XAVIER 36 - KELLENBERG 33
The Third Season Begins...
Xavier Douses Firebirds
Saturday's game with Long Island's Kellenberg Memorial High School was meaningless with respect to either the standings or the postseason.
Xavier had been shut out 28-0 by defending Catholic High School Football League AAA Division champion Chaminade two weeks before to end the regular season and, a week later, was quickly shown the door by Holy Trinity, 42-14, in the first round of the CHSFL AA Division playoffs. Kellenberg was a consolation match, something to fill one of two vacant weekends before Xavier's annual Thanksgiving battle with the Fordham Prepsters; one more weekend of football for both schools' seniors as they approached what, for most of them, will be the end of their gridiron careers.
That was the bad news. The worse news was that University of Pennsylvania-bound Trey Solomon would be sitting out his third straight game as part of the cadre of the lame and the halt but talented players whose absence from the lineup has made this season one to forget for the 3-7 Knights.
No, there would be nothing much to see at Aviator Saturday afternoon, and except for the players' families and a handful of diehards, Xavier Nation stayed away in droves. There would be nothing for the 16th Street Kids to play for but each other; nothing at stake save honor.
But on this afternoon, honor was enough.
Kellenberg wanted this game too, and they brought some potent offensive weapons with them to this showdown on the shores of Jamaica Bay. The Firebirds could run the ball and they could throw— and they did it all behind an offensive line of imposing size.
For four quarters, a fierce seesaw battle raged the length and breadth of the field. The Knights gained 317 total yards on 50 plays, for an average of 6.34 yard a play; the Firebirds ran 54 plays for 352 yards— an average of 6.52 yards per snap. But there the similarity ended.
Kellenberg's quarterback completed 19 of 29 passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Their ground attack was no less effective, rolling up 162 yards and two more touchdowns on 25 carries.
Xavier's aerial game, meanwhile, barely showed up on radar. Senior Rob Irimescu completed one of his two throws, to Callahan Ciriacks, for 25 yards, and he caught John Strehle's lone pass of the day for 13 yards more. That was it.
If the Knights were going to prevail, they were going to have to fire up The Amazing Fantastic Gridiron Way Back Machine one more time and assault the Kellenberg defenses on the ground. But with the amazing Mr. Solomon out of action, who was going to carry the mail?
Enter Mr. Irimescu. You poor souls have had to listen to me enough for one day.
Below you will find Xavier head coach Chris Stevens' nomination of No. 4 for CHSFL Player of the Week:
Also contributing to Xavier's victory was Sean Ortiz, who carried the ball seven times for 48 yards, and John Strehle, who gained 40 yards on just four carries. The always reliable James Tweedy contributed two PATs to the Knights' 3-point margin of victory.
On the defensive side of the ball, Eamon Matthews stopped one Kellenberg drive with a key interception that he returned 26 yards back toward the Firebirds' goal line.
The entire squad played with the poise, ferocity and will to win that we have come to expect of Chris Stevens' gridironmen, regardless of win-loss records. Their loyalty and commitment to each other and the team was plainly evident to anyone standing near the Xavier bench Saturday afternoon, and that, when all is said and done, is what it is all about.
The regular season is over, and so, for Xavier, are the playoffs. The "third season" is now underway.
On Thanksgiving morning, The Team Formerly Known as the Kaydets... and then the Bruins... (Est. 1882) will meet The Ancient Foe Who Dwells Atop Rose Hill in the latest chapter of one of America's oldest high school football rivalries. This year's Turkey Bowl will be played at Aviator Field. Where the Lion sleeps.
(Much) more to follow on that. For now, former Xavier gridironman Ben Massa '76 sends word that USA Today's Second Annual Best High School Football Rivalry is underway. Time to get to work. Visit
http://contest.usatodayhss.com/contest-main.
Stand by...
Tom O'Hara '69
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Player of the Week
Nomination
Nominee:
Robert Irimescu
School:
Position:
Defensive Tackle / Running Back
Opponent: Kellenberg Memorial
Date
of Game: 11/16/13
Ht. 6’0” Wt.
205 Class: Sr.
Hometown:
Details
of nominees performance:
In the
midst of an injury laden and somewhat disappointing season for the
Knights, a bright spot for Xavier developed in the CHSFL AA Consolation
Game versus Kellenberg. Two-way
starter at Tight End and Defensive Tackle Robert Irimescu was pressed into
service at Running Back after returning 2012 CHSFL AA Offensive Player
Trey Solomon went down due to injury against St. Peter’s Prep. on
October 26th. Going
both ways at Defensive Tackle and Running Back, Rob amassed 189 yds on 34
carries for a 5.5 yds per carry average and he scored 4TDs and 2 2pt.
Conversions to account for 28 of Xavier’s 36 points in a hard fought
see-saw battle that saw Xavier win 36-33 as Kellenberg missed a 33 yard
field goal with less than a minute left in the game.
He also went 1 for 2 throwing the ball for 25 yards for a big 1st
down and he caught another 13 yards pass for another big 1st down.
Remember, he did all this while also making 3 tackles playing in
the trenches on defense.
Class
Honors:
Rob has earn an 86 accumulative average while at Xavier and was recognized
as an Ignatian Scholar in his Freshmen and Sophomore Years.
League Honors:
In his Freshman Year,
Rob was a two way starter at Outside Linebacker and Tight End on the Xavier Freshman Team that went undefeated
in 2010. In his Sophomore
Year, he was a captain and two way starter at Running Back and Free Safety
and he was named as the Best Offensive Player for the Junior Varsity in
2011.
Other Sports & Honors
In his Freshman and Sophomore Years, Rob ran Indoor Track for Xavier
where he medalled in the 200 Meter Event at least 10 times, he was also a
starter at Flanker for the Junior Varsity Rugby Team in his Freshman Year.
In his Sophomore Year, he was a part-time starter on the Varsity
Rugby Team and his Junior Year he was a full-time starter at Closed Side
Flanker.
