AA-1 SEMIFINALS
#1 St. Joeseph’s by The Sea (5-4) vs. # Fordham Prep (3-7)
When: Saturday November 15th, 2025 @1:30
Where: Joe Ryan Memorial Field on the campus of SJBS (5150 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10312)
Watch (Online): SportsEngine
Players to Watch (St. Joseph’s by the Sea)
*Pete Tronolone (Jr.; QB)—The 6’2, 175-pound field general may not lead the division in passing; but he seems to be the perfect person to lead the Viking offense, as suggested by the fact that the Staten Island based squad is sitting on the top line of the AA-1 bracket…Connecting on just under 60% percent of his throw attempts (73 for 122), the 11th grader has fired 6 TD darts this season!
*Joseph Moran (Jr.; RB/LB)—The proverbial “Straw the stirs the drink”, the two-way standout is a big reason why Viking Nation feels that a repeat is possible in 2025….Serving as the primary option on the ground, Moran ranks third among AA-1 ball-carrier with a season total of 838 yards (9 touchdowns) on 99 carries (8.5 per)…His 17 catches for an additional 148 yards and 2 scores is icing on the cake….Turning his attention to “D”, he sits among the top contributors in several categories with tallies of the following—39 stops is 3rd on the team; his 6 TFLs (2nd), 3 sacks (2nd), 2 caused fumbles (1st), and 2 recovered fumbles (1st)…Recording both a pick-6 and a fumble return, his knack for turning “D” into “O” sets him apart from many of his peers!
*Miles Sinclair (Sr.; WR/LB)-–Sweeping all pass-catching categories for the program in his swan song, the 6’1, 185-pounder has collected 26 catches for 291 yards and four touchdowns!
*Christian Yue (Sr.; WR/DB)—One of the top receivers a season ago for the team that won it all; the 5’10, 160-pounder has just as entrusted during the repeat bid, as is the top homerun threat with an average of 21.1 yards per catch (359 yards on 17 grabs, 2TDs)…Yue is also a key member of the last line of defense, having accounted 34 stops to go along with 1 INT and a 1 credited pass break-up!
*Christopher Dunne (Sr. DB)-–Tops on the Vikings in tackles this season with 44; the 155-pounder is “big” when it comes to creating changes of possession as proven by his team-best 2 INTs and 2 induced fumbles!
*Sal Leto (Jr.; LB)—-2nd only to Dunne, the 11th grader has been reliable in halting opponents, as he has a sum of 41 tackles this fall
*Michael Zawatsky (Sr.; LB)—The showstopper among Viking defensive personnel; the senior leader among the LB corps is a negative outcome producing machine, as 14.5 of his 21 stops this season has been for minus yardage…An inferno of pressure, the majority of his damage has taken the form of sacks, as he enters the league semis with a total 13 QB bags and 8 hurries!
*Dom D’Orazio (Sr.; LB)—Adding further firepower to the LB corps is another senior who has been nothing but productive from start to end of the regular season….Not the physically biggest guy out there (160 pounds); his motor has enabled him to amass 37 tackles and 2 forced fumbles!
*Nick Laona (Jr.; DB)—-A shutdown presence in the defensive secondary, the junior leads all Vikings with 5 pass breaks-ups. His 26 tackles and 1 INT provide more credence to his true value!
*Matthew Fuentes (Sr.; DB)—-Poised and seasoned after being a contributor in 2024; Fuentes has again been a person that the SJBS can “set their watch to”, as he has collected 29 tackles, 2 pass break-ups, and an INT as a senior!
Players to Watch (Fordham Prep)
*Colin Ballantyne (Sr.; QB)—Peaking at exactly the ideal time; it was another strong outing for the Rams senior field general, as he tossed a pair of TD passes in vaulting FP to an upset of third-seeded St. Francis Prep in the quarterfinals
*Luke McKay (Sr.; RB)—Making the legacy of the #22 jersey proud; the Rams’ top rushing option found paydirt on two separate occasions!
*Mendim Dacaj (Sr; WR)—TD receptions becoming habitual for the 6’4, 200-pounder out of the Bronx; he broke the ice during the quarterfinal win over the Terriers and never looked back adding several more key grabs to aid in the upset!
*Lake Chiesi (Jr.; WR/DB)—-His reputation preceding him; the two-way starter may have been on the quiet side a week ago; but he is a volcano of production that is capable of erupting at any time!
*David Holahan (So.; LB)—The Rye resident could not have been more impactful in the quarterfinal victory, as he broke out to the tune of a 5-tackle, 3-sack, 1 caused performance….He enters the semifinals with aggregate numbers as follows: 29 stops (3 TFLs) and 3 sacks!
*Nicholas Monaco (Sr.; LB)—Stepping onto the field last weekend already as the owner of the team lead in tackles; the pride of Yonkers kept his foot on the gas, as he posted a game-high 8 stops, including a sack hat trick, and two forced fumbles!…He raised his season totals to 68 tackles (4 for negative yardage) and 4 sacks!
*Matthew Schaller (Junior; DB)-–Listed on the roster as a wide-out; the 5’5, 135-pounder was dropping hammers instead on “D” as he tied Monaco with 8 total stops in the quarterfinals!…He has our attention!
*Dylan Saladino (Jr. LB)—Joining the parade of superb displays from the FP LB group; the Bronxville superstar finished the quarters with 6 stops and a sack….Towards the top of the leaderboard this season, he upped his numbers to 34 tackles (3rd) and 4 sacks (3rd)!
*David Agyemang (Jr; DL)—His stat line modest compared to the bar in which he has set for himself this fall; he recorded his 6th sack of the year to stay atop the leaderboard…He enters the semis needing just one more tackle to reach 50 in 2025!
*Kevin Cameron (Sr.; DE)—Still deadlocked with Agyemang with the team-bests of 6 sacks and 6 TFLs, the 230-pounder concluded the quarters with 4 total stops to increase his seasonal output to 17!
Mini Synopsis/Last time they Met
The classic tale of the defending champs squaring off again a “Cinderella” Story; very few pundits would have predicted this match-up; but yet this is why football is played on a field and not on paper….
Rewinding all the way back to their previous meeting during week #2 (September 12th); it was the reigning kings from Staten Island coming away with a commanding 25-3 triumph thanks in large part to the individual heroics of Moran (155 yards and a pair of TDs rushing on 17 carries; 4 tackles and a sack on “D”)….
Tronolone (5-for-9 in the air, 1 TD pass; 16 yards and 1 additional TD rushing) & Sinclair (3 receptions for 41 yards) teamed up a TD exchange…
Zawatsky (3.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks), Hunter Racioppo (3 stops, 2 TFLs, 1 sack), Julian Criscitiello (2 TFLs, 2 sacks), and D’Orazio joined Moran (5 total stops, 1 pass break-up) as catalysts on the other side of the ball…
The Ram offense never able to find their groove; the defense did their best to try to keep the team in the game as Chiesi (7 stops, 1 sack), Agyemang (5 stops, 2 TFLs, 2 sacks), David Holahan (5 tackles, 1 sack), Raphael Nero (4 tackles, 1 forced fumble), and Alessandro Sanchez (1 INT) were bright spots defensively!!!
It need not be said that given the previous result; the Vikings are the smart money bet; but you can never sleep on a team that has momentum on their side…And having already slayed one top-3 seeded dragon; there is a sense of believe in the Fordham Prep locker room!
A win for the visiting Rams would send them back to championship weekend for the first-time since 2017 when they were runners-up to a loaded Kellenberg Memorial cohort!
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#2 Xavier (8-2) vs. #4 St. Peter’s (6-4)
When: Saturday November 15th, 2025 @4:30pm
Where: Aviator Sports Complex (3159 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234)
Players to Watch (Xavier)
*Peter Heaney (Sr.; QB)—The epitome of consistency for the vaunted Knight ground attack; the senior Brooklynite provided all the scoring needed in the quarterfinal round, as he ran a pair of touchdowns (76 yards on 23 carries) to spark the victory over Kellenberg Memorial…His strong effort enabling him to stay atop the AA-1 rushing leaderboard, Heaney formally surpassed the 1,000 yard milestone as he heads into the final-4 having gained 1,023 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on 163 carries!
*Elijah Stewart (Sr.; RB/DB)—Splitting his time between the offensive and defensive backfields respectively; Stewart made the most of his limited opportunity with the ball in hands, as he ran for 38 yards on six attempts to raise his total on the year to 528 yards (6 TDs) off of 81 hand-offs….Defensively, he added 6 stops to raise his this season to 42 (4th most among Xavier personnel)
Riley McLaughlin (Sr.; RB)—Limited to just 22 yards on the ground in the quarterfinals; expect a bounce back display from the senior classman as he has been a steady presence (472 yards and 8 touchdowns from 80 attempts this fall)
*Tyler Buono (Sr;. RB)—When you incorporate such a run-heavy scheme; there is no such thing as too many “good options” and 150-pound senior has most certainly been a factor this season as he netted 444 yards and scored twice on 50 carries (team-best 8.9/per)…If asked to do more, there is little doubt that he would continue to produce!
*Robert Milacci (Sr.; LB)—Like clockwork, the senior LB was fluid in delivering yet another strong outing in the quarterfinals….His 8 total stops upped his sum this season to a team-best 79 (2nd among all AA-1 players)…While he did not add to the totals last weekend; it should not be forgotten that #20 is also a master of creating negative outcomes as he has 10 TFLs and 4 sacks this year. His 5 pass breaks-ups are a testament to his ability to drop back into pass coverage flawlessly!
*Brady Metzger (Sr.; LB)—Perhaps the M.O.P. of the quarterfinal round for Xavier, the Manhattan resident concluded last weekend with 8 stops, 2 TFL, and a sack…He trails only Milacci with 55 tackles this season, while also being solid across the rest of the board with 5.5 TFLs, and 3 sacks!
*Ryan Lavin (So.; DB)—The sophomore DB posted a 4 tackle, 1 pass break-up effort last weekend…For the year, he has racked up 51 stops (8.5 TFLs), 3 pass defenses, and an INT!
*Ace Jernstedt (Jr.; WR/DB)—Flashing on offense, he’d be responsible for hauling in one of the two pass completions (for 19 yards) by Xavier receivers in the quarterfinals; but the majority of his contributions came from his customary spot in the defensive backfield as he recorded 4 tackles….In 2025, the 11th grader owns the team-lead with 6 pass-breaks up while also amassing 41 tackles and an interception
*Kenneth Swanson (Sr.; DE)—The 6’1, 180-pounder tallied 3 tackles and a sack to raise his fall numbers to 25 stops (6.5 TFLS) and 2.5 sacks!
*Sebastian Myers (Sr.; DB)—Rewarded with a POTW nomination following the quarterfinal triumph over the Firebirds; Myers led all Knights with 9 tackles and 2 pass break-ups….In doing so, he elevated his seasonal stats in those categories to 40 and 4!
Players to Watch (St. Peter’s)
*Anthony D’Acunto (Jr.; QB)—Running the show like a seasoned veteran; D’Acunto’s statistics in the quarterfinals may not have been gaudy; but they were consistent and effective as he produced 187 yards of total offense by connecting on 12-of-16 passes for 148 yards (1 TD throw) while adding an additional 39 yards with his legs on 7 carries…He heads into the AA-1 semis with a division leading 1,675 yards tossing by virtue of hitting on 115-of-193 (11 TD passes). As a runner-up, he is averaging 5.4/per carry for a sum of 331 yards (3 scores) on 61 keepers!
*Benjamin Terry (So.; RB/WR)—His jets on display in a variety of capacities last weekend; the 10th grader notched his second 100-yard outing of 2025 when he went off for 123 yards on 17 carries….To boot, he was credited with 4 grabs for 26 additional yards…However, it would be his 98-yard KO return that was the most electrifying contribution….For the year, the Staten Islander raised his stat line to 668 yards of traditional offense. As a ball-carrier, he leads the Eagles in all categories with 482 yards and 3 TDs on 72 carries…His 23 grabs (for 186 yards 1 TD) ranks 4th for STP!
*Victor Baez (Jr.; WR)—Responsible for scoring the only conventional touchdown of the day during the quarterfinal round, he hauled in a TD pass from D’Acunto as part of a 4-catch/65-yard effort…Towards the top of the leaderboard in all receiving categories among all AA-1 targets; he now sits with a stat line that reads as follows: 33 catches for 506 yards and 7 scores!
*Vincenzo Coppola (Sr.; WR/PK)—It was another weekend of checking off boxes one by one for the handy dandy “utility man”….As a receiver, he made 3 catches for 39 yards; as a defender, he was credited with 4 tackles…And as a kicker, he went 2-for-2 on PATs tries…For the year, he now has 26 receptions for 413 yards (1 TD); complemented by 15 stops, 1 INT, and a pair of pass break-ups on D….His lethal leg improved to 21 of 23 on extra point attempts!
*Giancarlo Ciaramella (So.; LB)—Posting a team-leading 9 stops to commence the playoffs, he maintained his spot atop the Eagles leaderboard as he now has registered 64 tackles (14 TFLs) and 3 sacks!
*Christopher Badon (So; DT)—Another sophomore who is playing like an upperclassman during crunch time; the 280-pound nose guard made 4 total tackles; but it was quality, not the quantity that mattered most as he accrued a pair of sacks and created a fumble as part of the shutout!…12 of 27 stops this year have resulted in negative yardage, including 7 sacks (2nd on the squad)…His 13 QB hurries is a team-high!
*Nicholas Gnerre (Sr.; LB)—Concluding the quarterfinals with 3 TFLs and a sack, the senior leader of a loaded corps raised his fall totals to 41 stops (12 TFLs) and 4 sacks!
*Chase Navarro (Sr.; DB)—Deprived of the privilege of seeing him notch another pick-up (has returned 3 of 5 INTs to paydirt this season); even without the flashy highlights, the Brooklyn kid was solid, as he tallied 5 tackles (2 TFLs)…
*Daniel Mills (Sr.; DE)—Taking over the team-lead in sacks with 8 this season, the Staten Island resident finished the quarterfinals with 5 total tackles (3 TFLs, all on sacks) and both caused and pounced on a fumble!…For the season, he has posted a stat line as follows: 33 stops (9 TFLs), the aforementioned 8 QB bags, and 3 hurries!
*Justin Wu (Senior; DB)—-A sleeper that we are including because he fresh off of a banner day in the quarters; the 6’2, 165-pounder had a hand in two separate turnovers, with one coming on an INT and the other being a fumble recovery…Credited with just 13 tackles all year; 5 came last weekend!
Mini Synopsis/Last time they Met
A head-to-head clash that just as easily could have been the finale had the “Turkey Bowl Rule” (Xavier and Fordham Prep do not play prior to Thanksgiving) not dictated a modification of the bracket; the Knights have their sights set on making it back to the AA-1 finals for the first time since 2018 (won the AA-2 crown in ‘22); while the Eagles want to silence the haunting memories of falling short in the title game in 2024!!!
Both programs winners of 5 of their last 6 appearances; there is momentum on both sidelines!!!
A rematch of a 24-10 Xavier victory in Mid-September (Week #2); 237 of Xaviers 314 yards came courtesy of Heaney (126 yards on 19 carries) and Buono (111 yards and a TD on 8 hand-offs)…The backfield duo also hooked up on a 16-yard TD exchange in the air….
Stewart (10 tackles), Jernstedt (8 stops and an INT), Milacci (7 tackles), James Halpin (5 stops, 2 sacks), Dimitri Sanchez Eltell (6 stops, 2 TFLs), and Brian Caulfield (4 tackles, an INT, and a caused fumble) stood among their peers in presenting a strong defensive front!!
Theo Sheridan-Vitale went 4-for-4 on kick attempts (3-for-3 on PATs; nailed a 31-yard FG) for the Xavier!
Two interceptions by D’Acunto spoiling an otherwise decent day for the Eagle field general; he finished the game 11-for-20 for 142 yards…
Terry not appearing in the box score; the running game was anchored by strong demonstrations from Gnerre (72 yards, 1 score on 9 carries) and Anthony Papacena (83 yards off of 11 hand-offs)!
Josiah Jones (3 receptions for 59 yards), Torrone Smart (2 grabs for 46 yards), and Coppola (2 hauls for 33 yards) facilitated the aerial attack by getting open out wide!
Ciaramella (10 tackles, 3 stops for negative yardage), Mills (8 tackles), Navarro (6 stops), and Colin Snell (6 tackles) were the most active members of the defense!