Joseph Petti (Sr.); OT/DT – Fordham Prep Rams
Donning the Ram colors for the final time in his scholastic football career, Petti closed out this chapter of his gridiron saga in much the same way all of the previous pages were written—by being a dominant force on both sides of the line of scrimmage in sending Fordham Prep to their second straight “W” in the Annual Turkey Bowl (celebrating its 94th anniversary last week), 28-0, over the rival Knights of Xavier.
Known more for his work as the hole-plugging centerpiece (DT) of the FP defensive line, when it comes to protecting his quarterback, we find that Petti is pretty darn good on the offensive side of the ball as well….With the gentle giant watching his blind side, the Rams’ record-setting signal caller, Matt Valecce, would give those who have had the privilege of watching him under center the past four years, a proper finale, completing 16 of his 23 yards for 220 pounds and four more touchdowns……Having the luxury of ample time in which to survey the field thanks to the likes of Petti, the future Boston College Eagle concluded 2017 having completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 3,338 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Turning our attention to his more renowned side of the ball, Petti and his fellow D-linemen would have reason to celebrate in a big way, as they held their nemesis Knights scoreless in the historic Thanksgiving showdown for the first time since 2003 when they coincidentally were victorious by an identical 28-0 score….While it is next to impossible to completely shut down the potent Xavier ground game, let it be known that the 214 yards rushing by the young men from West 16th Street was their lowest output since week #6 of the regular season when they totaled just 156 in a loss to Holy Cross. Last Thursday was also the only time this season that Xavier failed to record at least one rushing touchdown.
The 6’6, 295-pound lineman will now trade one tradition for another, as Turkey Bowl heroics will be replaced by the thrill, honor, and distinction of playing in the most cherished contest in the history of the sport, the Army/Navy game….Petti will continue his career next fall as a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy.
Claude Watford (Sr.); DB – Cardinal Hayes Cardinals
Another student-athlete taking one final bow in his scholastic career, when he looks back upon this day in 20 years, the Hayes’ senior defensive back will have nothing but found memories, as it was his huge individual performance that was a difference maker in enabling the Cardinals to extend their Thanksgiving day winning streak to five in a row following a 44-16 triumph over Mount St. Michael Academy.
Already the leading tackler on the team entering the game with 58 stops, the 5’8, 165-pounder from the Bronx decimated his previous career-high of 11 (set against Monsignor Farrell during a week #7 win), recording nine solo tackles and assisting on seven more to conclude the game with a total of 16 (an average of one every three minutes!!!).
In addition to his prowess as a sure-tackler, Watford would also be a turnover creating machine, forcing two fumbles and doubling his interception totals in 2017 to four by stepping in front of a pair of Mountaineer pass attempts….Speaking of his shutdown pass coverage skills, he also tacked on one successful break-up to round out the remarkable effort in his culminating appearance in the Cardinal & Gold.
Trailing 16-15 at the end of the 1st quarter, it was the play of Watford that played a huge factor in Coach O’Neill’s squad’s ability to throw three consecutive goose-eggs on the board during the 2nd through 4th quarters.
One of those special human beings that puts the “student” in the term “student-athlete”, the proud owner of a perfect 4.0 grade point average and 1220 on the SATs is destined to do wondrous things in the future, both on and off of the gridiron….And while his next stop remains unknown, there is no shortage of life-charging options as his 24/7 Sports profile lists his top college/university choices as Columbia, UPenn, Princeton, and Yale from the Ivy League ranks, as well as Stony Brook (a top-100 university) and Stonehill (ranked #111 among National Liberal Arts schools)…He is bound for greatness in all endeavors!!!