maintain this intensity up through the remainder of the postseason, he is certainly going to garner DPOY consideration!
*Brandon Moloney (So.; DL)—Yet another “Cat” that has elevated his game the closer to the postseason we come, the super sophomore hailing Brentwood was at his best two weeks ago when he posted a 6-tackle, 2 TFL, 2 hurry display in the marquee win over Holy Trinity….Through week #6 of the fall, he has a stat line that reads as follows: 21 stops, 4 tackles for negative production, 1 sack, 2 hurries….If the Moloney name sounds familiar, it is because last season, it was Patrick earning All-League/All-State honors before embarking on a present-day collegiate career at SUNY Cortland…So the name is becoming synonymous with defensive excellence!
*Jayden Miller (Jr.; DB)—Entering the year slightly under the radar and playing alongside two established commodities in defensive backfield, it has been the junior from Amityville that been the consummate ball-hawk for SJB in 2023, as his interception and pass break-ups totals of 2 and 4 respectively were tops after week #6….Miller has also racked up 17 stops to show that he is reliable as a hitter!
*Chris King (Sr.; DB/WR)—Second on the squad with 3 successful pass break-ups, King came into his swan song as a reputation as being the “king” of the Cougar last line of defense and has not disappointed, as he opposing teams have been hesitant to throw in his direction; but yet, he has still managed to make 17 stops and force a fumble!….The aerial attack taking a bit of a backseat to a ground-based game plan, we are not sure how much the ball Is going to be put up in the air, but when it does, King has shown that he can be a play-maker on the side of the line as well, as he boasts an average of 20 yards per grab (120 on 6 hauls)!
*Joseph Rivera (Jr.; DB)—The most complete/well-rounded of the DBs for Coach Alba, the stud from Copiague was among the leaders (3rd) in tackles with 25 stops through six games, while being attentive to his pass coverage duties, notching an INT and two pass break-ups!
*Lance Maiberg (Sr.; PK/Punter)—-Absolutely automatic on his kick attempts this season, the senior has followed up a 25-for-26 PAT season in 2022 by drilling 14 of 15 tries thus far in 2023….Adding to his specialist of the year candidacy is the fact that he is a perfect 2-for-2 on his FG attempts, including a a knock from 38 yards out in week #7 versus the Clippers of Xaverian!
Players to Watch (Xavier)
*Mehdi Merah (Sr.; RB)—The Rugby player turned gridiron great for the Knights got off to a modest start in the fall of 2023, but has more than compensated for it ever since he enters week #8 sitting on 811 yards and 15 touchdowns (117 carries)…While it would require one heck of a performance, we truly feel that reaching 1,000 yards before the commencement of the postseason is feasible for #20 as he already has registered games of 220 (vs Xaverian on 9/30) and 193 (against Joe’s by the Sea on 10/7) yards…In week #7, he logged his third century mark effort of his swan song, rushing for 106 yards and a hat trick on just 13 hand-offs
*Jeremy Kuharski (Jr.; QB/RB)—Himself no slouch on the ground, the first-ever varsity player for Xavier has stepped in admirably to replace 2022 All-League QB, Shane Zaletofsky, and the transition has been absolute seamless!!…Second only to his heralded teammate [Merah] in every major running category, the Staten Island resident has 610 yards and 6 touchdowns this fall courtesy of 109 carries…He has rushed for no fewer than 37 yards in any single appearance this year and demonstrated how game-changing he can when during weeks 0 and 2, he recorded 100+-card displays….
*Sean Kull (Sr.; RB/DB)—Not asked to assume the same brunt of the workload as his aforementioned colleague, Kull is still plenty capable and dangerous, which he showcased during week #6, cruising to the tune of 110 yards and 3 touchdowns (9 hand-offs) in a victory over Cardinal Spellman)…All 213 yards and four scores collected this season occurring during the past three weeks, selflessly, the 5’7, 155-pound senior hailing from Queens willingness accepted converting to “D” at the onset of 2023 to temporarily plug a hole left by an injury. He has not been asked to do much on the defensive side of the ball in the last few weeks, but because we know he CAN get the job done, we might as well consider him as a viable option….As an added bonus and illustration of his desire to assist his school in any way possible, Kull has shined as the program’s main kickoff and punt returner, bringing back a punt in a week #7 dub over Kennedy Catholic!
*Evan Tarozzi (Jr.; Safety)—Heading into the regular season finale as the leader on the team in total stops (50), sacks (3), interceptions (2), and pass deflections (3), there is not much that the 11th grader in the #45 jersey has not done in 2023….His week 7 outing against KC (4 tackles, 1 INT) being one of his quieter performance of the year, the 6’2, 205-pounder out of Manhattan had previously been riding a streak of four games in a row with 8 or more tackles (high of 10 on 9/30 against Moore Catholic)…There being no weakness to the breadth of his skill set, another area where Tarozzi has shined is in regards to creating negative plays, as in addition to his all of the columns he headlines on the stat sheet, he is also second on the squad with 9 TFLs (6 of which came during a three-game span between September 23rd-30th where he collectives tops for losses versus Xavierian and MC)!
*Emir Yuksel (Sr.; LB)—Heavy is the head that wears the crown and the 6’0, 205-pound senior linebacker has a strong neck!!!….A definitive leader on the team since the opening whistle of the fall, the Manhattan resident has not disappointed in his last year as a Knight, as he currently ranks 2nd on the team with 49 stops, highlighted by efforts of 10,9, and 9 during week 2,4, and 5 against the Mount, Moore, and Joe’s by the Sea…Yuksel’s two sacks this fall came last month versus Holy Trinity (9/9) and Xaverian (9/23) respectively!
*Liam Travis (Sr.; LB)—Honored as a Metro Catholic Player of the Week for the first time during his varsity tenure in week #7, Coach Stevens has pointed at the 190-pound linebacker as the perfect model of much the team has grown and fine-tuned itself during the ongoing 3-game winning streak it is enjoying…. Stockpiling tackles, but perhaps misinterpretting his assignments early in the year, the Staten Islander’s numbers have not been as gaudy in recent weeks, but he is playing a much more fundamentally sound game and in doing so, is serving as an example and facilitator for his peers….3rd on the squad with 39 total stops, #4 is fresh off of tying for a team-high of 4 tackles during week #7 and added his second TFL of the season versus the Gaels!
*Eoin McBride (Sr.; DE)—Registering no fewer than 4 tackles in any single outing in 2023, the 6’4, 185-pounder may be a little undersized to be playing on the DL, but he is making the most of the assets he does have, as his height (6’4) has enabled him to be among the team leaders in pass break-ups (2), and his speed allows him to flow effortless into the backfield where he has accrued 6 TFLs to go along with 1 QB bag….Extending his streak to four weekends in a row where he was credited with at least one full tackle for negative yardage, McBride finished last week in a three-way tie with Tarozzi and Travis for top hitter on the roster with 4!….He will step on the field this coming Saturday fourth on the team an comprehensive sum of 37 tackles!
*John Ratigan (Sr.; DE)—Another “North/South” performer as it pertain to how he attacks the game on “D”, 9.5 of the 12th grader’s 31 total tackles have yielded a loss of yards to top all Knights in the TFL column…Last week being the first occasion in which he was not rewarded with a stop with a minus attached, we fully expect to see #46 to rear-up and be his usual domineering self in this pivotal showdown for his school…Highlighted by a 2 sack appearance in the loss to HT in week #1, Ratigan has the added honor of presently being tied with Tarozzi for the seasonal high mark of 3 in ‘23!!.
*Benedetto Loria (Sr.; DB/PK)—An individual that both puts points on board in one sense and then works tirelessly to keep them off of it in another, the 6’0, 185-pound CB from Queens has steady in every role asked of him by the Knight coaching staff…As a defender, he was contributed 17 total tops, 1.5 TFL, and interception (last week), and a pass break-up…As a specialist, his leg has been golden, as he has converted 21-of-23 PAT tries (4-for-5 in week #7) and has been quite adept at dictating opposing starting field position by securing touchbacks on 15 of 36 kickoffs (51.4 average/per KO)
*Tomas Diaz (Sr.; DB)—The final piece to a very loaded and seasoned secondary for Xav
ier, the Brooklynite has been at or around that 3-5 tackle per appearance range to presently have 22 stops in the bank…Most recently, as part of a 3-stop night, his biggest weapon was his attention to detail, as he was in the right place at the right time, jumping on a free ball to foster a turnover (fumble recovery)!
Synopsis
A potential “upset special” to disrupt the pecking order, the Knights have long been known as a program that is prone to peaking in late-October/early November…
Presently sitting in the #4 spot (with a bullet), the winners of three games in a row are determined to shoot further up the power pole, but in order to do that, they are going to need to find a way past the a #2 Cougars program that is riding their own mini (2-game) streak of prosperity!!!
An injury at the field general position significantly altering the balanced attack of St. John the Baptist, the way we see it, this is a contest where both programs are going to try to play smashmouth, run it down your throat football…And with that being the case, we are anticipating a fairly low-scoring affair where the outcome will be determined via a strength-on-strength (both teams boast mighty front-7s) clash where it may only require a touchdown or two to emerge with the “w”….
Using the colloqial expression about engaging in a mud fight with a pig as a comparison, while SJB certainly has the personnel to make a ground war work to their advantage, they must also be cognizant of the reality that their opponents in week #8 are practitioners of the “old school” single-W scheme; hence, Xavier trains year-round for this specific type of game and they like it when toughness can win out over speed/athleticism….
On paper, Xavier is going to step on the field with considerably more proven depth on land, as the duo of Mehdi Merah and Jeremy Kuharski have united to account for 1,421 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, which translates to roughly an average of 178 yards per game just between two players….Add in the likes of Joshua Paduani (217 yards + 2 touchdowns on 42 carries) and/or Sean Kull (each of whom have recorded a 100-yard game in 2023), and you see why Coach Steven and his staff feel confident/comfortable in a clash of backfields!!
For Coach Alba, Andrew Simmons IV has been nothing short of a Godsend, as his emergence as a homerun hitter has enabled SJB to make these drastic and/or on the fly changes in strategy….Michael Wheat has fared well in his conversion from QB to RB, and Luka Skoda/Branden Raines both provide that extra muscle as spot ball-carriers in short yardage situation….
While are fairly confident that XR has no intention of tinkering with a winning recipe, the same cannot be said for John the Baptist who will certainly at least attempt to introduce an air attack into the mix, especially if they find themselves trailing in the 2nd half!
Max Bowers still appears to use the keeper as his go-to/preferred call (he has nearly as many carries, 24, as he does pass attempts, 28)…That having been said, even if he does not yet have full trust in his arm, the truth is that objectively speaking, he has functioned fine in this regard, connecting on half of his passes….
If the gents from West Islip are able to get into a groove via the sky, this will shift momentum heavily into their corner as DJ Lisbon is without question he most feared person on the field regardless of jersey….All he needs is a signal caller than get the pigskin to him accurately and he is more than capable of doing the majority of the work on his own!!
If our prediction is correct and the match-up materializes as a defensive duel, rest assured that there will be no shortage of impact student-athletes on each sideline!
Both programs specializing in invading opposing backfields and generating a plethora of negative yardage snaps, among John Ratigan/Evan Tarozzi/Eoin McBride for the Knights and their counterparts for SJB—Skoda, Raines, Brandon Moloney, etc, we are talking about just under 50 TFLs (49.5) and 21 sacks!…And we did not even mention big time hammers—Emir Yuksel & Liam Travis (88 combined stops for Xavier) or Calogero Rosado/Jovan Bonilla (22 tackles)/Ben Lehmler (12 tackles, 3 TFLs) who are not shy about busting chops!
Out of respect for both schools, we never predict a victor; so all we will say is best of fortune/blessings to both; and let the tougher team prevail!