#1 Mount St. Michael Academy (6-2) vs. #4 Kennedy Catholic (3-6)
When: Saturday November 11th, 2023 @1pm
Where: Mt. St. Michael Academy Campus (4300 Murdock Ave, Bronx, NY 10466)
Watch: Youtube (Mt. St. Michael Academy Page)
Previous Meeting: Moore Catholic, 7-0, on October 14th (Week #6)
Overview: A barn-burner when the two teams met in Mid-October, the only points of the afternoon came late in the 1st quarter when Carl Shaw was able to punch across the goal line from a short distance away to enable the Mountaineers to escape with a 7-0 victory!!
An illustration of why we play games on grass/turf and not on paper, if you were to look at the discrepancy between the two programs in terms of established personnel, you’d instantly expect a much higher margin of triumph for MSMA…
But alas, under the tutelage of Dominick Tassone, the Gaels know how to peak for the signature moment, and they always seem to be at their best when the pressure is greatest!
If the visitors from Somers are able to bring this same level of defensive intensity to the field in the rematch, there is every reason to believe that the upset can happen….However, holding a very athletic and determined Mount cohort to just a single touchdown is not going to be an easy feat…
AA-2 bridesmaids a season ago, MSMA is blessed to have reigning Divisional Offensive Player of the Year, Marc Pearson Jr., serving as the pulse of a well-balanced attack that averaged just under 17 points per game this fall, but exhibited flashes of absolute explosion when they put up efforts of 21, 27, 38, and 20 versus AA-1 opponents—Fordham Prep, Xavier, Christ the King, and St. Peter’s!!…
Whether deliberate (holding back in anticipation of seeing KC again in the playoffs) or coincidental, Pearson Jr., was not particularly active when the two scores clashed in week #6, as he was credited with attempting just six passes (4-for-6, 43 yards). His stat line should 110% be more pronounced this coming Saturday, as a coach as intelligent and proven as Mario Valentini is not going “to leave the Ferrari in the garage” when there is a berth in the ship on the line!
Utilizing a heavy run approach on October 14th, the Murdock Avenue Mafia were able to battle their way to a very respectable 169 yards on the ground, with the likes of Tyler Bobe (73 on 14 carries), Shaw (63 yards +1 TD on 15 hand-offs), and Jonathan Otoo (55 yards on 12 rushes) being the main culprits in literally carrying out the gameplan!!!…Otoo was also a weapon out of the backfield, as he hauled in 2 receptions for an additional 23 yards to be the only Mount student-athlete to register multiple grabs!
If the aerial strike is incorporated to a higher degree, then the potential is present for individuals such as Nelson Perez, Savion Pearson, and Travis Agoanya to “eat”…Pearson had one snatch for 14 yards in Mid-October; Agoanya made a catch for 6…
Defensively in pitching the shutout, it was Shaw (5 tackles) and Otoo (4 stops, 1 TFL) being complemented by Anthony Rosario (4 hits), Logan Greenaway (4 tackles), D’Angelo Cabrera (3 stops), Zaire Caldwell (3 stops, 1 TFL), and Kadane Joseph (3 tackles) in limiting Kennedy to just 82 yards of total offensive production!!!…Ronan Smith, Nico Bustamante, and Jaire Edwards are three extra names to know given their strong body of work throughout 2023!
Turning our attention to the Gaels, if you were seeking a reason to feel much more optimistic about them returning to Championship weekend for the first time since splitting the 2018 and 2019 “A” finales, you can find it in the person of star tailback, Israel Centeno-Johnson!!!…Unable to play during the week #6 melee, the senior out of Stamford, CT., in a definitive game-changer, as he showed last weekend when he earned Player of the Week honors behind a 7-carry, 70-yard 1 TD display on the ground, while also taking two kickoffs to the house as a return man on special teams in the 33-8 quarterfinal dub over Cardinal Spellman…
The comradery and/or pitcher/catcher relationship that senior QB, Carmine Calandrello, enjoys with wideouts—Nico Calandrello & Luke Stephan, should also not be overlooked, as both amassed two catches in the loss to the Mountaineers to account for four of their field general’s six connections on the day (6-for-11, 58 yards)…Approaching the 1,000 yard chucking mark, [Carmine] Calandrello is fresh off of a 2TD tossing performance in the quarterfinals, as he hit Stephan from 40 and [Nico] Calandrello from 20 to notch his second multi-touchdown passing game of the fall!
While they do not list their defensive statistics, from taking a glimpse at the game film, outstanding efforts were turned in in Mid-October by a front-7 comprised of standouts such as Robert Cross, John Urbanowicz, Angelo Santamaria, Anthony Bucello, Paul Madori, and Richard Ponzini, who all seemed to be flying into the opposing backfield to create stuffs and/or TFLs…Matthew LoRusso showcased his ability to transition quickly, as he logged an INT off of a fake FG Pass in the 4th quarter to thwart a promising MSMA drive!
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#2 Xaverian (5-4) vs. #3 Holy Cross (4-5)
When: Saturday November 11th, 2023 @1:30pm
Where: Aviator Sports Complex (3159 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234)
Previous Meeting: Xaverian, 12-0, on September 15th (Week #2)
Overview: While not much information is available online by either school, from reviewing some of the highlight packages posted by the second-seeded Clippers throughout the fall, we very much were pleased with what we saw out of a balanced offense that seems equally adept at scoring both on land and in the air….
Junior QB, Jude Van Ooyen, has displayed a strong and accurate arm and seems to have an amazing rapport with the likes of receivers—Spiros Drossos, Owen Conti, and Antonio Hernandez, all of whom can be seen hauling in SEVERAL receptions for big gains if not touchdowns….TE, Christian Donato, has also been a consistent playmaker in this regard…Droussas made a beautiful one-handed snatch over the middle during the week #2 victory for Xaverian!
Van Ooyen more than a capable runner on the keeper/scramble when necessary, expect for the bulk of the damage on the ground to come courtesy of the seniors—Freddy Scuteri & Chris Duffy, with the former [Scuteri] being more of the speed/gone in a blink option, while the latter (by no means slow of foot), uses his 205-pound frame to bring the boom!!…Game tape did not reveal that Thomas Martin was a main ball-carrier, but the Junior RB from Queens does make his bones by serving as an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield to further bolster the RB committee…
With many of the same names/faces doing double duty by starring on both sides of the ball, some fresh individuals to focus on “D” for the Clippers include DBs, Finbar McGuinness (multiple INT + at least one Pick-6 this fall) & Tristan Gallagher, LBs Andrew Owens, Tommy McMorrow & Anthony Farina, and defensive linemen—Michael Astarita and Thomas Regan!!
For Holy Cross, the winning recipe might be to find a way to maximize the number of touches they can get to returning All-Catholic WR, Issac Glaudin…Electric with the ball in his hands, the senior from Ozone Park is a threat to take it to the house every time he is afforded the opportunity to handle the pigskin….
Fellow All-Leaguer, Terrance Alexander, is another major threat that can/will make his presence felt, as he too has “one hole and gone” abilities!!
If Head Coach Timmy Smith can establish his two known commodities, there is certain hope that the result from several weeks ago can be reversed in favor of the Knights!!!