By Matt Diano:
#2 Moore Catholic (4-3) vs. #7 Xavier (1-6)
When: Saturday November 6th, 2021 @3pm
Where: Moore Catholic HS (100 Merrill Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314)
Previous Meeting: 28-14 Moore Catholic on October 2nd (Week #4)
Snynopsis: A game that we expect to be much closer than the numbers adorning their school names, when the two teams played back in week 4, the Mavericks jumped out early and never looked back. But alas, if there is one characteristic that has defined the Knights over the years, it is their ability to process and make
adjustments. The boys of West 16th are a “second half of the year” squad and while they surely will step onto the gridiron in the role of underdog, that pooch is going to bring the bite!…The Mavericks, who won crowns in 2016 (A) and 2019 (AA-2) will likely be competing with a chip on their shoulder and a statement to be made. Barely missing out on qualifying for the triple-A bracket, the Staten Islanders are out to show that they are one of the best seven teams in the league. Battle tested, having suffered all of their blemishes this season to AAA title contenders (Stepinac, St. Anthony’s, and most recently, Kellenberg), in games against teams in the Double-1 playoff field, they have posted 20 or more points while limiting those foes to an average of 10…At the head of the Bull offensive onslaught is a junior dual-threat stud by the name of John Michalski (92-for-157, 1,315 yards, 12 touchdowns; 418 yards and three more TDs + 3TDs on 43 keepers). Turning in his finest showing of the fall during the first match-up, the 11th grader was responsible for 318 yards of production (221 throwing, 97 rushing), not to mention four scores (3 in the air, 1 on land). Blessed with an assortment of incredible pass-catching play-makers, any one of the following would be the marquee target for most programs—Nick Jordan (41 receptions, 527 yards, 4 TDs), Matthias Lighten (32 grabs for 486 yards, 3 touchdowns), and Michael Zeh (12 catches for 249 yards, 4 TDs). Jordan had himself a day last month against Xavier, making six catches for a season-best 113 yards w/1 TD reception. Lighten and Zeh had to “settle” for 3 for 69 and 1 for 37 (TD) respectively…Double duty standouts, Lighten (32 tackles, 3 PDs) and Zeh (38 stops, 1 interception) are significant presences on a “D” that also features Troy Telesford (74 tackles, 2.5 sacks), Dowan Coachman (49 stops, 1 pick), Giovanni Maniscalco (37 hits, 1 sack), Eduardo Pierre (36 tackles) and Jay’len Johnson (16 stops, 2 INTs). Zeh was credited with 12 tackles and a pick during round #1 of the rivalry…Xavier, known for the trademark toughness they bring week in and week out, is going to want to use their rugby style rushing attack to dictate pace and keep the more explosive Mavericks on the defensive as much as possible. The key to achieving this objective is to feed a heavy dose of carries to senior back, Nicholas Bruno (903 yards, 10 touchdowns on 148 carries). Notching one of his six 100-yard outings (100 yards + 1 TD on 28 handoffs) during the initial match-up, the young man in the #3 jersey is the heart and soul of the scheme…While Bruno bears the brunt of the labor on “O”, it will be equally, if not more essential that the likes of Matthew Valentino (53 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 3 pass break-ups), Jaiden Roberts (47 stops, 2 sacks), Brenden Fitzpatrick (40 tackles), James Franchock (37 stops), Jadyn Trujillo (37 tackles) and James Wageman (33 hits, .5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles) all answer the call on “D”.
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#3 St. Joe’s by the Sea (5-4) vs. #6 St. Francis Prep (1-6)
When: Saturday November 6th, 2021 @5pm
Where: Joseph Ryan Memorial Field on the campus of St. Joe’s by the Sea (5150 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 103120)
Previous Meeting: 27-20 SJS on October 15th (Week #6)
Synopsis: An absolute slug fest that was not decided until the final 26 ticks of regulation, if the rematch is anything like the first bout, then the real winners on Saturday evening are going to be those fortunate enough to be in the crowd…The Vikings, guided by Joe Goerge, bring a lot of momentum with them as they head into the weekend. In the regular season finale, they were darn Impressive in disposing of AAA members, Christ the King, 30-15. When they last squared off with their guests this coming weekend, the Terriers of SFP, they actually trailed for much of the competition, including being down 20-19 when they took possession on their final series. It was in this moment that the SJS coaching staff knew they had a winner in the person of junior quarterback, Matt Wissman. First connecting on a long pass to fellow 11th grader, Andrew DeAngelis, and then calling his own number on a 5-yard draw, 6’2, 180-pounder demonstrated that when the moment grows big, he is not going to succumb to the pressure. You simply cannot teach that trait; it is God-given! Senior RB/LB, Devin Malvasio, who
garnered POTW honors after the win, was exceptional on both sides of the ball, as he rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns on 18 attempts, while racking up countless stops (6 solo) on the other side of the line…For St. Francis Prep, the senior duo of Jaden St. Ford (277 yards, 1 touchdown on 64 handoffs) and Jaziyah Welch (176 yards, 2 TDs, on 30 attempts) combined for 101 of the Terriers’ 114 yards when these two programs last clashed. Not a squad that wants to throw the ball too often, when the pigskin does go sky bound, Mike Solimando (13 receptions for 259 yards, 1 TD), Dionis Best (9 grabs for 159 yards, 2 touchdowns), and Ethan Alvia (9 grabs for 105 yards) all pose good options for QB, Isaiah DeCruz (42-for-108, 590 yards, 3 TD passes). Best had a 24-yard TD snatch during round 1….Sebastian Villavicencio (73 tackles, 12 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 caused fumbles), Michael Modica (56 tackles, 11 TFL, 2 sacks), Brian Daly (43 stops, 10 TFL, 4 sacks), and Alvia (40 tackles, 1 pick) are the backbone of the defense. Penn State committed, Kaleb Artis, is one of the best players in NYS and a guaranteed game-changer on the DL when healthy. But, as per Maxpreps, he has only appeared once this fall…
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#4 Fordham Prep (3-4) vs. #5 St. Peter’s (2-7)
When: Friday November 5th, 2021 @7pm
Where: Flowers Park (491 5th Ave, New Rochelle, NY 10801)
Previous Meeting: 20-13 St. Peter’s on October 9th (Week #5)
Synopsis: The rare circumstance where the higher-seeded school has a head-to-head loss to their quarterfinal opposition, when the Rams butted heads with the Eagles in week #5, the dirty word of the day was “turnover”. Prematurely surrendering possession SIX times over the course of the 48-minute affair, had FP played a clean game, it is a rational conclusion that the outcome would have been drastically different…When they were not in the act of self-
sabotage, Head Coach, Pat Deane’s, mob did consist of some very strong performances. Senior QB, John Annicelli (75-for-145, 1,042 yards, 6 touchdowns) hurled for a season-best 241 yards and two scores in the air; Jack Wolf (441 yards and 4 touchdowns on 102 handoffs) ran for 81 yards on 19 carries; Tommy Gies (13 grabs for 203 yards, 2 TDs) and Jericho Ancheta (18 receptions for 294 yards, and 1 TD) each had three or more catches for respective totals of 92 +1 TD (Gies) and 36 (Ancheta) yards, while the team’s top WR, Edward Lewis Moore (20 snatches for 332 yards, 2 touchdowns) made a 54-yard scoring grab…Daniel Sheahan (45 tackles, 5 sacks), Kyle Molloy (15 stops), and James Rice (27 tackles) all recorded double-digit games on defense, complemented by equally strong outings from Charlie English (25 tackles, 3 caused fumbles), Vaughan Johnson (36 stops, 9 sacks), Liam Colon (28 tackles, 4 sacks), and Jaziah Moore (32 stops, 6 sacks) who combined for 26 tackles and five sacks. Khaleel Adegoke (41 stops, 3 sacks) had an off day by his standards, but still was credited with four 4 hits…For the Eagles, the output came courtesy of Kevin Reilly, who hurled takedown passes to Christian Gonzalez and Elijah Campbell…Senior hybrid, Joseph Lecchese, starred on defense for STP, making 8 stops (3 TFL), having two strip sacks (1 recovery), and then laid out for an interception on his own 21 in the final 20 seconds of regulation to preserve the victory…
#1 Chaminade (5-3) 1st Round Bye