#1 Moore Catholic (7-4) vs. #2 St. John the Baptist (6-4)
When: Saturday November 18th, 2023 @2:30pm
Where: Jack Coffey Field on the Campus of Fordham University (441 E Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY 10458)
Watch: Youtube (Varsity Media)
Previous Meeting: “First Meeting of 2023”
How They Got Here (Moore Catholic):
-Quarterfinals: 28-8 over #8 St. Francis Prep
-Semifinals: 28-0 over #4 Xavier
How They Got Here (St. John the Baptist):
-Quarterfinals: 35-12 over #7 Christ the King
-Semifinals: 27-14 over #3 St. Peter’s
Postseason Heroes (Moore Catholic):
-Thomas Zeh (QB): 22-for-32 in the air for 353 yards and 5 touchdowns (4 in the quarterfinals)
-Richard “RJ” Pacheco, Jr. (RB): 281 yards and 3 touchdowns (all in the semis) on just 13 carries
-Gerald Green (RB/DB): 112 yards on 10 hand-offs; 11 total tackles, 1 TFL
-Boakai Veikai (WR): 6 receptions for 153 yards, 3 TD hauls
-Matthias Lighten (WR/DB): 5 grabs for 127 yards, 2 TDs (both in the quarters); 15 tackles (11 in the semis), 1 INT
-Miles Sinclair (WR): 6 receptions for 44 yards
-Michael Herbert (LB): 29 tackles (19 in the semis), 4 TFLs (all in the semis), 1 sack (quarters)
-Glenn Shepperd (DB): 21 stops, 2 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
-Isaiah Vanterpool (LB): 16 stops, 5 TFLs, 2 sacks (quarterfinals)
-Aqil Meredith-Smith (DL): 16 tackles (13 in the semis), 1.5 sacks, 1 induced fumble
-Omar Mendez (LB): 15 tackles, 3 TFLs (quarterfinals), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
-Billy Cozidente III: 13 tackles, 1 INT (Semis)
-Elijah Jones (LB): 10 stops (7 in the semis), 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Postseason Heroes (St. John the Baptist):
-Maxwell Bowers (QB): 17-for-24 throwing, 258 yards in the air, 3 TD passes; 132 yards running on 11 keepers
-Andrew Simmons IV (RB): 123 yards (101 in the semis) and 1 TD rushing on 14 carries; 2 receptions for 20 yards (quarterfinals)
-Luka Skoda (RB/LB): 74 yards and 4 ground TDs on 15 carries; fresh off of an 11-stop, 2 TFL effort in the semifinals
-David “DJ” Lisbon (WR): 7 grabs for 92 yards, 1 TD snatch
-Brayden Mangan (WR): 3 catches for 42 yards, 1 TD (all in semis)
-Michael Conza (WR): 2 receptions for 56 yards, 1 TD (all in quarterfinals)
-Jack Gagliardi (TE): 3 snatches for 45 yards
-Michael Wheat (DB): 7 tackles +1 PD in the semifinals
-Joseph Rivera (DB): 7 tackles in the semis; 1 INT in the quarters
-Calogero Rosado (LB/DB): 6 stops in the semis
-Zaire Grant (DL): 6 tackles, 1 stop for negative yardage in the semis
-Aniello Cesarino (DL): 6 stops, 1 tackle for negative output in the semis
-Jovan Bonilla (LB): 5 hits, 1 TFL in the semis
-Branden Raines (DL): 4 tackles, 2 stops for minus yardage in the semis
-Jayden Miller (DB): 4 tackles in the semis; 1 INT in the quarters
-Lance Maiberg (PK/P): Perfect 8-for-8 on PAT tries
Overview: Living up to their top-2 seeds were the respective brethren from Staten Island [Moore Catholic] and Long Island [St. John the Baptist], as both programs looked impressive in their semifinal contests a week ago, but know that they still have unfinished business this fall as they take the pilgrimage to Coffey Field to see who can seize the NYCHSFL hardware that has alluded each of them during their most recent attempts at the brass ring!!
A rematch of a 2022 AA-1 semifinal clash won by Moore Catholic, 14-7, the Mavericks are determined to defeat not only the Cougars, but also rid themselves of the déjà vu effect/curse, as they find themselves headed to Championship weekend for a third year in a row, with the previous two appearances ending in heartbreak for the Merrill Avenue Machine (43-7 loss to Chaminade in 2021; 21-14 loss to Holy Trinity last season)!…
Earning an overall ranking of either 1st (defense) or 2nd (Offense) in the AA-1 division on both sides of the ball despite playing an extremely ambitious schedule that boasted head-to-head match-ups with multiple AAA squads (as well as a pair of foes from Pennsylvania), for the fall, MC is surrendering only 13.8 points per game this season (7.2 versus fellow AA-1 competition), while scoring at a 23.2 clip (jumps to 32.5 when playing against divisional opponents)!!!…
Winners of six of their past seven outings (after getting off to a 1-3 start to 2023), what has made Coach Nick Giannatasio’s brigade so special this season has been the fact that on a roster filled with standouts who would hog the headlines at most other schools, there has been no definitive superstar. Rather, every week has welcomed/afforded the opportunity for a new name/face to ascend to the spotlight and demonstrate his skillset!
Six different student-athletes garnered Player of the Week status (all occurring since week #4) as a true testament that Moore Catholic literally has been able to “pick their poison” and decide how they wanted to overwhelm the opposition on a given day!
A freshman only on paper at this point of his rookie campaign, the emergence of rookie QB, Thomas Zeh, throughout the season has been captivating, as the 9th grader will head into the finale having hurled for 1,425 yards and 15 touchdowns on 90-for-140 (64.3%)…Equally important is the fact that he has protected the ball like a seasoned pro, tossing just 4 interceptions to boast a nearly 4:1 TD to INT ratio in his debut campaign directing the show!
Likely to surpass 100 combined receptions and 1,500 yards (thus far sitting at 88 catches for 1,430) this Saturday will be the pass-catching trio of Matthias Lighten (32 grabs for 543 yards, 4 TDs), Boakai Veikai (30 hauls for 590 yards; NYCHSFL-best 12 touchdown grabs), and Jayden Melendez (26 snatches for 297 yards)…And if this three-headed monster was not enough to give opposing secondaries nightmares, consider that sophomore, Miles Sinclair, has come alive in the postseason, making all six of his receptions this season during the playoffs!…
RJ Pacheco (975 yards and 11 touchdowns) is fresh off of a 3TD affair in the semifinals last week and is a known SJB killer, which he illustrated the aforementioned 2022 semis, as he went off for 155 yards + 1 touchdown on 23 attempts versus the Cougars….He is even nastier/stronger as a junior in 2023, as he has run for 100+ yards in 6 of 9 outings (finished with 95 in the quarterfinals while taking a rest)!….Gerald Green has provided an extraordinary second-wave to the backfield attack, as a solid display during the title game should enable him to reach 500 yards for the season (presently at 458 and 3 scores on 60 hand-offs)!!!
Lighten (headed to the U.S. Military Academy to play CB) and Green, who check all boxes as stellar as defensive backs, will be joined by a lethal front-7 compromised of Michael Hebert (87), Isaiah Vanterpool (81), Aqil Meredith-Smith (53), Omar Mendez (52), Elijah Jones (40), Jason Guttierez (28), and Damon “DJ” Stewart (21) who united to make 362 stops this season, highlighted by 57 TFLs (18 by Vanterpool, 12 by Mendez, 10 by Herbert) and 20.5 sacks (7.5 by Vanterpool, 4.5 by Mendez, 3.5 by Jones)….Herbert and Jones each registered 1 INT apiece to boot!!…In last year’s semis, Herbert and Vanterpool were both among the leading tacklers for Moore Catholic, as they each were credited with 7 stops; the latter [Vanterpool] also secured 2 QB bags and used his mitts to pick off a SJB pass attempt!
Glenn Shepperd (73 tackles, 11 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 2 INTs) has brought North-South toughness to the last line of defense, as he functions like a hybrid LB and can do a little bit of everything; while Billy Cozidente was the neighborhood ballhawk in 2023, carrying a team-high 5 interceptions with him into the ‘ship!
Turning our attention to St. John the Baptist, who is making the trip to the finale for the second time in the past three season (lost in the 2021 AA-2 title game to Holy Trinity), the make it or break for the Cougars this weekend will likely be their ability to eat up territory and/or clock on the ground by relying on a “Thunder & Lighting” ground approach that leans heavily on speeder, Andrew Simmons IV (673 yards and 7 touchdowns on 94 carries), as well as powerhouse/bulldozer, Luka Skoda (158 yards and 6 TDs on 24 hand-offs)…Simmons has been the primary RB all season for the Red, White, and Black, whereas Skoda, who is the heartbeat of the defense, has stepped to the plate and embraced a much more substantial role on “O” in the playoffs, as he has posted 2TDs displays in both the quarter and semifinal rounds…Getting stuffed for a 3-yard loss in his only attempt of the 2022 semis, Simmons has some added motivation!…
While success on with the run is something that we consider a necessity for SJB to contend, the fact of the matter is that when you ponder the notion that MC is a week removed from completely shutting down the land arsenal boasted by Xavier (held a Knight backfield averaging over 265+ yards and scoring 31 touchdowns to just 162 on 47 tries), it is not much of a stretch to say that a contingency plan would be wise!!
And thankfully, the strides made by former third-string QB, Maxwell Bowers, has us confident that if called upon to do damage with his arm, the junior out of Brightwaters will be fit for the challenge, as his 70% completion percentage and 3 TD passes the past two weekends have us convinced that he is coming into his own and is no longer a proverbial question mark as a thrower….An added bonus with Bowers is that he is capable to keeping the MC “D” honest by also scrambling on occasion (288 yards on 40 keepers)!
While depth at the WR position may not be as pronounced/proven in West Islip as it is in Staten Island, you never want to sleep or underestimate a person like DJ Lisbon’s knack for transforming the game…John the Baptist’s answer to Veikai, much like the MC receiver, Lisbon’s size (6’4) creates major match-up issues which he has exploited the tune of a 29-grab, 528-yard, 6TD haul resume….Michael Conza (13 catches for 177 yards, 2 touchdowns) had a 14-yard snatch during the 2022 postseason clash…And Brayden Mangan (5 receptions for 95 yards, 2 TDs) & Jack Gagliardi (5 grabs for 67 yards) have joined the party in the postseason and will present additional options in the sky attack!
Skoda (46 stops, 13 TFLs, 5 sacks, 6 QB hurries) being at the forefront of the mission, SJB does bring back a plethora of defensive personnel that saw significant field time and made a lot of noise in last’s year hard fought defeat at the hands of the Mavs….
#7 [Skoda], as well as senior, Calogero Rosado (34 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) will be the men setting the tone among the linebackers, but are going to need to get assistance out of the likes of DLs—Branden Raines (27 tackles, 12 stops for a loss, 8 sacks), Brandon Moloney (26 hits, 4 TFLs, 1 sack), and Benjamin Lehmler (17 stops, 3 TFLs, .5 sack), not to mention DBs—Christopher King (20 stops, 4 pass-break-ups), Joseph Rivera (32 tackles, 2 interceptions), and Michael Wheat (17 hits, 2 TFLs, 1 INT), who all bring experience with them into the finals!…Raines (14), Skoda (8), King (6), Moloney (5), and Rosado/Rivera/Lehmler (4 each) combined to record 45 tackles last November versus MC….
LB-Jovan Bonilla (27 tackles, 1 TFL), DB-Jayden Miller (21 stops, 4 PDs, 3 INTs), and DLs—Zaire Grant (18 tackles, 3 stops for minus yardage) & Aniello Cesarino (18 stops, 1 TFL, 1 sack) either were not on roster last season or were not factors in the contest….They will need to visible this coming Saturday!
Our gut telling us that a defensive war might ensue, if the difference between celebration and agony is the kicking game, the slight advantage belongs to the Cougars as Lucas Maiberg has been pretty much automatic in 2023, hitting on 23 of 25 PATs and going 2-for-2 (long of 38) on FGs…
By no means trying to sell him short, sophomore Giovanni Bennardo certainly looks the part of a future Specialist of the Year award winner, as he converted 23 of 27 point after attempts and was 3 of 4 (long of 45) on field goals!