The CHSFL's AAA Division is set at eight teams— no teams rise for the playoffs, no teams drop. The winner of this division gets to play the winner of Buffalo's Monsignor Martin League for the Catholic high school state championship.
By Matt Diano
Robert F. Kennedy watches a St. Francis Prep practice in november 1966 with Coach O’Connor. Source NY Daily News
Speaking with the coaches, one theme that seemed to emerge is the
excitement at the prospect of what they are calling, a “true AA
Division” for the first time in a longtime…Knowing that they will be
going to battle with each other week after week and that a playoff berth
is no longer guaranteed, an attitude of “EVERY GAME IS IMPORTANT” has
permeated throughout the respective campuses
The AA Division will also feature some new faces in 2015 as Holy Trinity will be taking a step down this season while last year’s “A” titleists, Fordham Prep, will be doing their “George Jefferson” impression and moving on up in an attempt to show that they can hang anywhere, anytime, anyplace against a tougher caliber of competition….Despite having to adjust to their new surroundings, both the Titans and the Rams possess the skill set and the thoroughbreds necessary to get the job done. Both teams will feature a balanced attack with senior QB, Dylan Villari leading the former; and super sophomore Matthew Valecce looking to improve upon a freshman campaign that saw him throw for close to 1700 yards and nearly 20 scores for the Rams. The Rams also return over 1,000 yards of ground attack from their dynamic RB duo, Josh Johnson and Rory Allen…Holy Trinity will look to establish an unstoppable passing game, throwing to the likes of 6’3 Derick Eugene among other tall targets…All-League linebacker, Colin Moran will lead the HT defense, while FP (who brings back six players who piled up in the area of 40-70+ tackles in 2014) will have an abundance of people capable of influencing the game from this side of the ball.
Staying on the topic of change and the formation of new legacies, two schools (St. Francis Prep and St. Joseph’s by the Sea) will welcome new sideline generals in 2015…SF, who will play this season with heavy hearts following the passing of legendary coach, Vinny O’Connor (60 years of service to Terrier football). Stepping in to blow that irreplaceable whistle will be Rich Carroll who feels that what his team may lack in household names, they account for by playing with and for each other. Calling team unity and an experienced O-line the backbone of his squad, Carroll is confident that after going winless in Catholic League games a season ago, W’s will be on the horizon in 2015.
Grabbing the reins of the SJS Vikings will be Michael Corona. An individual who has extensive experience at both the scholastic and collegiate levels, Corona knows what he takes to achieve victory. While he had only been on the job a few weeks when we chatted with him, Corona said that talent level is not his primary concern. Instead, because he will be introducing new schemes on both sides of the ball, it is reps or lack thereof in the new system that may be an obstacle early in 2015. However, as his track record shows, once he gets that ball rolling, it tends to keep doing so without interruption. A big part in getting that initial momentum will have to come from the backfield where running backs Paul DeVito, Francesco Coluccio, and Mike Edwards will all hope to chew up enough yards and clock to assist a defense that did graduate 50 percent of its starters from yesterseason.
2014 AA runners-up, the Cougars of St. John the Baptist have no intention of slowing down this season as their offense, fueled by a pair of All-League running backs in the persons of Jerome Brooks III and Nicholas Cipolla, may be the most potent of any team in 2015. Not that they need it, but Brooks and Cipolla will have their fellow All-Catholic honoree, Frank Guidice, opening holes for them left and right…A word to the wise: anytime the coach of a team that reached the finals the previous season (Ralph Carusillo) says that he thinks his squad is more dangerous in 2015, you know that good things will be happening in West Babylon.
If you are going to give this outpouring of praise to the Cougars, than you best not make the mistake of sleeping on the team that took them to their limits last season,Xavier….Losing 21-13 in the AA semifinals to St. John the Baptist, Coach Chris Stevens and his Knights know what it feels like to be that close to the big one and not be able to touch it. That is a feeling that they feel they can avoid in 2015 as they will go to war with as strong a nucleus on both sides of the ball as you will find in any division of Catholic football…Like Baptist, Xavier’s offense should be a juggernaut this season thanks to their own duo of All-League tailbacks— Michael Chiarovanoand Zach Cilmi. Combining to run for just under 1500 yards and punching 16 into the end zone, forget shutting them down, if you have any chance of simply keeping them under control, you better be prepared to stack the box…While your mind is being blown by their offense, don’t forget to also pay attention to their defense, which is also championship caliber…Anchored by All-League selection Frank Masella (102 tackles, 20 of them for a loss) and sack masters, Anthony Pugliese and Malik Fisher, points will be at a premium.
Primed and ready to follow-up what was a season for the ages in Uniondale last season 8-2) will be the Firebirds of Kellenberg Memorial High School…Like the phoenix rises from the ashes, the Marianist based program under the guidance of 20-year head coach, Kevin Hanifan, will have to overcome some early hardship as they lost All-State running back, Jason Delucia, to a knee injury during camp…Rest assured though that the Marianist school is far from dead in the water. With explosive junior running back, Patrick Leahy, fresh off of a monster junior varsity season where he led the team to a finals appearance, set to make his varsity debut in 2015, all of the goals that were being envisioned with Delucia taking the handoffs, still remain on the table because of how special this 11th grader is going to show himself to be. KMHS will also have the added comfort of bringing back four starting offensive line-man, as well as their leading receiver (Kieran Fitzgerald). Hence, don’t cry for them; points will be scored in bunches…Defensively, a strong an experienced secondary, coupled with solid play up front will make them formidable on both sides of the line. Saying that the goal is to win it all, the Firebird faithful hope to add one more phrase to the school motto, ‘One heart, one mind, one championship.”
Rounding out our AA teams will be Mount St. Michael Academy. A team that went 1-9 a season ago and graduated the bulk of their starters on both sides of the ball, it may be unfair to call the Mountaineers a title contender in 2015…More than likely, this is a season that will be geared towards growing the program. The mastermind of dominant teams in the late 1990s/early 2000s, Coach Mario Valenti (now in his 32nd season) knows what it takes to deliver a winner…Even though that turnaround may not all happen in one season, we trust Valenti and know that given the team and the reps necessary, his young players that may feel overwhelmed slightly in 2015, will emerge as budding superstars in the years to come. Make no mistakes about it, no matter what it says in the win/loss column in your local paper, MSM will have a quality year in that it will take another step towards becoming who it once was.
Xavier
Head Coach: Christopher Stevens (14th Season as HC; 24th overall)
Last Season: 5-6 (Lost in the AA Semifinals to St. John the Baptist, 21-13)
Key Returning Players:
Michael Chiarovano (Sr; FB; All-League pick in 2014; 2nd Team All-City; Ran for 1,048 Yards, Scored 11 rushing touchdowns, 12 TDs total)
Zach Cilmi (Sr; RB/FS; All-League selection; 425 Rushing Yards, 5 Rushing Touchdowns, 7 total TDs; Also a force on defense, racking up 82 total tackles from the defensive secondary)
Frank Masella (Sr; ILB; All-League honoree; Led team with 102 Tackles, 20 TFL, 3 Sacks, and 1 Forced fumble)
Anthony Pugliese (Sr; TE/DE; 62 Total Tackles, 21 TFL 4 Sacks, 1 Forced Fumble)
Malik Fischer (Jr; TE/DE; 57 Total Tackles, 21 TFL, 7 Sacks, 1 INT; was also the reception leader on offense with 8 catches for 143 Yards)
Key Losses
Teddy Boateng (OG/LB; All-League Selection on the offensive side of the ball; also contributed 45 Tackles on defense; 2014 Team MVP)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (SS; All-League pick; Registered 66 Total tackles, 12 TFL, 2 Sacks, 2 INTs, and 2 Forced fumbles; Team’s Most Improved Player in 2014)
Joseph Garthaffner (OT/DE; All-League Selection on Defense; Totaled 42 Tackles, including 8 for a loss)
Overview
After a 1-5 start, something seemed to click as Xavier (featuring 13 juniors due to the injury bug) would win five of their last six games…With most of the players who played big roles in helping to bring about that turnaround returning to the NYC based campus this season, expectations are both high and realistic.
Featuring one of the best backfields in the league with senior All-League selections, Michael Chiarovano (1,000 yard rusher in 2014) and Zach Cilmi (425 yards), Coach Christopher Stevens' single wing formation is sure to move the ball in large chunks this season…Accepting the responsibility for opening the holes and pancaking anything that dare get in the way of their dynamic duo will be the four young men who made up 80 percent of last year’s interior line, Lenny Camillo, Brian Nolan, Spencer Letizia, and Daniel Waggoner.
The guys whose jobs it is to keep points off the board are not looking too shabby either as back in 2015 will be three of the team’s top-4 leading tacklers, including All-League selection/Team Captain Frank Massella, who dominated from his linebacker position as a junior, cracking the 100 tackle plateau (102) and adding three sacks…On the topic of sacks, no discussion would be complete without giving a shout out to junior Defensive End, Malik Fischer, whose stat line included seven of these bad boys among his 57 total tackle. Playing on the other end of the DL will be another impact player, Anthony Pugliese, who all but lived in the backfield, recording 21 of his 60+ tackles for a loss (including four sacks)…Cilmi (“The glue that held the team together” per Coach Stevens) will again be the air traffic controller of the secondary, using his amazing athleticism to take away the deep game from the opponent….More additional cog in the wheel will be cornerback, Guiseppe Orlando. Referred to as a shutdown caliber player, the senior defensive back was off to a monster start to his 2014 season (3 INTs in seven games) before he would suffer an injury that would keep him on the shelf for the stretch run.
As mentioned above, having experienced more than his fair share of misfortune last season, Stevens, seemed to rejoice at knowing that he will be gaining tremendous depth from last year’s AA junior varsity Championship squad. Providing just a sampling of who they think will make an immediate impact in their first season with the big club, the Knights’ coaching staff expressed the following sentiments: “We are very excited about the physical preparation of Powerback/ILB Jack Manzo; are looking forward to seeing the speed and aggressiveness of RB Joe Morelli; and feel pumped up about the size and athleticism that DE/TE Billy Esposito will bring to the team.
Commenting on how for the first time since 2007 the NYCHSFL has reconstituted a true AA division, Stevens is incredibly pleased with and focused on his schedule. Saying that there is “not one gimme” among the teams they play in 2015, the 14th-year Head Coach (who has spent 24 on the Xavier sidelines) said that he has the utmost confidence that if his team plays up to natural abilities, they have a valid chance to win every game. “Our fans are in for some very exciting football”, said Stevens.
Goals for 2015
1) “Our goal as always, is to win the Triple Crown—Division Champs, Playoff Champs and Turkey Bowl Champs versus our rival, Fordham Prep.”
Mount St. Michael
Head Coach: Mario Valentini (32nd Season)
Last Season: 1-9 (Lost in the AA Quarterfinals to St. Joseph’s by the Sea, 23-20)
Key Returning Players
Kevin Leach-Brown (Sr; QB/FS)
Justin Montoyo (Jr; FB/MLB)
Storm Williams (Sr; OT/LB; All-League Selection in 2014)
Teraun Simms-Brown (Sr; TE/OLB)
Hugh Fraser (Sr; WR/OLB)
Key Losses
Lindsay Malcolm (OL/DT; All-League Selection as an O-Lineman)
Julian Massiah (WR/DB; All-League as a wide out; Led the team in all major receiving categories as a senior)
Aaron Brown (RB/DB; All-League on defense; was the leader of the secondary in 2014; was also the team’s leader in most rushing categories in his senior season)
Overview
Calling every game important as he needs for his players to gain as much experience as possible this season, Coach Mario Valentini, now in his 32nd year patrolling the sidelines for the Mountaineers, finds himself in the position of having to replace 16 of his 21 starters, including just under 90 percent of his defensive cohort. Because of the toll that graduation took on Mount St. Michael, Valentini and his staff were adamant in stating that not only will they need their returning seniors to take much larger roles, but will also require the group that moved up from the junior varsity to also contribute what they can in their “rookie season” on the big club.
Taking the snaps and running the offense will be senior QB, Kevin Leach-Brown, who did see some action last season as a junior, but will in all likelihood, will be doing much of his learning and polishing on the job this season….Leach-Brown, along with junior fullback, Justin Montoyo (who rostered with the varsity as a sophomore) will serve as the chief offensive weapons for MSM. Senior center, Justin Davillia, who was given the tag of most improved player, will be the man that both of the aforementioned run behind.
Anchored by returning All-League linebacker, Storm Williams, what the Mountaineers do not have in copious amounts of game-time experience, they account for with toughness and camaraderie…Saying that team unity is the strength of his squad this season, Valentini will be counting on the senior linebacker trio of William, Teraun Simms-Brown, and Hugh Fraser to rise to the occasion and set the example for a group that will be breaking in many new faces.
Goals in 2015
1) “Winning is always important, as is showing improvement and getting better from week to week.”