CHSFL predictions, Week 6
Bishop Ford @ Xavier (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)
Staszewski: This is one of the more even matchups of the week. Ford is sliding a bit and Xavier is playing its best football of the season right now. The Knights defense has been solid all year and now its offense is starting to gel. It completely controlled the tempo during an impressive road win against St. Peter’s last week. Ford has big play potential in running back/wide receiver Steven Brown and halfback Devon Mitchell. The game won’t be too high scoring, but Xavier is playing too well right now to let this one slip away. Pick: Xavier
Butler: Chris Stevens knows a thing or two about football so when he tells me that his schedule was top-heavy, I believe him. Xavier took its medicine in losses to Xaverian and AA-A powerhouses Archbishop Stepinac and Cardinal Hayes, but the Knights are ready to make a run. That started last weekend on Staten Island against St. Peter’s and continues at Aviator Sports Complex Saturday. Pick: Xavier
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Player of the Week Nomination
Nominee:
Chris Mattina
School:
Position: Running Back & Cornerback Opponent: Bishop Ford
Date
of Game: 10/17/09
Ht. 6’ 1”
Wt. 185 Class: Jr.
Hometown:
Details
of nominees performance:
Xavier
defeated Bishop Ford 35 – 0 to go 3-3 Overall and 3-2 in the CHSFL AA-A
Division. The Xavier Offensive
unit managed to score 3 TDs (22 pts.) in the first quarter deciding the
outcome of the game in the first 12 minutes.
This week’s nominee Chris Mattina had his longest run of the year
(53 yards) for Xavier’s second of three touchdowns in the quarter.
Against Bishop Ford, Chris rushed for 103 yards on 11 carries for a
9.3 yard per carry average. He
was also 3 for 4 kicking extra points accounting for 9 of Xavier’s 35
points scored in the game. Kicking
off for Xavier this season he has averaged about 50 yards per kick.
Going both ways, Chris played our lockdown corner position, he had
5 tackles and broke up Bishop Ford’s 1 pass attempt of the afternoon.
Over the last 4 games, Chris has rushed for 100 yards or more 3
times and overall he has gained 533 yards this year on 74 carries for a
7.2 yards per carry average thus far.
Class
Honors:
Chris has a 85+ average at Xavier.
League
Honors:
In his freshman and sophomore years at Xavier, Chris played Running Back
and Defensive Back for the football team and was chosen team MVP both
seasons.
Other
Sports & Honors
Chris
also plays basketball and rugby at Xavier.
On the JV Basketball team, Chris started at Power Forward and in
Rugby he started as a sophomore on a team that won the East Coast
Championships at West Point and finished 3rd in the nation in
the National Championships in
Xavier making a run in CHSFL 'AA-A'
Knights crush Bishop Ford, 35-0, for third win in four games
Chris Stevens knew there would be growing pains. After all, Xavier’s young offensive linemen and running backs, none of whom started last year, had to learn and execute Stevens’ wacky single-wing offense and do so in a top-heavy schedule.
“We definitely took our hits and Coach was getting on our [butts] the whole season to do everything because he was so used to last year because he had the players and they were all seniors, all knew the offense,” junior back Jonny Clark said.
But the Knights have turned things around. A 35-0 victory against Bishop Ford Saturday afternoon at Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn was Xavier’s third victory in its last four games. The Knights are now 3-3 overall, 3-2 in the league and have all but locked up a berth in the CHSFL Class AA playoffs, something that was somewhat of a lofty goal at the start of the season.
“It was tough to have those good teams early in the season, especially as young as we are,” Stevens said. “I’d still like to have some more punch, but we’re executing the offense. I’m happy that we’re making progress, happy we’re putting points on the board.”
From the preseason, the Xavier players stressed the importance of forging their own identity on a team that in recent years was synonymous with Seamus Kelly, who is now playing rugby at the University of California.
It’s taken some time, but the Knights are doing just that. Chris Mattina points toward a 21-7 win against St. Peter’s on Staten Island as a turning point.“Now we’re definitely turning the corner,” the junior back said. “The St. Peter’s game was a big game for us. The line really grew up there.”
And this group is also scoring on its own plays, including the “729 Buck Lateral Toss,” which was hugely successful on Saturday against the Falcons. “That’s the odd-ball series of an odd-ball offense,” Stevens said.
Three of Xavier’s five touchdowns against Bishop Ford (2-4, 1-4) were a result of the series, which features a double pitch, including Mattina’s 54-yard touchdown down the right sideline to give the Knights a 14-0 lead with 6:16 left in the first quarter.
“All the handoffs just completely confuse the defense,” Mattina said. “Everyone has the ball and no one knows who has the ball. It’s really good for us.”
John Wilson scored on a 25-yard touchdown on 4th-and-5 at the end of the first quarter and Clark ran the ball in from 11 yards for his second TD of the first half, giving the Knights a 28-0 halftime lead. John Gearity capped the scoring with a 25-yard touchdown run with 9:39 left in the fourth quarter.
The Knights wrap up the regular season with winless Cardinal Spellman and Christ the King, whose lone victory this year came against the Pilots. Clark is confident his team can go into the playoffs on a nice roll. “I think we’ll definitely take these two games for wins,” Clark said. “And then hopefully we’ll do well in the playoffs.”
