They entered the 2025 ranked #1 in NYS…And that is exactly how the Gaels of Iona Prep are going to finish the fall!!! Utilizing outstanding efforts on both sides of the ball during the final 17 minutes of regulation; the New Rochelle based cohort closed out an 11-1 campaign and successfully completed their bid to repeat as CHSAA State titlists when they emerged as 42-21 victors on home soil (Mara Field) over a very talented St. Francis Red Raider (10-2) squad!! The contest deadlocked at 21 apiece with 4:29 remaining in the 3rd quarter; the Maroon & Gold machine would run off 21 unanswered points during crunch time to reaffirm their status as the kings of Empire Catholic football… Requiring a mere 27 ticks to respond to SF junior quarterback, Trent Buttles’s 9th TD run of the year (16-year scamper that was facilitated by a 48-yard connection to Mason Anderson);
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)
AA-2: Xaverian Clippers OFFENSE: Terrance Watson (Sr.; QB) Suiting up as a Clipper for the final time in his scholastic career; the 6’0, 220-pound field general made certain that his name will forever be immortalized on the Shore Road based campus!! Serving as the conductor and/or architect of a successful Double-A-2 repeat bid from Xaverian; the senior leader with #5 on his back would unofficially amass an almost perfectly balanced 209 yards and two touchdowns of offensive production during his last hurrah! Connecting on 7-of-9 passing for 104 yards, while rushing for a believed career-best of 105 on 11 carries (not including knee downs in the midst of victory formation); the Brooklyn resident either directly or indirectly had a hand (or more literally an arm/leg) in all of Xaverian’s 21pts on Saturday morning, as they cruised to a 21-8 triumph over their rivals from Flushing, Holy Cross, to deny the
XAVIER-22; FORDHAM PREP-21 EPIC FINISH!!! The 102nd edition of the Turkey Bowl will not soon be forgotten!!! In a game that featured four lead changes during the 4th quarter; it would be a 19-yard field goal on the last snap of the morning from the leg of senior specialist, Theo Sheridan-Vitale that proved to be the difference-maker as the visiting 2025 AA-1 Champion Knights stole the 22-21 triumph against the archnemesis Rams of Fordham Prep!! Trailing 21-19 with just over 3:00 (3:07) remaining in regulation; the traditional/vaunted Xavier run attack gave way to an air raid as field general, Peter Heaney, would connect on 4-of-6 of throws, including a 21-yard hook-up to Ace Jernstedt on 4th &5, multiple pitch-and-catches to Michael Schechner (23 and 11 yards respectively), and a 14-yard exchange to Liam Averill (to the FP 5) to march the Manhattanites 83 yards to set up the dramatic conclusion!!
IT’S A SHORE ROAD REPEAT!!!! Congratulations to the Clippers of Xaverian High School on hoisting the Double-A-2 hardware for the second straight year following a 21-8 victory over their rivals from Flushing, Holy Cross! A rematch of the 2024 finals (won 14-6 by Xaverian); the second-seeded squad played inspired football on Saturday morning for a cause greater than just their own satisfaction…. Dedicating the victory to Coach, Maurice Jones, who passed away in late-September; the Clippers were dominant on both sides of the ball…. Drawing first blood with 5:19 to go in the opening quarter, it would be a 20-yard run by senior field general, Terrence Watson, complemented immediately by a 13-yard TD trek (his 12th of the year) from junior tailback, Richie Aiken, that put the #2 seeds up, 7-0!! Prior to big runs on back-to-back snaps; it was the Jaydon Salomon creating a turnover when he erased what
CHSFL Annual Communion Awards Breakfast Sunday, December 7th @ Kellenberg Memorial High School (Mass – 9:30 am followed by breakfast) Tickets are $30.00 Tickets will be sold through member schools Parents, coaches and players are required to have a ticket for admission Tickets will NOT be sold at the door Jacket & tie recommended
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