CHSFL predictions, Week 7

By DYLAN BUTLER and JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

St. Peter’s @ Xavier - Saturday, October 23rd 8 p.m.

Butler: Xavier has won three of its last four games, including a 50-19 thrashing of winless Cardinal Spellman in The Bronx in Week 6. St. Peter’s has been an enigma this year, losing to St. John the Baptist at home last week and beating Cardinal Hayes in overtime in Week 5. The Eagles have good size up front and a quality quarterback in Dan Low, but I like Xavier in this one. Pick: Xavier

Staszewski: The problem for Xavier is that St. Peter’s has plenty of size and speed along the defense line and should be able to slow down their running game. The problem for the Eagles is that the Knights throw it well enough now to deal with that. Xavier can’t let Dan Low get comfortable in the pocket, Cardinal Hayes found out quickly what that can lead to. While there are plenty of reasons to like St. Peter’s in this game, my gut tells me Xavier makes one or two more plays for the win. Pick: Xavier

Scardapane's four TDs power Xavier past St. Peter's

By JOSEPH STASZEWSKI

Brent Scardapane’s turn came in a hotel room in Buffalo.

His brother, Craig, was a star back in Xavier's single-wing offense back in 2006, followed by Seamus Kelly and last season Jonny Clark and Chris Mattina. This season it was suppose to be a combination of Mattina and Scardapane, but the senior was lost for the year with a fracture in his foot in a season-opening loss to Cardinal O’Hara (Buffalo).

“In the hotel after the game coach [Chris] Stevens came up to me and was like, ‘You have to carry the load now’” Scardapane said.

The Xavier junior just keeps carrying it across the goal line.

Scardapane, who has also taken over Mattina’s kicking and punting duties, is the CHSFL Class AA-A leader in point scored and only added to that by rushing for four touchdowns and kicking three extra points in a 33-0 win over St. Peters at Aviator Sports Complex Saturday. He ran for 117 yards on 15 carries as the Knights (4-3, 4-2) dominated the field position game.

“I think we expected a lot from him, but I think he has surpassed our expectations,” senior defensive back Thomas Boule said. “Just like his brother, he has been really good for us.”

Scardapane, who is in his second year on the varsity, took a toss 16 yards for a score on Xavier’s third play from scrimmage in a drive that started at the Eagles 45. He scored three times in the second quarter on runs of 6, 2, and 2 yards to put Xavier up 27-0 at the half to increase his season total to 13 touchdowns. Sophomore running back Luis Carpio tacked on a 3-yard TD, which was set up by his own 57-yard run, as time expired in the game.

“I’ve been coming to Xavier football games since I was five years old dreaming about this chance to run the ball for them,” Scardapane, whoso cousin Dom Mingione also played for the Knights, said. “It’s like a dream come true, everything I thought it would be.”

Added Stevens: “It’s good to see the young one come up.”

The Eagles (2-4, 2-5) missed a chance to get back into the game at the start of the second half when they recovered a fumble on the Xavier 39-yard line on the first play from scrimmage. Three plays later, they gave it right back when Dan Low’s pass was tipped at the line and picked off by Boule.

The Xavier defensive line pulled the St. Peter’s front for the majority of the game, allowing -17 yards rushing. The secondary got hands on key pass attempts down field. Stevens believes his young defense is finally getting comfortable with the schemes in a performance the team called it’s most complete of the season.

“I think offensively we just didn’t get anything done today,” Eagles coach Mike Cosentino said. “I was very disappointed up front with the offensive line.”

While St. Peter’s closes out the regular season visiting winless Cardinal Spellman, Xavier travels to Middle Village to play Christ the King Saturday in a game that will decided second place in the AA-A division. Knights defensive coordinator Kevin Kelly was the head coach at Christ the King and will again take on the task of containing Syracuse-bound quarterback Terrel Hunt.

“It’s became a big game for us," Boule said. “It was a big game last year. This year it is definitely going to be a big game again. We have a lot of momentum going into it.”

Xavier Football & Rugby

Alumni News  

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers….” — Henry V (from Shakespeare’s Henry V)  

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” — from “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” (1962)  

“Your sister ROSE is a PIG!” — 1979 Xavier J.V. CHSFL Champions (Pre-Kickoff) Team Cheer  

 Knights Overwhelm St. Peter’s 33-0

To Clinch Spot in AA Division Playoffs  

The Team Formerly Known as the Kaydets… and then the Bruins… rolled to a 27-0 halftime lead over Staten Island’s St. Peter’s High School, then stumbled a bit in the second half, but went on to shut out the Eagles 33-0 at Aviator Field Saturday night to clinch a spot in the Catholic High School Football League’s AA Division playoffs for the third straight year.

 With this win, the Knights (4-3, 4-2 CHSFL) strengthen their hold on third place and are now poised to wrest second place away from Christ the King (5-2, 5-1) when the two teams meet at Juniper Valley this Saturday afternoon in the last game of the regular season.  If the 16^th Street Kids defeat the Royals, they’ll draw the No. 3 seed from the four AAA Division teams participating in the first round of the playoffs, which begin on November 6^th.  (If the season ended today, those teams would be Farrell, St. Francis Prep, Chaminade and Kellenberg.  That group could well change after this weekend.)  

This issue of the newsletter includes two articles—from The New York Post and The Staten Island Advance— that report on last Saturday night’s game much better than I can.  I will say, however, that the kids looked very sharp on both sides of the ball against a quality opponent.  

As The New York Post’s football writers pointed out in their pre-game predictions, Xavier was outsized on both sides of the ball (What else is new?), and the Eagle’s quarterback, Dan Low, is highly regarded.  Nevertheless, Xavier defensive coordinator Kevin Kelly’s brilliant schemes, backed by 16^th Street muscle (and heart), completely shut down a St. Peter’s offense that had scored 29 points to defeat Cardinal Hayes.  

As you will read in both articles, St. Peter’s head coach lambasted his big, mobile offensive line after the game for their inability to handle Xavier’s defensive linemen and blitzing linebackers. Depending on whose numbers you believe, the Eagles were held to -4 (Xavier’s stat sheet), -16 (Staten Island Advance) or -17 (New York Post) yards rushing, while Low was able to complete only 8 of 17 passes for just 70 yards.  Time and again, the quarterback found himself scrambling for his life as he tried to find receivers who just could not break free from the Knight secondary.    

On the other side of the ball, Xavier’s sometimes maligned and always outsized offensive linemen simply tore up the St. Peter’s D.  Designated throwers Brent Scardapane and Nick Conte together completed just five of 10 passes (three to Matt Cilmi and two to Pat O’Grady) for 49 yards, but even that modest aerial attack was enough to keep the Eagle defense off balance and allow Coach Chris Stevens’ Amazing Fantastic Gridiron Way Back Machine to build up a head of steam and find room to maneuver.  Scardapane ran riot yet again, this time for 120 yards in 18 carries.  Recently promoted six-foot, 207-pound sophomore running back Luis Carpio played Thunder to Mr. Scardapane’s Lightning, pounding the Eagles for 75 yards in seven carries.  

On special teams, Scardapane kicked three PATs and punted straight out of the single-wing formation three times for 117 yards.  He and Charles Guiraud shared kickoff duties, with Scardy getting off three boots for 139 yards and Monsieur Guiraud putting foot to leather twice for 78 yards.  

On defense, it was another Saturday night, another INT for middle linebacker Tom Boule, and this one was critical, snuffing out the Eagles’ last and best opportunity to turn things around after they recovered a fumble on the Xavier 39-yard line on the opening play of the second half.  

Congratulations to Coaches Stevens and Kelly, and to the rest of the staff— Brian McMahon P ’05 ‘08, John Chiacchere ’98 and Matt Furey ’07— on a job (extremely) well done. And congratulations to the Knights.  Although it’s taken longer than perhaps their coaches and fans might have preferred, it appears that the 2010 edition of the 16^th Street Kids may finally have grown up and taken control of their destiny.  They are still not perfect— as they demonstrated during a good part of the second half when offensive penalties, fumbles and other miscues allowed the Eagles to stick around longer than they should have— but Stevens’ Gridironmen look as if they may have gotten their act together just in time.  

I know from your e-mails and phone calls, and from the comments I hear whenever the Xavier Nation gathers, that there is always great interest in the fortunes of our football team.  It is, however, once again that time of year when the 16^th Street Kids need us to be there in person to provide back-up as they embark upon the toughest part of their schedule.

 This Saturday’s opponent, Christ the King, lost their first league game just last weekend, to undefeated Stepinac.  On Tuesday night, MSG high football guru Mike Quick said on his show (A Quick 60, on the MSG Varsity Network.  Consult your TV listings or the network’s website for the show’s multiple encore airings.) that Stepinac belongs up in the CHSFL’s AAA Division, where they would likely finish second only to St. Anthony’s.

 The Royals have offensive weapons aplenty, including Syracuse-bound quarterback Terrel Hunt.  So far this season, they have scored 36 points against Hingham ( Massachusetts ), 38 against St. John the Baptist and 33 against Cardinal Hayes, and they’ll be looking to light up the Knights on Saturday afternoon.

 For their part, the Knights will be looking to take second place— and the key AA Division team No. 2 playoff seed— from the Royals.  On November 6^th, Xavier’s Road Warriors will be traveling to the campus of one of the four AAA Division teams granted home field advantage against us in our own AA Division playoffs.  (Don’t get me started.)  If all goes well, there will be another playoff game after that, on November 13^th, followed by the championship game on November 20th.  

This season’s long and winding road will end at Fordham University ’s Jack Coffey Field on Thanksgiving morning when The Team Formerly Known as the Kaydets… and then the Bruins… will once again meet the ancient foe, Fordham Prep, in battle.  Did I mention that the AAA Division Rams are currently 7-0?  

Starting this Saturday afternoon at Juniper Valley , Xavier’s gridironmen had better be ready to play tough, selfless and near-flawless football.  As their coaches will tell you, these kids can be maddening at times, bu there’s just something about them.  I’m betting that they will be ready.  So please do yourselves a favor and make plans to come on out to a Xavier football game or five. This last month of the season is going to be fun.  

For more on the St. Peter’s game— including those articles, game stats and great action photos by Xavier’s official combat photographer Megan Stevens— I strongly recommend that you visit http://departments.xavierhs.org/athletics/football/2010webpage/stpeters/stpeters.htm.  And make sure you look for Megan’s photo of recently-promoted sophomore running back Luis Carpio— all six feet, 207 pounds of him— rumbling up the sideline on his 46-yard run to set up Xavier’s last touchdown.  (It’s the second-last photo.)  To the Xavier Kaydets from my era:  tell me this kid doesn’t look like the second coming of Tommy Clarke.  

On those same Xavier football web pages, you can also access the same stuff for every Xavier football game back through 2005 — including great photography by Megan’s predecessors, Xavier Consigliere Tony Paolozzi, Mrs. Coleman P ’10 and at least one other Xavier Football mom whose name I don’t have (Consigliere?)— simply by going to the Xavier Varsity schedule for each of those seasons and clicking on the game scores.