It was one of the most trying football seasons in recent memory for and iconic Coach .
The season opener with by flooding and the Friars struggled with injuries at quarterback and running back. The offense sputtered at times, but the defense stood tall throughout.
The result was the 13th CHSFL Class AAA championship in program history, capped by a in the title game. Now for the exclamation point!
The New York State Sportswriters Association declared St. Anthony's (10-0) state co-champion of its final Class AA football rankings. The Friars share the honor with Orchard Park, which took the NYSPHSAA Class AA title with a 21-13 win over Newburgh on Sunday in the Carrier Dome.
Junior Anthony Anderson, who burst onto the scene filling in for the injured Dariyan Riley, led the team with 804 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Another surprise performer was senior Maston Ellerbe, who had 561 yards and 11 TDs.
Senior defensive tackle Pat McHugh, defensive MVP of the title game, led the team with 48 tackles.
St. Anthony's finished the season riding a school-record 29-game winning streak, the second-longest in Suffolk football history. Reichert also won is 211th game in 25 seasons. That ties him with former Bellport icon Joe Cipp Jr. as the winningest coach in Suffolk history.
It may have been a bumpy ride, but the Friars finished as undefeated champions once again.
