St. Anthony's Football Holds Off Xaverian, 16-14

The football team capped four straight weeks on the road with its most sweat-inducing finish yet, a 16-14 win over Xaverian Friday night at Kings Bay in Brooklyn.

St. Anthony’s, the top-ranked team in the NYSSWA Class AA poll, improved to 5-0 in CHSFL play and extended its winning streak to 24 straight. But it needed a last-second defensive stop to hold off Xavarian (4-2). 

Related: .

The game was played in muddy conditions, according to the New York Post. And Xaverian quarterback Zach Kearney added a touch of drama to the finish. Kearney directed a 16-play, 95-yard drive, finding Jonathan Badyna for a 14-yard scoring strike to make it 16-14 with less than a minute remaining.

Newsday reports that Xaverian recovered the ensuing onside kick. But Kearney was intercepted at the St. Anthony’s 5-yard line by Jared Katz with 19 seconds left. Game over.

St. Anthony’s coach Rich Reichert told Patch he was eager to get top-rusher Dariyan Riley back on the field after missing three-and-a-half games with various injuries. It was clear why: Riley rushed for 120 yards against Xaverian.

Reichert also earned his 206th career win in his 25th season at St. Anthony's. If the Friars win out, Reichert can tie Bellport’s Joe Cipp Jr. (recently retired) as the winningest coach in Suffolk history with 211 victories.

Next up for the Friars is a next Friday at 7 p.m.