NYCHSAA STATE FINALS
Iona Prep-NYCHSFL (10-1) vs. St. Francis-Monsignor Martin (10-1)
When: Saturday November 29th, 2025 @1pm
Where: Wellington T. Mara Field on the Campus of Iona Prep (255 Wilmot Road New Rochelle, NY 10804)
Watch: SportsEngine
TITLE GAME HISTORY (Iona Prep)
*2021: Champions Behind a 38-22 Victory against St. Francis
*2024: Champions Via a 42-26 Victory against Canisius
IMPACT PLAYERS (Iona Prep):
*Julian Guzman (Sr.; QB)—Returning All-State Quarterback that led the Gaels to the hardware in 2024….Fresh off of a 17-for-23 passing (206 yards, 2 TDs), 12-carry (66 yards, 2 TDs) performance that raised his seasonal totals to 2,113 (air) and 703 yards (land) and 30 touchdowns (19 passing)
*Crew Davis (Sr.; RB)—A 2x Metro Catholic title game MVP as well as the returning Outstanding Offensive Player from the 2024 State Championship, the future Tar Heel racked up 253 yards (202 rushing; 51 as a receiver; 1 ground TD) of total production in the League finals…For the year, Davis has carried the ball 154 times for 1,257 yards (15 TDs) while also making 29 catches for an additional 396 yards an 3 additional scores!
*Eric Pirrello (Sr.; WR)—Emerging as the top target during the postseason, the senior WR was credited with four grabs for 48 yards in the win last week over Monsignor Farrell…Overall, he has accrued a team-high 36 receptions (434 yards, 5 TDs)
*Joe Wolf (Sr.; WR)—Somewhat quiet during the Metro Playoffs; during the regular season there were few, if any, more dangerous wide-outs in the NYCHSFL than the 6’3 multi-sport star….The team-leader in reception yardage (600 yards) and TD hauls (9), Wolf enters having made 29 catches in 2025!
*Chase Reeves (So.; RB)—The presumed heir apparent to Davis in the Gael backfield next season, the 200-pounder hailing from NYC has come on strong during the postseason….Last week, he totaled 54 yards, as he ran for 34 on five handoffs and made 4 grabs for 20 yards (1 TD)
*Mamadee Sangaray (Jr.; WR/DB)—His future at the next level taking him to an FCS school of his choosing; the 11th grader is holding offers from the likes of Syracuse, Boston College, Minnesota, UConn, Temple, Buffalo, etc…An absolute “freak” athlete; the #9 jersey is a human highlight reel waiting to happen…Last week as a receiver, he was credited with 3 grabs for 50 yards and a TD to raise his numbers this year to 17 grabs for 221 yards….As a defender, he is both ballhawk and bulldozer!
*Brennen Pressley (Sr.; LB)—A four-year varsity member who makes his presence felt on both sides of the line of scrimmage; as a short yardage option out on offense, Pressley scored a touchdown on one of his three carries (11 total yards) as part of the league finals victory….Defensively, he flew around the field to register multiple tackles and created a turnover when he induced a fumble!
*Zander Poole (Jr.; DB)—3 of his 4 interceptions this season occurring during the past two weeks in the Metro playoffs; Poole is playing his best football at precisely the right time of the year!
*Joshua Simmons (Jr.; OLB/DE)—Named as the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the 2025 AAA title contest; the 6’5, 240-pound OLB/DE has garnered interest from the likes of the Cuse, Boston College, and West Point….A consummate disruptor in the opposing pass game; when he is not busy bringing the heat, he showed that he is quite adept in coverage as he posted his second INT of the fall in the finale win over Farrell
*Brady Morison (Jr.; DL)—-His performance in the NYCHSFL AAA finals last week earning him a mention in this preview; the 11th grader heard his name called on multiple occasions in the Metro title game, as he notched both a key run stop to force a punt and had a ferocious QB hurry that resulted in an errant throw which yielded a T.O.D.!
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TITLE GAME HISTORY (St. Francis)
*2015: Lost to Archbishop Stepinac, 42-28
*2018: Lost to Archbishop Stepinac, 49-7
*2021: Lost to Iona Prep, 38-22
*2022: Lost to St. Anthony’s, 27-20
*2023: Lost to Cardinal Hayes, 40-22
IMPACT PLAYERS (St. Francis):
*Trent Buttles (Jr.; QB/DB)—The “X” factor on both sides of the ball, the 190-pound junior is electric in everything he does….The commander of the Red Raider offense, the dual-threat QB amassed 331 yards (261 in the air, 70 with his legs) and 4 scores (3 passing) in the Monsignor Martin title game…He’d also be credited with 15 stops from the defensive backfield to round out a mind-blowing performance….Holding offers from Akron, Temple, Buffalo, etc., Buttles enters the State finale having generated 2,301 yards (1,668 passing, 633 rushing) and 27 touchdowns (19 via the sky) of production…To boot, he tops the roster with 3 INTs this fall and is second on the squad in total tackles with 77!
*Tyrone Clark (Jr.; RB/LB)—Missing his sixth century mark effort of the 2025 by just 2 yards (98 yards, 2TDs on 18 carries) in the Martin title game, the 205-pound tailback upped his seasonal numbers to 1,141 yards and 18 TDs on 149 attempts…Expect him to also see time at LB and is dangerous as a kick returner!
*Domonic Cook (Jr. RB/DB)—The son of an NFL namesake, the 11th grader has been out of the line recently and we do not know his status for this Saturday….But if he does play, he possesses game-changing talent….Listed by 247Sports as having been offered by the likes of Syracuse, Maryland, Texas Tech, and Boston College, Cook is explosive any time the pigskin is in his hands, as evident by the 748 yards and 11 touchdowns he has posted on just 99 carries as a junior…Defensively, he has accrued 36 stops as a member of the secondary!
*Aiden Hopwood-Moore (Jr.; WR)—One of two trusted targets in the aerial attack; the 5’10, 160-pounder is fresh off of a performance in the MM finale that witnessed him haul in 4 passes for 117 yards and a pair of scores…All in all, he steps onto the field this weekend as the team-leader in total receptions (30) and receiving yardage (530)!
*Mason Anderson (So.; WR)—The back-half of the feared 1-2 WR combo; the young gun from Angola is himself riding the momentum of a big showing in the MM finals as he made 3 grabs for 112 yards and a TD….The owner of a team-best 11 TD snatches, he is on the heels of his aforementioned teammate in the other two categories with 28 receptions for 500 yards in 2025!
*William Wortkoetter (Sr.; OL)—A beast on the wrestling mat (2x State placer/2024 runner-up) with a commitment to Mercyhurst; the 6’4, 280-pounder is pretty damn good at pushing people around on the gridiron too….Recently named as a Trench Award nominee (top lineman in WNY), Wortkoetter is professional road grader that opens up holes on command to facilitate the vaunted ground attack for Frannies!
*Larry Hardy (Sr.; RB/LB)—A consummate punisher on defense for the Red Raiders, the 180-pounder plays bigger than his frame as proven by a team-high 83 tackles this season (to go along with 1.5 sacks)…He is coming off of a 5-stop display in the MM finals!
*Samuel Skalski (Sr.; DB)—-Third on the team with 54 cumulative stops during his swan song campaign, the 175-pound D-back also has a sack and a pick this year….In the Monsignor Martin title game, he was credited with 6 stops!
*Luke Fleischman (Jr.; LB)—-The Chaffee resident recently posted an 8-stop demonstration in the MM finals to raise his season total to 49 (1.5 sacks)!
*Terrance Ware (Jr.; LB)—BE(WARE) of #15….Fifth on the team in total stops with 49, 2nd in TFLs with 3, and tied for the team-lead with 2 sacks; Ware just missed double-digits in his last outing, racking up 9 tackles in the MM finale!
*Kenneth Litzinger III (So.; DB)—A name to remember for the next two years; as a sophomore, the 6’0, 170-pounder finished second on the team with 2 INTs while delivering a complementary 37 stops (2 TFLs)!…
*Tavio Hoose (Sr.; LB)—”Hoose Your Daddy”!!!….Another Red Raider whose future exists on the wrestling mat, the 2x State finalist/2023 Champion (while attending Southwestern) is the “eraser” for the St. Francis defense….Topping the charts with 5 TFLs and 2 sacks, the Lehigh commit has also registered 36 tackles this year (5 in the MM title game)!
Mini Synopsis
Two teams that know how to put points on the board, the host Gaels are averaging 41.4 ppg, while the road warrior Red Raiders are not far behind with a 38.4 output in their 11 trips to the gridiron….
The last time that the North Carolina bound Davis made a NYCHSAA State title game appearance (2024); he exploded for video game numbers to the tune of 336 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17 carries (nearly 18/per)….The Red Raiders can most certainly not allow history to repeat itself this weekend!!
In that same 2024 finale, Guzman only tossed the ball 13 times (8-for-13), but was potent when doing so as he hurled three TD passes, including one each to both Wolf (2 grabs for 47 yards) and Sangaray (24-yard TD reception on lone catch of the day)!!!
To counteract the quick-strike abilities of Iona Prep, we’d expect to see Coach Smith and staff incorporate a heavy dose of Clark and Buttles (Cook too if available) runs as a means of controlling possession and shortening the game…
Combining for almost 1,800 yards (1,774) and 26 touchdowns between them (not including Cook); the two-headed monster out of the backfield knows their strength and will ride that wave as far as it will carry them!!!
The offenses on both sidelines garnering the bulk of the headlines; rest assured that there is no shortage of superstars on defense….
Surrendering just under 18 points per game; a Maroon & Gold defense that was led by the likes of Pressley and Sangaray held current top-200 national prospect, Elijah Kimble (Canisius), to a modest 63 yards in last year’s title contest….
Poole, another leader among the last line of defense also made his presence known in the ‘24 Catholic title game as he notched a clutch interception in his own end zone!
Fierce and capable at all three levels of their defense; St. Francis will be counting on Hardy, Hoose, Clark, Fleischman, and Ware to crash/play downhill to stop Davis in his tracks; while also putting their full trust in Skalski, Litzinger, Evan Greenough (42 tackles), Kaiden Wright (42 stops, 1 INT), and Andre Amos (8 tackles in the MM finals) to lock down the bevy of Maroon & Gold receivers!!
2-0 in previous State main event efforts, Iona Prep will be determined to become the first repeat titlist since Stepinac went back-to-back in 2017/2018…
St. Francis, who has yet to hoist the hardware in their five prior tries at the prize will have been just as hungry to bring the brass ring back to Buffalo for the first time since Canisius won it all in 2019!