Schools

Football: Semifinal Playoff Preview

Huntington and St. Anthony's each play Friday night with a berth in the title game at stake.

The leaves are turning, the air is brisk and many games have moved to prime time. Welcome to playoff football.

In an era of inclusiveness, nearly everyone gets an invite to the playoff party. But for football coaches who have been around long enough to remember a time without playoffs, the gold standard has been 'Big Four Champions.'

The semifinals are where seasons are defined. The semifinals represent the new Big Four championship, a rarified air where the elite prove their worth. Two local teams are still alive and kicking. Will they kick down the door and get to their respective title games?

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Huntington @ Islip, Friday, 6 p.m.

In a thrilling finish to the regular season, outlasted . The Blue Devils scored a pair of third-quarter touchdowns and shut out Islip in the second half. Now the teams meet again in the Suffolk Division III semifinals. For No. 2 Islip (8-1), this one will be about avenging its lone loss. The Bucs feature a run-first quarterback in Jeffrey Craig. Then there is his performance in a quarterfinal win over Kings Park to account for. Craig completed 11 of 16 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-13 win. Wow. But No. 3 Huntington (7-2) has been gritty and consistent all season, just how understated coach Steve Muller likes it. and have won four in a row since a . Calvin Bollar has been the featured back while Danny Plant has managed the offense at quarterback. Defensive end Dante Allen has been a force up front for a unit that's been pretty stingy all season. Both of Huntington's loses have come on the road, so getting traction early will be important. Admission $6.

Fordham Prep @ St. Anthony's, Friday, 7 p.m.

The 800-pound gorilla in the Catholic league has been St. Anthony's for so long that even when an opponent full of potential and the 9-0 record to match presents itself, the Friars are still the heavy favorite. Such is the case when Fordham Prep travels from the Bronx to South Huntington to face the defending champs in the CHSFL Class AAA semifinals. The reality is Fordham won thanks to its No. 10 preseason seed and correspondingly weak schedule. It squeaked by Xaverian, 14-7, in the quarterfinals, has racked up a 1,000 more yards of total offense and has unreal depth in the backfield. Dariyan Riley, Joe LoCascio, Brian Sherlock and Mike Schillizzi are each threats to score. And quarterback Charlie Raffa has evolved from a pure runner into someone who could burn you with a deep ball. But where Fordham Prep will find the Friars most challenging is on defense. Linebacker Tyler McLees and defensive linemen Jon Desir and Bryan Rhodes fly around and generally cause havoc. The other big headline of the night will be St. Anthony's coach Rich Reichert going for career win No. 200. The game will be broadcast live by MSG Varsity. Admission $5 adults, $3 students.

Find out what's happening in Huntingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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