Circle the calendar. St. Anthony’s football has its 2013 opener set.
The Friars will hit the road to face Buffalo power St. Joe’s Sept. 7 at 1 p.m.
“They have one of the strongest teams in the state,” St. Anthony’s Athletic Director Don Buckley said. “They’ll play anybody, any time. So we said, ‘Why don’t we give them a call?’”
St. Joe’s (8-3) is the Monsignor Martin league runner-up to 11-0 Canisius, the state Class AA co-champion in the NYSSWA rankings.
St. Anthony’s (8-3) is coming off a last-minute, 17-16 loss to rival Chaminade in the CHSFL Class AAA title game.
The teams played a home-and-home series within the last decade. Now the two programs are booked to open the next two seasons. The Friars will travel to Buffalo next fall and St. Joe’s will play in South Huntington in 2014.
“It will be very competitive,” St. Anthony’s Coach Rich Reichert said. “They lost to Canisius, 28-21. It’s a good fit for us. We wanted to travel.”
The Friars graduate 38 seniors, including much of the starting defense. But the backfield is loaded, led by quarterback Greg Galligan and running back Jordan Gowins.
“We have a good core.” Reichert said.
The Friars, winners of 10 of the last 12 league titles, always reload.
The drive for another championship begins in Buffalo.
