St. Anthony's Football Plays For Title

Repeat. That's the goal for Charlie Raffa, Tyler McLees and the rest of the St. Anthony's football team this weekend.

It's nothing short of remarkable, really. .

Yet the numbers say all you need to know.

In aggregate, no one can doubt the supremacy of St. Anthony's. The program has won 18 games in a row and is appearing in its 12th straight title game.

And with . The offense has put up a league-leading 378 points and the defense is as stout as any on Long Island.

All despite the fact that Reichert and his staff broke in 19 new starters. And unlike virtually very other high school program in the state, the Friars don't use the players on both sides of the ball. So that's 19 new players. A lot can go wrong.

Instead, St. Anthony's (10-0) has been perfect. The Friars face Iona Prep (8-2) in the CHSFL Class AAA championship game Saturday at 4 p.m. at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale. Admission is $10 at the gate. The game will be webcast on ESPNNewYork.com and air on MSG Varsity on Monday at 7 p.m.

The Friars are the top-ranked Class AA team in the latest NYSSWA football poll. But Iona Prep gave the Friars fits when the two faced off in New Rochelle on Oct. 30. . It snapped a six-game winning streak for Iona Prep

"They rattled off some wins and went under the radar," Reichert said. "No one was paying attention to them. They just got better and better."

Friars senior middle linebacker Tyler McLees, who leads the team with 130 tackles, will be looking to stuff the run. That means shadowing Iona running back Sidney Weston. The senior back has rushed for 1,388 yards on 169 carries and scored 24 touchdowns, including two against the Friars.

"He broke off a couple of runs and scored two touchdowns against us early," Reichert said.

Yet the Gaels have a productive passing game too. Tim Perley has completed 161 of 225 passes for 1,530 yards and 9 touchdowns. Kicker Alex Kapp has even hit a 44-yard field goal.

When the teams met in Week 8, St. Anthony's didn't get a great push up front. Expect that to change. Defensive tackle Jon Desir and end Bryan Rhodes (13 sacks) are among the best linemen on Long Island. They find a way to disrupt opposing offenses.

And Iona's offense has been on a tear, downing Holy Cross, 33-14, in the quarterfinals and then pounding Holy Trinity, 45-17, in the semis.

The reason why the Friars enter the title game as the team to beat is because they are not a one-man show. Sure, senior quarterback Charlie Raffa is the ringmaster of the option. So everything flows through him. But St. Anthony's is loaded with playmakers.

Five different players have rushed for at least 400 yards this season, starting with Raffa (879 yards on 85 carries and 10 touchdowns). But Brian Sherlock (633-65-8), Dariyan Riley (522-78-6), Joe LoCascio (412-60-6) and Mike Schillizzi (404-78-7) are each game-changing backs in their own right.

"Charlie really makes us go," Reichert said.

Raffa hasn't thrown the ball a ton, but when he has, wideout Brian Kensil has proved a reliable target, catching 25 passes for 506 yards and 5 scores. Kicker James Doktor, with a long field goal of 45 yards, can be a factor too.

Schillizzi, a bruising runner, and defensive back Durelle Napier, a ball hawk on defense, each missed the first Iona game due to injury. They'll be back in the lineup.

But when you face St. Anthony's you are playing more than the guy in front of you. Tradition is tough to beat.