2024 NYCHSFL AAA Finals Preview

#1 Iona Prep (9-2) vs.  #2 St. Anthony’s (8-3)

When: Saturday November 23rd, 2024 @2pm

Where: Mitchel Athletic Complex (1 Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Uniondale, NY 11553)

Previous Meeting: 48-40 Iona Prep Victory on October 4th (Week #5)

Watch (Online): Varsity Media (Youtube)

Players to Watch (Iona Prep)

*Julian Guzman (Jr; QB)—Shining in his first season as the maestro of the Gael offense, the Maryland baseball commit has generated 2,546 yards and 23 touchdowns of production this season behind a 65 percent completion rate (153-for-236) in the air that yielded 2,096 (17 TDs); complemented by an additional 450 and six with his legs (57 carries)…When he squared off against the Friars on October 4th, he was quite potent, as he hit on 10 of 18 for 202 yards and a pair of scores.  He’d tack on 35 yards on 7 keepers to round his day in the victory!

*Crew Davis (Jr.; RB/WB)—Created by the Lord in the mold of a Christian McCaffrey; the 5’11, 205-pound Connecticut resident is capable of taking over the game as either a traditional ball-carrier or as a receiving option out of the backfield…Responsible for producing 1,431 yards and 16 touchdowns this fall, his contributions have been delivered in a fairly balanced manner, as he has accumulated 792 yards and 9 scores on the ground (46 carries); while hauling in 46 receptions for 639 yards (7 TDs)….Davis’s best game of the regular season would come during that Week #5 meeting with St. Anthony’s, as he exploded for 319 yards (199 rushing, 120 receiving) and four touchdowns to set season-highs across the board!

*AJ Zimmerman (Jr.; RB)—Somewhat of a wildcard pick as a potential game-changer, Zimmerman has only gained 266 yards and scored three touchdowns this season; but it is worth noting that two of those “6’s” came in the early-October triumph over St. Anthony’s, as found paydirt on two of his seven carries (33 yards)!!

*Kadin Huling (Jr.; RB)—Splitting time with Zimmerman as that secondary tailback option for IP, Huling steps on the field for the ‘ship riding a two-game TD streak, as he ran for two scores in the regular season finale against Monsignor Farrell; and then added another “6” (35 yards on 7 attempts) during the semifinal win over Chaminade last week…All in all for the year, the 210-pounder has sums of 300 yards and 5 TDs on 51 carries (5.9/per)…He average 7 yards per try on October 4th, finishing the day with 28 yards (4 hand-offs)!

*Joe Wolf (Jr.; WR)–An early-season injury to star wide-out, Steven Dowdy Jr., creating opportunity for the rest of the corps; it has been the Rye resident who has most benefitted from an increased role as a target, as he led all traditional receivers on the roster with a stat line that read as follows: 23 grabs for 378 yards and 3 TD snatches…On the back-end of two passes for 28 yards during week #5; expect for those numbers to go up in the rematch this Saturday!

*Eric Pirrello (Jr.; WR)—Collecting multiple catches in six different appearances this season, Pirrello is fresh off of a 3-grab, 31-yard outing in the semifinals that raised his seasonal totals to 23 catches for 337 yards (2 TDs)…His three snatches (34 yards) tied Davis for the team-lead when IP played STA on October 4th!

*Rowan Byrne (Sr.; OL)—A touring presence at 6’5, 305 bills, the future Clemson Tiger is regarded as a 3-Star National prospect by 247 Sports (#561 overall in the land)…A menacing force in both run and pass protection, it is not by fluke that the Gael offense has been able to amass 4,113 yards this fall while averaging 33.5 ppg

*Gabriel George (Sr.; OL/DL)—His future at the U.S. Naval Academy secure since his commitment over the Summer; there is actually some question as to which side of the ball he projects on the NCAA DI level….247 Sports perceives him as a DL for the Midshipmen; but yet, IP seems to be featuring him more as a co-road grader (alongside Byrne) on the OL…No matter where he lines up; he is going to make sure that his 6’6, 265-pound frame is put to good use!

*Brennen Pressley (Jr.; LB)—Named as a NYCHSFL POTW following an 11-tackle (2 TFL), 1 sack effort in the semifinal win over Chaminade, the three-year varsity player headlines a very gifted group of LBs….Making it impossible to ignore his #2 shirt, Pressley is going to have his name called early and often!!…As he also demonstrated in the semifinal conquest (scored on his only carry); Pressley can and will be utilized on short-distance runs in the red zone!!

*Matthew Plunkett (Sr.; LB)—Another experienced member of the LB corps; Plunkett provides that senior leadership….Having played in this title game repeatedly; the moment is not going to be too big for him!…A pure athlete whose future will take him to Holy Cross to play lacrosse

*Mamdee Sangaray (So.; DB/WR)—Proclaimed by the Gael coaching staff as the “Next Big Thing” in New Rochelle, the Rover LB/S has lived up to the hype as behind three pick-6’s this year (including one in the semifinals)…To put into perspective the high opinion pundits hold on this young man; comparisons to current Georgia CB/former top-5 national prospect, Ellis Robinson IV, have been uttered!…While he has not been used much in this capacity; Sangaray is dangerous when spotlighted on offense as a WR!

*Matthew Davitt (Sr.; DB)—The “Captain of the Defense”, Davitt is regarded as one of the top S/CBs in the entire Empire State…Possessing sprinter (4.5) speed, he can run with anyone

*Terron Johnson (Sr.; DB)—One of those individuals that seems as if he has been on the Iona Prep roster for 10 years; the senior from the Bronx is as reliable as they come in his coverage…He has been hampered a bit with injuries; but when at 100%, he is definitively a traveling DB that always strives to erase opposing WR1s!!

Players to Watch (St. Anthony’s)

*Gary Merrill (Sr.; QB)—Headed to the University of North Carolina to play lacrosse for the Heel; if not for the fact that he is the #2 overall prospect in America as a midfielder; there is little doubt that the Bayport resident would have a wealth of gridiron scholarship offers on the table…..Without question the favorite to be both the NYCHSFL and NYS Offensive Player of the Year, the two-time starting field general for the Friars is putting up video game numbers on a weekly basis…Factoring in the nine touchdowns (7 rushing, 2 throwing) he has registered in two postseason outings thus far, Merrill needs just one more score to reach 50 (!!!) for the year…His legs only slightly more deadly than his arm, the #16 jersey has produced 3,547 yards of offense, hitting on 120 of 167 toss attempts for 1,659 (18 TDs); while rushing for 1,888 (31 scores) on 197 keepers….While he would throw a pair of costly INTs in the loss on October 4th, Merrill was still otherwise outstanding, as he accounted for six touchdowns (3+3) and accumulated 450 yards of damage (season-high 246 with his arm; 205 with his legs)!

*Xavier Bala (So.; RB)—Setting a career-high (127) for rushing yards and typing his personal-high for ground TDs (2) in the quarterfinal win over Stepinac, Bala has ascended into one of the top young offensive players in the entire Evil Empire…Attracting serious FBS attention (offers from Rutgers, Syracuse, etc.), imagine what the super sophomore’s stats would look like if he was the primary option out of the backfield…Still, despite deferring to his QB on many an occasion, the 210-pounder out of Baldwin has managed to gain 860 yards and score 7 touchdowns on 158 carries in ‘24…He missed week #5; so you know that having him in the line-up is going to be a confidence booster for STA!

*Will Hart (Sr.; WR)—One of a pair of senior receivers that broke out during their swan song campaign; the 5’10 Shoreham resident topped all Friars with 9 TD grabs this season…In addition, his 30 total catches and 481 yards ranked 2nd on the squad…When he faced off with the vaunted Gael secondary on October 4th, he was held to just 2 catches for 27 yards; but both of those snatches resulted in scores; so he is without question a “finisher”!!!

*James Taylor (Sr.; WR)—Kept out of the end zone, but otherwise putting forth his finest showing of the year in the head-to-head versus IP, the 6’2 12th grader hauled in a career-best 8 receptions for 95 yards in the loss…Battling neck-and-neck with Hart for the top spot in total grabs and receiving yardage, he enters the finale with a slight lead with 31 and 505 this season!…Taylor has a TD snatch in each of his first two playoff games (as part of combined 6 grabs for 121 yards in the postseason)!

*Johnny Russo (Jr.; WR)—A bit of a sleeper pick; Russo has been the #3 option in the aerial game; but there is something about the 11th grader out of Port Jefferson Station that tells us he is going to show up in a massive way this Saturday….Credited with 17 catches for 322 yards and 3 scores in ‘24, he would come away with 2 for 72 on October 4th!

*Ryan McNaughton (Sr.; OL)—The heartbeat of the offensive line, the multi-year starter has set the tone for an ensemble that has facilitated 4,522 total yards of offense and recorded 56 touchdowns!!!….Going up against both the reigning NYCHSFL AAA Lineman of the Year (Kahmari Valentine) and a Georgia Tech commit (Blake Belin) in the trenches during the semifinal triumph over defending champs, Cardinal Hayes, McNaughton and his peers more than held their own!!

*Cam Urso (Sr.; DL)—The definition of “Alpha” for the STA defense; the #6 jersey plays North to South without any hint of showing mercy to the opposition!!!…Forced to sit on the shelf for a good portion of his senior year, Urso still managed to rack up 14 TFLs and 5 sacks as part of an overall body of work that equaled tackles!…Urso is another “bedrock” player that was not available during round of #1 of this rivalry; but will be an undeniable difference-maker!…Urso’s postseason stats through two games read as follows: 16 stops, 8 TFLs, 3 sacks!!

*Nick Skjeveland (Sr.; LB)—An incredibly active and consistent tackler, the senior LB amassed 45 stops this season, including making 4 tackles (1 TFL) during week #5!

*Michael Kelton (Sr.; LB)—Adding to the senior depth at the LB corps; the #21 shirt will be asked to step up in make those necessary hits in open space to slow down the IP attack…Kelton has missed time this year (does not appear in the week #5 Box score), but is coming off a semifinal effort in which he was quite visible (5 stops)!!

*Andrew Thompson (Sr.; LB)–The senior from Amityville was a little quiet during the semis (credited with only 1 tackle); but his presence/boom has been apparent for the majority of the year as he enters the title game among the STA leaders with 32 stops and a sack….He made two stops on October 4th versus the Gaels!

*Dixon Charzuk (Sr.; DL)—The ability to win upfront being crucial, the Centerport resident has the size (6’3, 290) and skill to go toe-to-toe with anybody regardless of reputation…He brings momentum with him to the title contest as he is fresh off of a 4-stop, 1 TFL display in the semis!…On the year, he has been credited with 22 tackles (3 for negative yardage) and 2 QB bags!

*Kevin Moore (Jr.; CB)—Saving one of the best for last; Moore is every bit as important and instrumental from his spot along the last line of defense as Urso is among the front-7….The top man on the totem pole in both cumulative tackles (54) and INTs (3) for his school, #2 tends to get mislabeled as a “basketball player who biding his time on the gridiron”…In truth, he is a playmaker no matter what surface you put him on!…Thus far in the playoffs, he has 14 tackles and pick to his name…His season-best for stops occurred in the loss to IP, as he piled up 8 tackles!

Mini Synopsis

Bar none one of those games where you feel that the team that has the ball last is going to win; when these two powerhouses collided in early-October, the top-seeded Gaels were able to build a 42-20 lead in the 2nd half before the second-seeded Friars rallied to score three of the final four touchdowns of the game to get edged out, 48-40!!

88 points and nearly 1,000 yards (965 to be exact) of total offensive firepower on full display during round #1; we don’t think the rematch is going to be AS high scoring; but there certainly will not be any shortage of points either…

The rosters on both sidelines so immensely blessed and gifted; no matter where you look; you are likely to find a person with the potential to change their school’s fortunes in the blink of an eye…

Stepping onto the field as the owners of a 9-2 record, Iona Prep has yet to lose a game this season to a team from their own state, as both of their blemishes transpired in non-league competition versus juggernauts from New Jersey (Delbarton and Bergen Catholic)…

Winners of eight straight, the Maroon & Gold will rely on junior hybrid RB/WR, Crew Davis, to have a deja vu moment, as the standout in the #5 jersey torched the STA defense for 319 yards (199 rushing; 120 receiving) and two touchdowns apiece with his legs and hands…

Should STA succeed in slowing down the heralded 11th grader [Davis]; rest assured that Joe Spagnolo and company are not going to be panicking, as they have full trust in their first-year starting QB, Julian Guzman, and his band of capable WRs comprised primarily of Joe Wolf and Eric Pirrello who have combined to make 46 grabs for 715 yards and 5 TDs….

With a pair of OLs headed to premier collegiate programs—Rowan Byrne (Clemson) & Gabriel George (U.S. Naval Academy), IP seems to have an edge on paper in the trenches!!!

The 8-3 Black & Gold machine [St. Anthony’s], who despite being the lower seed will enjoy a bit of a hometown advantage (game being played on Long Island), will counter with their own unstoppable gem in the person of senior field general/prohibitive favorite to win the 2024 Metro OPOY award, Gary Merrill

One touchdown short of 50, the #16 jersey went off for six separation touchdowns (3 and 3) in the midst of racking up 451 yards of production…

His knack for making something out of everything with his legs; Merrill has already run for 351 yards and 7 TDs in two postseason appearances; and would be perfectly happy to continue chewing up yards in chunks if allowed to do so!!

The sky attack the most improved aspect of Merrill’s game, he too has a bevy of “partners in crime”—Will Hart, James Taylor, Johnny Russo, etc—that are all too willing and capable of haunting the IP defensive backfield…

Riding their own winning streak (six in a row since the loss to Iona Prep in week #5), unlike the prior meeting, Joe Minucci mentored cohort will have the luxury of having star sophomore tailback, Xavier Bala, at their disposal….

Admittedly the focus deservedly being centered around the various offensive weapons; we’d be remiss if we did not acknowledge a few players on “D” that also have “put the team on my shoulders” written all over their beings!!!

One a sophomore; the other a senior—If you are in search of defensive personnel of which you cannot take your eyes off, then look no further than Mamadee Sangaray (IP) and Cam Urso (STA)….

The former, who all experts foresee playing upper tier DI football on Saturdays at the next level is a master at turning “D” into “O”, as displayed by not one, not two, but THREE interception returns for touchdowns this season…To boot, he possesses the athleticism and the fortitude to shadow Merrill!

Like Bala on offense; Urso was a missing link the last time the gauntlet was thrown down between these two decorated programs…But factoring him back into the mix is definitely a tidbit that could cause a sufficient swing in the outcome…

The senior DE is a “hunter”….He identifies his prey and then spends the next 48 minutes tearing it apart!!!

In just five games this season due to injury, he managed to bank 14 TFLs and 5 sacks!

Making their fourth straight appearance to the Mitchel Athletic Complex for the Triple-A main event; Iona Prep is seeking to snap a two-game losing streak in pursuit of their third “AAA” crown (sixth overall)…

The Friars, who last won the hardware in 2022 when they beat Iona Prep (50-18), are vying to seize the brass ring for a mind-blowing 16th time!!