VENGEANCE + A REPEAT FOR THE GAELS!!!
Losing their only game (28-21) to a NYCHSFL opponent in the past to two seasons to Monsignor Farrell on October 17th; it did not need to be said; it was simply understood that defending Triple-A champs, Iona Prep, stepped onto Coffey Field (Fordham Prep) on Saturday afternoon with a chip on their shoulders and revenge on their minds….
Making their fifth consecutive appearance during Metro Catholic Championship weekend, the Gaels silenced the ghosts of their lone imperfection, as they came out of the gate on fire and never took their proverbial feet off the gas en route to claiming the 42-20 triumph!!!
Held to just 7 first half points during the regular season match-up; the New Rochelle based juggernaut could not have been any more fluid and/or potent today during the opening 24 minutes of action….
Tallying touchdowns on three of their first four possessions; Iona Prep took an early 7-0 advantage when returning All-State quarterback, Julian Guzman, cashed-in on his 10th rushing TD of the year on a 2-yard QB keeper 4:45 into 1Q…
Prior to the short scoring run, it was a 19-yard gain from NYS Offensive Player of the Year/UNC bound, Crew Davis, on 4th &1, that moved the Lion red zone….
Senior WR, Eric Pirrello, also made multiple grabs to facilitate the TD…
A quick response from Farrell took the form of 49-yard bomb from Bryce Moye to Alex Ustun to cut the deficit to 7-6 with 5:49 to go in the 1st; but IP would then come right back over the top with the third straight score of the day,,,
Marching 81 yards over a span of 5:16, a combination of connections to Chase Reeves (13 yards), Pierrello (19 yards), and Mamadee Sangaray (7 yards), complemented runs by Guzman (10 yarder) and Davis (7-yarder on 4th &3) to propel the pigskin to inside the Farrell 3-yard line….Davis then punched it in in the last 25 ticks of the 1Q to make it a 14-6 affair!!
Both defenses settling in for the majority of the 2nd quarter; Lamar Lewis had a pass break-up for IP; Joseph Vitale came up big on a shovel pass stuff for Farrell; and Brady Morison filled the gap and made a clutch hit for the Gaels to produce back-to-back punts and a turnover on downs during the next three rotating drives….
Iona Prep regained their rhythm in the last 3:00 before the break as Guzman added his second TD run of the half (21-6 score) when he plunged in from a distance of 2-yards out to punctuate a 61-yard parade that was aided by a Davis 25-yarder on the previous snap!
Zander Poole (on his own 21) and Anthony Vento (on his own 28) traded INTs for the Gaels and Lions to keep the scoreboard unchanged heading into the break!!!
The Staten Islanders [Farrell] put themselves back in the conversation when Gianni Pasqualone had a 57-yard KO return to the IP 32 on the first play of the 3Q….Moments later, it would be the “Moye Twin Magic” (Bryce to Braxton) on a 5-yard throwback pass that trimmed the hole to 21-12 1:50 into the 2nd half…
But alas, the always incendiary Gael attack had yet another answer, as the ensuing events saw them successfully handle an onside kick on their own 49…
Multiple handoffs to Davis and a 10-yard pass to Reeves was the crux of the ; but it was a pair of Guzman’s scrambles on back-to-back snaps (highlighted by an 11-yard gain on 4th and 6) that served as a saving grace…
Having extended control of the ball with his legs; Guzman later hit Reeves with another shovel pass (from 8-yards away) for the TD to vault IP to a 28-12 cushion with 5:34 before the end of the third stanza…
A turnover by Farrell on their next possession proved costly, as Eric Camacho alertly pounced on a Kevin Gumb Jr. fumble on the IP 32 to halt a very promising drive!
Incorporating a heavy dose of runs (Davis taking the bulk of the carries), Iona Prep was able to milk over 5:00 of game time as they methodically galloped their way to the opposing 31 before Guzman found Sangaray on a 31-yard, “nail in the coffin” screen pass to paydirt to further pull away, 35-12 (10:39 remaining in regulation)….
After the Sangaray TD catch, Farrell’s last semblance of a rally came when Moye and Ustun connected for the second time of the day on a 61-yard TD completion (2pt run by Moye to make it a 35-20 contest); and then Vento scooped up the ensuing onside kick…
Unfortunately, the “make it then take it” scenario did not yield any additional scoring as the Lions got as far as the IP 20 before Morison shot through the OL with a pass rush that caused an errant throw on 4th & 4 and generated the T.O.D. with 8:35 to go in the 4th…
Icing on the cake for “Coach Spags” and company occurred when after a 38-yard pass to Joshua Simmons and a 10 yard run by Davis put the Gaels back on the doorstep; it was red zone specialist, Brennen Pressley (2024 AAA title game defensive MVP), barreling his way across the line on a 10-yarder with 2:48 still left to be played to round out the scoring (41-20)!!!
For Good measure, Simmons notched an interception on the Lion 25 with 2:36; thus allowing the now two-time defending kings to exhaust the waning ticks of the clock!!
Davis took home Offensive MVP for a second straight year; and it was Simmons joining him among the honorees when he named as the Defensive Star of the afternoon!!
With one title hurdle having been cleared; Iona Prep will now set their attention on seizing the program’s third CHSAA State crown (previously in 2021 and 2024) when they host Monsignor Martin champs, St. Francis, on November 29th!
The Maroon & Gold owns a 1-0 resume versus the Red Raiders in Catholic title games, as they were 38-22 victors back in 2021!