XAVIER  14  -  ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST  0  
     
   
     
 




CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL LEAGUE of

METROPOLITAN NEW YORK

   

                                                                    Player of the Week Nomination

 

Nominee: Zachary Cilmi                                                                                                                                        School: Xavier High School

Position: Free Safety / Punt Returner                                                                                                                  Opponent: St. John the Baptist

Date of Game:   11/14/15     Ht.   5’9”    Wt.   170     Class:   Sr.                                                                    Hometown: Staten Island, New York

Details of nominees performance:
Picked to lose by both Mike Quick and Dylan Butler at MSG Varsity, the Knights faced an 8-1 St. John the Baptist team in the CHSFL AA Semi-Finals.  Both Xavier and SJB finished 6-1 in the Division, but Xavier defeated SJB 19-7 in the second week of the regular season to secure home field advantage as the 2nd seed in the playoffs.  By all accounts, this was a title fight by two heavy weights.  Both teams had the ball inside each other's 15 yard line, but came away with no points.  Xavier also narrowly missed a 28 yard field goal in the 3rd period to keep the game scoreless into the 4th period.  Playing field position football, Xavier punted pinning SJB on their own 8 yard line on the first play of the 4th Quarter.  The Xavier defense then again did what it did all day long, they stopped SJB cold setting up a short field for the Xavier offense taking possession of the ball on the SJB 29 yard line from which they punched in the winning score.  In all, the Xavier defense held a powerful SJB offense which was averaging 400 yards rushing and 33 points per game to only 59 yards rushing and no points earning their first shutout of the 2015 season and a bid to the CHSFL Title Game.  In a game of inches which turned on field position, Free Safety Zach Cilmi's 51 yard punt return at the end of the third quarter changed the field for Xavier.  From the Free Safety position he also logged 13 tackles and made the interception that sealed the win.  Zach is the second leading tackler on the Xavier Varsity this year with 80 tackles and he leads the Knights in interceptions with 3.

  
     
 
From the Xavier Knight Football Facebook Page
Courtesy of Matt Furey '07		  
     
 
Good evening, Ladies and Geniuses.
 
Matt's poster says it all:  The Team Formerly Known as the Kaydets... and then the Bruins... (Est. 1882) play the Cougars of St. John the Baptist in the New York Catholic High School Football League AA Conference playoff semi-finals tomorrow afternoon at Aviator Field... where the Lion sleeps. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=F6emGGwGqhI
 
Kickoff is at 1:30 PM 16th Street Standard Time.
 
Longtime followers of Xavier Football know that there is no love lost between these two fierce rivals and their fans— especially in the postseason— and you can bet that the Cougar fans will at Aviator tomorrow afternoon in force.
 
It's going to be an exciting and ferocious afternoon of CHSFL football at its finest, so please spread the word, rally your fellow citizens of Xavier Nation and get over to Aviator for what promises to be a game for the ages.  (It will be good practice for the Thanksgiving Classic, which is less than two weeks away!)
 
These 16th Street Kids are already 8-1 and enjoying one of the best seasons in the 134-year history of Xavier Football.  They've earned, and deserve, our support.   
 
Aviator Field is located at Brooklyn's historic Floyd Bennett Field on Flatbush Avenue, just off the Belt Parkway (Exit 11S) and across the Gil Hodges/Marine Parkway Bridge from the Rockaways and Breezy Point— that fogbound coast known to U-boat commanders, rum runners and Royal Navy press gangs alike as The Irish Riviera.
 
 
Parking at Aviator is ample, free and secure.  There is a sports bar on the premises of the adjacent building (second floor) and food concessions at the field.
 
Stand by...
Tom O'Hara '69 
 
(NB:  You can find the schedules, scores and rosters for ALL Xavier football teams at http://departments.xavierhs. org/athletics/football/index. htm. Click on the Varsity scores for related articles, photos, etc.  Please also be sure to check out— and "Like"— the Xavier Knights Football Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/ Xavier-Knights-Football- 869880319733943/.  For information on the Catholic High School Football League, including news, articles, schedules, scores, standings, articles, etc., visit http://nychsfl.org/.)
 
     
 

 

By Matt Diano

Unlike the Single-A semifinal games, in the AA Conference, there are no clear cut favorites as both of our lower-seeded teams have more than a fighter’s chance at pulling the upset.

#4 Fordham Prep will look to take the next step in their attempt to pull off the rare feat of winning back-to-back titles in two different divisions, while #1 Christ the King will continue their pursuit of perfection.

#3 St. John the Baptist will look to get to the title game after experiencing heartbreak in 2014, while #2 Xavier will be as hungry as ever to send the Cougars home with a sour taste in their mouths.

#2 Xavier vs. #3 St. John the Baptist (Saturday, November 14thth @1:30 p.m.—Aviator Sports Complex)

A classic case of a shutdown defense opposing an explosive offense, second-seeded Xavier surrendered a division-low 96 points (10.7 per game) during the regular season, while their rivals, the Cougars of St. John the Baptist, trailed only Christ the King in their ability to light up the scoreboard.

Armed with a rushing attack that has averaged over 400 yards and 33 points per game in 2015, the Ralph Carusillo-coached squad will take to the field on Saturday looking to avenge the 19-7 loss they suffered in Week 2…The Knights, under the guidance of   Chris Stevens, will not be hurting for motivation either as the painful memories of last season’s 21-14 semifinal defeat to this same SJB program remain all too fresh in their minds.

Being that these two teams have entirely different game plans and philosophies, the difference-maker will likely be which team is able to impose their will on the other.  If the Baptist defense allows Xavier to run their ball-control, clock-eating style of play, led by 
                                                                                      senior, Mike Chiarovano (218 carries, 1,210 yards, and 22 touchdowns), life will become increasingly difficult for them.

On the other hand, if the Cougars can force several three-and-outs, then they will have the opportunity to turn the game into the up-tempo shootout that they seek.  Both Jerome Brooks III (1,400 yards, 17 touchdowns) and Nicholas Cipolla (1,344 yards, 14 touchdowns) are threats to take it to the house every time the ball is in their hands.  Hence, even if Xavier's D-unit, which has not given up a positive rushing yard in the past six quarters, is able to keep this dynamic duo in check for 95 percent of the game, there is always that possibility that those two or three breakaway runs will be all it will take for the visitors from West Islip to emerge with the win.

Tasked with the challenge of making sure those dashes to daylight never materialize will be the likes of Frank Masella (LB; 88 tackles/7.5 TFL— Tackles For Loss), reigning player of the week, Anthony Pugliese (DE; 55 tackles/13 TFL), Malik Fisher (DE; 37 tackles/15.5 TFL), and Clayton Kendrick-Holmes (DT; 45 tackles/9.5 TFL)… If these gentlemen can create third-and-long scenarios and force Baptist to throw the ball, than they have a good chance at creating turnovers, like they did in Week 2 when they picked off two passes.

Simply put, a high-scoring game equates to a SJB victory; a contest where points are at a premium translates into Xavier earning the finals berth.

  
     
 
Xavier Football & Rugby Alumni
E-Blast No. 1175
 
14 - 0, Xavier
 
I feel sorry for all you sons of... Xavier who were not with us at Aviator today.  You missed a game for the ages.  It was, as the Irish say, a famous victory.  I've seen a lot of Xavier football over the past 48 years.  These kids and their coaches take second place to nobody.
 
Next up for The Team Formerly Known as the Kaydets... and then the Bruins... (Est. 1882):  Christ the King in the New York Catholic High School Football League AA Conference Championship Game next Saturday, November 21st at Long Island's Mitchel Athletic Complex. (2:00 PM)   
 
Up in the Bronx this morning, the JV Knights gave favored Mount St. Michael all they could handle, but the Mounties were able to hang on for the victory 22-20.
 
Details to follow on both games.
 
Stand by... 
Tom O'Hara '69