By Matt Diano:
#1 Moore Catholic (7-2) vs. #3 Cardinal Spellman (5-4)
When: Saturday November 19th, 2016
Where: Mitchel Athletic Complex
Time: 10 am
History of the Season Series:
– The two teams split during the regular season, with third seeded Spellman winning in overtime, 30-24 on September 24th; Moore Catholic got their revenge on October 29th, winning another nail biter, 18-16
-In both games, the Pilots were driving late and were well within striking distance; they converted in the first meeting; in the rematch, the Mavs held firm, stopping them on 4th & inches inside the goal line.
-Both teams’ got great production out of their #1 running backs as MC fab frosh, Justin Lacks, ran for 304 yards and four touchdowns between the two meetings, while Spellman senior, Rodney N’Guessan, countered with 224 yards and a quartet of scores himself.
-Despite a low connection percentage, Mavs sophomore signal caller, Vincenzo Scarola, posted career highs in completions (12-for-27), passing yards (154), and touchdowns (2) in the September showdown; he was less active last month, attempting just seven throws, three of which were converted as he finished with 54 yards….In both games, he tossed one INT.
-Moore WR, Zach Hampton, also played outstanding in a losing cause during week #3, setting a season high in receiving yards with 81on five grabs (one of which was for a TD); he followed it up by being on the back end of 2/3 of Scarola’s completions during the regular season finale.
-While the Staten Islanders have clearly had an edge in the sky, their opponents from the Bronx have gotten the better of the exchange on the ground, as Spellman has rushed for an average of 237 yards per contest compared to 159.5 for the top-seeded Mavericks….All six of Spellman’s touchdowns recorded during the two-game span have occurred on the ground
Synopsis:
Despite being seeded 3rd, if there was one team that Moore Catholic likely was hoping not to see during championship weekend, it is the returning Single-A runners-up, Cardinal Spellman….Mustering only a split with them during the regular season (versus sweeping #2 seed/defending champion, Xaverian), the Nick Giannatasio mentored Mavericks are all too well aware of the fact that they came within inches of losing both ends of the home and home….While it was considered a non-league contest, Spellman is the only A school this season to earn a “w” over the top seeds from Staten Island, so you know that when they go into battle this Saturday for the rubber match, seeding goes out the window and it is a complete toss-up as to who will have the privilege of hoisting the CHSFL hardware….Spellman is looking for their first crown since 2008, while Moore Catholic will be hunting for their first trophy since 2003.
While MC sophomore quarterback, Scarola, is quite capable of sparking the offense (2nd in the A Division with 680 passing yards; has thrown six TDs) as he did when he threw for a career high in the first meeting, the truth is that both sides are so talented on the ground that we are fully expecting to see some classic, Big-10 style football where each program could/should hand the ball off 30-40 times before the score clock strikes zero in the 4th quarter.
For #1 Moore Catholic, the future is also the present in the person of Lacks who despite his youthful age, is showing all indications of being a Player of the Year candidate all four years of his varsity career….Sitting atop the running leaders in the A-Division with 920 yards and 10 touchdowns, the 6’0, 185-pound Garden State resident plays like a caged li
on released into captivity…Averaging a little over 102 yards per game in 2016, Lacks has picked up his production level immensely down the home stretch, as he enters the finals having posted 167 (over Spellman) and 166 (in the semifinals over Kennedy Catholic) yards in his last two outings. He has also scored four touchdowns during this same stretch, so he will be stepping on the field with momentum most definitely on his side.
Complementing Lacks will be three other student-athletes who also have “take it to the house” speed—sophomore Mausari Miller (342 yards and four scores on 64 carries), junior Diamond Massaquoi (294 yards and two touchdowns on 85 carries) and the wildcard, 9th grader Ian Brown, who only had one carry last week, but he broke it for a 51-yard TD…Getting only 25 carries during the season, Brown is electric when he gets his shot, as he is averaging a team best 10.2 yards per handoff and has scored a trio of touchdowns in his limited chances.
Should the need arise for MC to transition into a passing attack, they will surely be looking to target the junior receiver, Hampton, who ranks third this season in the league in catching yards with 306 on 26 grabs….He is tied with sophomore teammate, Nicholas Melo, for the program lead with three TD snatches apiece…Melo’s three touchdowns have come on five overall catches, so when the ball does find its way into his hands, that surely spells great things for Moore.
Spellman, who unquestionably will have a little extra zest in their step following the 28-20 semifinal victory over a Xaverian Clipper squad that has haunted them the last two seasons, is not hurting in the depth department in their offensive backfield either….N’Guessan, as a senior leader with the stats to back it up (574 yards, seven TDs; 6.3/carry average) tends to get the majority of the respect from the media, but he is not alone in keeping the engine running like a 2017 model….Joining him among the many possible game-changers is reigning Catholic Football player of the week, Noah Stewart (353 yards on 54 carries; had his first multi TD game of the season last week), Eric Berrios (174 yards on 23 touches; will also be a major contributor on defense), run-first quarterback, and Jordi Mota (had his second highest rushing total in the semis, racking up 52 yards on nine carries; also scored his second TD of the year in the
win over Xaverian)…..Spellman’s answer to Brown might be a person who until last week may not have been on many people’s radar, but surely is now—Dante Camp (So)…Selden used during the regular season, the 5’6, 140-pound 10th grader emerged from out of nowhere to lead the Pilots with 64 yards a week ago.
Worth noting is that this a match-up of the two best (as measured by points surrendered) defensive teams in the A-Division. Hence, despite all of the playmakers on each sideline, don’t be surprised if this game is not as high scoring an affair as the above might hint….Much like the second meeting where 34 was all that was put on the board, we think that the over/under will be in the 35-45 range, where neither team will runaway with the “w”….True to their past meetings, come prepared to be glued to your chair!!!
Best of luck to both teams this Saturday!