Semifinals (November 10th-11th, 2023)
Rich Belin (Jr.); QB – Cardinal Hayes Cardinals
I don’t get a vote, but from where I am sitting (currently on the living room couch of my home), if there was any debate as to whom the 2023 Metro Catholic Offensive Player of the Year recipient ought to be, that discussion was settled on the afternoon of November 11th, as the 6’0, 188-pound junior field general hailing from Harlem [Belin] was a human highlight film and/or one-man show at times during Fifth-seeded Hayes’ 29-26 victory on the road over their top-seeded hosts from Archbishop Stepinac!!
Literally having a hand or leg in EVERY single point put on the board by the Cardinals during their semifinal showdown with the Crusaders, Belin notched his 15th-18th rushing touchdowns of the 2023 campaign to give him 41 total scores (23 passing, 18 rushing) this fall!!
Amassing 285 yards of total production with his limbs last weekend, the now three-time POTW selection (2021 Turkey Bowl + Week #0 this year) connected on 7-of-11 pass attempts for 122 yards, but as suggested above, it was the damage he inflicted on the ground that ultimately secured C.H. the berth in the ‘ship, as the 164 yards and aforementioned 4 scores he accumulated on 25 keeps both represented career-highs for the three-year varsity member/two-year starting QB!
Wasting little time in sending the tone for the kind of “step-up” day it was going to be for him personally, Belin got his team on the board during the opening possession of the contest when on 4th down, he called his own number and exploded up the gut for an 18-yard TD trek to hand Hayes the early 7-0 lead (3:17 into the 1st quarter)…
This ability to convert on 4th down was a pattern throughout the matinee, as Belin answered a Stepinac FG at the end of the 1st quarter (to cut the edge to 7-3) when on 4th & Goal, he start up the middle, but then stutter-step to the outside to barrel his way into the end zone on the 6-yard draw to increase the cushion to 14-3 with 8:52 remaining in the 1st half….Earlier in the series, it was his own 36-yard run that put C.H. just outside the red zone (advanced the ball from his own 43 to the enemy 21)!
He’d add his second touchdown of the stanza and third TD run overall with a little under 2:00 to go before the halftime break, when on 4th & 6th, he faked the hand-off and then darted, make a few cuts, and then kept his balance after contact to punch it in from a distance of 17 yards to send Hayes enjoying the upper-hand, 21-6!
The shortest (4 yards) but most important of Belin’s “Golden Haul” (to borrow from Soccer) occurred with 2:04 to go in regulation when he busted across the line on an RPO to provide what proved to be a very necessary TD (Stepinac rallied late)…He’d then find Cleveland Charlton on a 2pt conversion hook-up to round out the offensive output!!
Not yet mentioned, but nonetheless overlooked is the fact that on top of his four TD cruises and the 2pt pass, Belin also managed to go a perfect 3-for-3 on PAT tries!!!
A “lance that pierced the armor” of the Crusaders in both head-to-head meetings in 2023 (Hayes sweep; also won 33-28 in week #4), in these two games, Belin stockpiled nearly 700 yards and 8 touchdowns as he previously tossed for 295 yards and 2 TDs (12-of-22), while running 109 + 2 additional scores on 12 carries in early-October!
Having already avenged one of the school’s two losses during the quarterfinals (vs.St. Anthony’s), Belin would attempt to join older brother, Henry (2019) in vaulting the Cardinals to the top of the Triple-A mountaintop when he tries to get his vengeance against second-seeded Iona Prep in the title collision….
Despite the loss (46-35 on 10/14), Belin was a bright spot, as he threw for 236 yards (2 TDs) and sprinted for 154 (1 touchdown) more to generate 390 yards of output!
Stepping onto the field at with 3,613 yards (2,458 passing, 1,155 rushing) already in the bank, a strong showing should put Belin into the rare 4,000-yard club for comprehensive contribution!
Joseph Gaston (Jr.); QB – Iona Prep Gaels
He may be the younger brother of “Ice Spice”….But this past Friday night, it was the 5’8, 175-pounder signal caller out of the Bronx [Gaston] that epitomized “everything nice” about the Gaels’ offense in the 35-13 semifinals victory over Monsignor Farrell that send Iona Prep back to Championship Weekend a third year in a row!!!
Named as a Metro Catholic POTW recipient for the second time in a matter of the past three weeks (also garnered the honors in week #8), the first-year IP field general has found his mojo down the homestretch of the 2023 campaign, as he has personally accounted for 14 total touchdowns (8 throwing, 6 rushing) in the midst of the New Rochelle based program’s ongoing five-game winning streak!!!
Registering his second four TD performance of the fall in the semifinal triumph over the visiting Lions, Gaston’s legs were deadly during the opening half of the contest, as TD runs from distances of 5 and15 yards propelled Iona Prep to a 21-0 edge at the end of the opening 12 minutes, and then he’d tack on an 8-yard trek approximately 3:30 into the 2nd stanza to make the score 28-7!!
The three-TD on the ground affair marking a season-best for the 11th grade stud in the #1 jersey, he’d conclude the evening with a team-high 87 yards on 14 keeps!!!
Equally outstanding and precise with his arm, Gaston added 118 yards in the air, as he connected on 15-of-20 aerial attempts, with the highlight being an 8-yard hook-up (on 3rd & goal) right at the pylon for the TD exchange between him and vaunted junior WR, Steven Dowdy Jr. (6 receptions for 72 yards) to increase the Gael cushion to 35-7 with 5:57 to go in the 3rd quarter!!
Heading into the Triple-A finale having amassed just under 2,500 yards of total offensive production (2,481), Gaston is hitting at a remarkable 69.1% success rate (163 of 236) for 1,846 yards & 15 touchdowns, while adding 635 yards/8 TDs with his other limbs!!
If there is anyone who is especially overjoyed to have seen the Cardinals of Cardinal Hayes being the ones to emerge from the top half of the bracket, it is likely him….
When the two school previously clashed on October 14th, he was the definition of exceptional, recording his only other four-score display, as he went 10-for-13 in the sky (137 yards) and ran for a career-high of 125 yards on 11 keepers…His TD output was split evenly at 2 and 2!!!
Michael Herbert (Jr.); LB – Moore Catholic Mavericks
A homage to the old credit card commercial, we think we are going to start referring to the 5’11, 185-pound Staten Islander [Herbert] as “VISA”, because it seems that week after week he is clearly “everywhere you want him to be.”….And never were these sentiments more true that in the Mavs’ 28-0 semifinal conquest over 2022 AA-2 League Champs, Xavier!!
Springboarding himself into the top-spot on the depth chart in terms of total tackles (87) on the roster this season, by the time the final horn sounded on Saturday afternoon, the question that those in attendance were pondering wasn’t, “how many stops did #54 have today?”; but rather, “Where there any tackles made today not involving Herbert?”….
Shattering his previous single-day best of 11 stops (set twice in 2022), the three-year varsity contributor was credited with 3 solo hits, while simultaneously lending assistance on 16 (!!!) additional stops to go above and beyond in aiding MC in pitching their third shutout of the fall (first time that Xavier had been goose-egged since their opening appearance of 2021)!!!
Flowing like water, both east/west and north/south with ease, the 19 total tackles was just one of a pair of new entries going into Herbert’s record book, as his four TFLs also signified a new career-high!!
A catalyst in the Mavericks’ ability to earn a sweep over the Knights in 2023 (previously defeated XR, 27-7 on September 30th), it is fluke that during each meeting, it was Herbert standing tall, as he made 9 stops and picked off a pass in week #4…
Also not the least bit coincidental is the fact that the only two times that Xavier (averaged 265.1 yards per game and scored 31 touchdowns in their other nine games) was held under 200 yards on land was the clashes with MC where they were limited to 88 yards (34 carries) in late-September, and did not find much better luck this past weekend, as they gained a modest 162 yards on 47 attempts!
Collecting 29 tackles, 4 stops for loss, and 1 sack thus far in his two postseason appearances this fall (was fresh off of a 10-stop, 1 sack effort in the quarterfinal win over St. Francis Prep), opportunity ought to be present for Herbert to further add to his tally as Moore Catholic will square off with a St. John the Baptist squad that has been anchored by a strong rushing attack!…
The Mavericks and Cougars did not lock horns during the regular season, but when they last faced off (2022 AA-1 semifinals), Herbert had a fine showing, finishing tied for 2nd on the team with 7 tackles, as Moore was able to earn the privilege of playing for the crown via a 14-7 dub!
Nelson Perez (Sr.); WR – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers
The Mountaineers are headed back to the AA-2 Championship game for a second straight season following a 26-12 victory on November 11th over a very determined nemesis from Kennedy Catholic!!!
And a big reason why the Bronx based program will once again play for the crown that escaped them in 2022 was the absolutely stellar and/or career-day posted by their 5’10, 150-pound senior wide receiver [Perez!
The favorite target of reigning NYCHSFL Double-A-2 Offensive Player of the Year, Marc Pearson Jr. (10-for-21, 187 yards, 2 TDs throwing; 27 yards on 7 carries) from the start of the fall seemingly to the last whistle of it, Perez entered the semifinal contest as the only player on the Mount roster to register double-digit receptions (14) and multi-TD grabs (2) throughout the first eight appearances of 2023!
But alas, like any/every senior leader you’d hope to have setting the tone for your program, when the stakes reached the next level, so too did the performance delivered by the gentleman in the #13 jersey, as he’d establish new personal-bests across the board, hauling in 7 balls for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns en route to the victory over the visiting Gaels!!
Breakout/marquee efforts becoming habit for Perez, his strong showing in the championship round of 4 actually marked the second consecutive outing in which he re-authored his record book, as prior to this past Saturday, it was the 4-catch, 57-yard game during a loss to AA-1 finalists, St. John the Baptist, in the regular season finale that held the top spot on his resume!
The semifinal contest a defensive stalemate for the initial 14 minutes of action, it would be the first of the two TD exchanges between Pearson Jr. And Perez that broke the deadlock, as the latter ran a slant route for what should have been a short completion, but was then able to spin and utilize repeated cuts to tack on a plethora of YAC yardage that resulted in him going all the way to the house for what ended up being a 62-yard score to give MSMA the 6-0 edge with 9:53 remaining in the 2nd quarter!
An interception and 16-yard return by D’Angelo Cabrera (4 stops) on KC’s ensuing possession quickly gave pigskin back to the Mountaineer offense and Pearson Jr./Perez did not squander the opportunity, as the latter hit the former with a gorgeous 28-yard strike down the host sideline for their second TD hook-up in a matter of minutes to make the score 12-0 with 7:49 to go before the end of the half!
Coach Mario Valentini and his pupils will not set their sights on bringing the hardware home to Murdock Avenue for the first time since 2009 when they square off with Xaverian in a battle of the #1 and #2 seeds…
When the Mountaineers and Clippers last met on October 7th (week #5), Perez was credited for 3 receptions totaling 29 yards as part of 14-13 barn-burning triumph!!!…Given the streak he is on, don’t be surprised if he blows away those numbers on November 18th!
Luka Skoda (Jr.); RB/LB – St. John the Baptist Cougars
The first Cougar student-athlete to receive a POTW nomination since week #6 of the 2022 season, the 6’1, 210-pound two-way standout hailing from Merrick [Skoda] stepped onto his home field last Saturday like a man with “bad intentions” and vengeance in his heart!!!
Finding himself and his Red, Black, and White teammates on the wrong side of a 19-14 outcome in week #1, Skoda picked the ideal moment to get his revenge on the visiting Eagles of St. Peter’s, as he was the most impactful performer on both sides of the line of scrimmage in launching second-seeded SJB into the AA-1 finals behind a 27-14 victory!!!
A “thumper” who uses his size and strength to bulldoze anyone that dares cross his path, #7 was his usual authoritative self on defense (seasonal team-leader in stops, TFLs, and QB hurries; 2nd in sacks with sums of 46, 13, 5, and 6), but it was actually his upgraded role on “O” that truly set him apart and served as the spark that swung the pendulum in the direction of the West Islip based school!!!
Completely absent from the gameplan when the two programs had their melee in early-September, Skoda went from having 0 carries during the regular season match-up to pounding his way to a 10-carry, 42-yard, 2-touchdown afternoon in the rematch!!
The only John the Baptist runner to register a multi-score effort on November 11th, Skoda has now posted back-to-back 2TD displays in the playoffs, as one weekend earlier, he banged his way to 32 yards/2 touchdowns on 5 carries in the quarterfinal “w” versus Christ the King!!….
His four total “6”s in the playoffs doubled the total he accrued during regular season!
The contest all square at 7-7, Skoda struck for the first of his cited pair of scores when 2nd & 8 on the Eagle 9-yard line, he took the hand-off and powered his way to paydirt to give “Alba’s Army” a 14-7 edge with 7:52 remaining in the 2nd quarter…
The scoreboard unchanged at the break, again it was Skoda doing Herculean work on the opening drive of the 3Q, as he capped off a nearly 7:00 series when he took the pigskin up the gut, was met by an STP defender at the 5, but then refused to be denied, knocking the Eagle defensive back to get to about the 2 before his own OLs could apply the “Bush Push” to get him the rest of the way to cash in from 14-yards out to double the cushion to 21-7 with 5:36 to go in the 3rd quarter!!
His offensive stat line obviously tying or establishing new PBs in every rushing category across the board, as noted above, Skoda was quite extraordinary in his every weekend role as the captain and/or anchor of the LB corps in general and the entire Cougar defensive collectively!!
Just missing career-highs in total tackles (13 set against STP in the 2022 quarters) and stops for a loss (4; accomplished twice in 2023; including St. Peters in week #1 of 2023) Skoda continued to clip Eagle wings by boasting a season-best 11 tackles (7 solo, 4 assisted), two of which yielded negative results!
Elevating everyone around him to rise to his level, as impressive as Skoda’s personal accolades may have been, it was the universal achievement by the entire SJB “D” that was most inspiring and mind-blowing, as they successfully limited a nemesis that came into the game averaging 245.3 yards 3.1 touchdowns on the ground to a very modest 82 and 0, as the tandem of Jeremiah Williams (59 yards on 14 carries) and Marco Aruta (23 yards on 12 keeps), the #1 and #2 runners in AA-1 this season, were each bottled up for the majority of the day, forcing St. Peter’s to deviate from a strategy that had literally carried them all fall!
The Cougar cohort seeking to hoist hardware for the first time since 2012 (double-A finals losses in 2014 and 2021), it is essential that Skoda show no mercy in any regard as Baptist will tangle with a Moore Catholic squad that features no shortage of superstars on both sides of the ball, including soon-to-be 2x 1,000 yard rusher, RJ Pacheco, who is going to test the SJB front-7 to the fullest!!
When Skoda last played opposite the Mavs, he racked up an 8-tackle outing in the 2022 semifinal loss!
Finbar McGuinness (Jr.); LB – Xaverian Clippers
Rod Martin (3 in Super Bowl XV) in 1979; Larry Brown (2 in Super Bowl XXX) in 1996; Malcolm Butler (INT to seal the win in Super Bowl XLIX) in 2015, etc…!!!