Each week in the fall, New York Post writers Marc Raimondi and Joseph Staszewski will attempt to prognosticate the coming CHSFL weekend.
Here’s Week 1:
State College (Pa.) @ No. 1 St. Anthony’s (Friday, 7 p.m.)
Staszewski: The Friars traditionally play the Pennsylvania school to open each season and even in “down years” send them packing with a loss. The year will be no different as this year’s squad is being billed as being one of the South Huntington, L.I. school’s best. The St. Anthony’s defense will force turnovers, Dariyan Riley gets his season started with a bang and Peter Carew settles in nicely at quarterback during a comfortable win. Pick: St. Anthony’s
Raimondi: The only football team from State College that can beat St. Anthony’s is Penn State and I’m pretty sure Joe Paterno won’t be in South Huntington on Friday night. NYPost.com intern Mike Smollins will be in attendance, though. The Suffolk County native is very excited to be seeing the Friars, the top team in the state and arguably one of the best in the country. Pick: St. Anthony’s
Bishop Ford @ St. Dominic (Friday, 7 p.m.)
Raimondi: I foresee a lot of Xaviah Mattocks and even more Devon Mitchell for Ford on Friday night. A big win will be a great way for the Falcons to open up the season. I can already hear Staszewski bragging about his preseason sleeper pick pulling off a big victory. Pick: Bishop Ford
Staszewski: Raimondi is right. I’ve been a big believer in Bishop Ford’s potential since I talked to coach Jim Esposito early in the preseason. Why would I bail on them already? With a year of experience under their belt, the Falcons are in for a much-improved year behind Mattocks and Mitchell. They won this meeting early last year, 29-12. I expect a similar outcome this time. Pick: Bishop Ford
Cardinal Hayes vs. No. 6 Fordham Prep (Friday, 8:30 p.m. @ SUNY Maritime)
Staszewski: If Hayes is going to win this game, it will need to jump on the Rams early and put a little doubt in this group’s mind after a 10-1 season a year ago. That’s certainly possible with DeQuane June in the backfield and George Dawson split out wide. James Richardson will need some time to get his feet wet at quarterback and Fordham Prep will take advantage of his inexperience. Rams bruising back Logan Williamson will wear down the Cardinals defense as the Rams will make a few big plays late to seal up a tight win. Pick: Fordham Prep
Raimondi: I would love to pick against you, I really would. But Hayes is still a work in progress after the transfer of quarterback Ryan Camilo to Clinton. Fordham Prep has the aforementioned Williamson and look for a touchdown coach by Ben Andreycak. Plus, how could I pick against a team whose kicker is Steven Broccoli? That’s just outstanding. Pick: Fordham Prep
No. 2 Iona Prep @ Poly Prep (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: Poly Prep is just dying to show the rest of the area how it can beat just about every other team in New York City. The Blue Devils just don’t usually get a shot to do it, because of their independent schedule. Well, coming off a scrimmage win over defending PSAL champion Fort Hamilton last week, look for coach Dino Mangiero’s squad to also reign supreme over Iona Prep. Poly’s line is too big and Yale-bound back Michael Bernardez is a gem. Pick: Poly Prep
Staszewski: Raimondi has every right to feel confident about his pick for all the reasons he mentioned. Poly is big, skilled and hungry, but that was only for a half about Fort Hamilton. You can’t have the lapses they had in the first half again in a real game scenario against an Iona team with a winning pedigree. The Gaels will be guarding against a slow start after its loss to Stepinac a year ago and pull out a thriller in Bay Ridge. Pick: Iona Prep
Xavier vs. Pine Bush (Saturday, 12 p.m. @ Middletown HS)
Staszewski: Pine Bush is coming off a 1-8 season with a team that was filled with juniors who are now seniors. That year of experience could make for an improved season. The Knights, on the other hand are a junior-laden but experienced squad possibly ready for a big, big season behind Brent Scardapane. While in past years I have haven’t been kind to Xavier in these predications, I feel a wind of change coming. The single-wing offense will be too much for Pine Bush to adjust to as the Knight leave victorious. Pick: Xavier
Raimondi: Thank you for doing that research for me. I couldn’t tell you the difference between Pine Bush and a pine cone. I’ll be honest. I was just going to pick Xavier because it’s a city team, I expect a good year from the Knights and coach Chris Stevens is a great guy. I feel better about my selection now – I appreciate it. Pick: Xavier
St. Francis (Buffalo) @ Holy Trinity (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
Raimondi: Don’t get me wrong, I love Chris Laviano. I watched the now-junior quarterback carve up Mount St. Michael in the playoffs last year. But Holy Trinity beat St. Francis, 21-19, last year with a better squad. The Titans lost a ton from the 2010 season. Meanwhile, St. Francis has Boston College-bound running back Akeel Lynch and is already coming off a win last week over Liverpool at the Carrier Dome – for whatever that’s worth. I’m going to have to go with the boys from upstate. Pick: St. Francis (Buffalo)
Staszewski: Raimondi didn’t leave much for me to write, so I’ll keep it short. In the battle between the star legs and the star arm, I’m going with St. Francis and the big-time runner. Laviano is fantastic, but Trinity might not be ready for a matchup like this and a player like Lynch this early in the season. Laviano keeps the Titans within striking distance, but it won’t be enough to leave with a win. Pick: St. Francis (Buffalo)
Kellenberg @ No. 5 Chaminade (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)
Staszewski: Chaminade surely couldn’t have forgotten about last season when Kellenberg walked onto its home field and handed the Flyers a stunning, 24-21 upset from which it never recovered. Thankfully for Chaminade, Tim (The Claw) Wienclaw, whose field goal won it, graduated and most of its squad is not back. Chaminade erases the memory of last season and kicks off what could be a bounce-back year with a win. Pick: Chaminade
Raimondi: It was a rough year for Chaminade in 2010 – maybe one of the strong program’s worst ever. Zero league wins. One total win. Well, the Flyers are going to match that single victory Saturday. All that youth and inexperience last year will be more mature. All those close losses might turn into wins. Like the Kellenberg one. Pick: Chaminade
Long Island Lutheran @ Cardinal Spellman (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)
Raimondi: From everything I’m hearing, new coach Willie Cawley has the Pilots steered in the right direction. But after a rough 2010, Spellman isn’t quite ready to take on a team as good as LuHi. The Crusaders won last year’s meeting 48-13. It won’t be as lopsided this time, but Lutheran will still leave The Bronx with a victory. Pick: Long Island Lutheran
Staszewski: I want to pick Spellman. I really do, but I just don’t see the turnaround happening this abruptly and this early. LuHi comes into the game off a 48-28 win over Baltimore Lutheran (Md.) despite a banged up roster. Some of those injuries have likely healed and that will be mean bad things for the Pilots. Wins will come for Spellman this season, but this won’t be the week. Pick: Long Island Lutheran
Christ the King @ No. 9 St. Joseph by the Sea (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)
Staszewski: Sea’s smash-mouth style certainly won’t intimidate the Royals. CK coach Chris Higgins has to tell quarterback/safety Matt Gluick to tone it down and not hit his own teammates too hard in practice. Imagine what he might do to guys in a different uniform? Any team with 6-foot-4, 240-pound Kalief Joyner on it can bang in the trenches with anyone. The motivated Vikings will get a little more than they bargained for as CK’s skill players’ size will be too much to deal with. The Royals leave Huguenot with a shocking win. Pick: Christ the King
Raimondi: Christ the King has the better skill players, that’s probably true.Joyner will be the best player on the field – that’s definitely true. But Sea is going to grind this game out little by little, led by John Diaz, a running back people forget was second in the ‘AAA’ in rushing yards in 2010. First-year coach Rich Clark gets his first victory en route to a bounce-back season. Pick: St. Joseph by the Sea
Cardinal O’Hara @ St. John the Baptist (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)
Raimondi: Last year, Cardinal O’Hara hosted another ‘AA’ top contender, Xavier, at its upstate school and walked away with a 40-19 win. O’Hara might not be as good as fellow Buffalo area squad St. Francis, but it is still strong. Probably strong enough to leave Long Island with a ‘W.’ Pick: Cardinal O’Hara
Staszewski: Numbers usually don’t lie in football. St. John the Baptist won the Class A last season and come into this year minus star back Derelle Hunter. O’Hara handed Xavier, a Class AA contender a lopsided loss a year ago. As the Cougars reload, O’Hara continues its winning ways against the CHSFL and enjoys a long, pleasant trip home. Pick: Cardinal O’Hara
St. Joseph Collegiate @ No. 8 Monsignor Farrell (Saturday, 1:30 p.m.)
Staszewski: While I just denied one new Staten Island coach his first career win, I will not do the same here. The Farrell players took great pride in handing St. Joseph’s Clemson-bound quarterback Chad Kelly a defeat last year. I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten either, but I’m a believer in Lions coach Jim Bradley. His kids know with St. Anthony’s and Iona Prep looming, wins might be hard to come by. The Farrell defense and Micheal Viegas have big days and Bradley gets to celebrate the first of many. Pick: Monsignor Farrell
Raimondi: Oh, Chad Kelly remembers alright. He might be sleeping in the Farrell parking lot right now. The ACC-bound signal-caller is going to be motivated and the Lions might not be able to do much about it. However, the Marauders don’t play a whole lot of defense despite winning the Monsignor Martin ‘AA’ title last year. Viegas is going to put up 200 yards rushing the Farrell will shock Kelly again. Pick: Monsignor Farrell
No. 3 Xaverian vs. Monroe-Woodbury (Saturday, 3 p.m. @ Middletown HS)
Raimondi: It certainly isn’t an easy start for a Xaverian team that expects to do big things in the CHSFL this year. Monroe-Woodbury is coming off a 10-1 season in which it lost to Troy in the ‘AA’ state tournament. The Crusaders also boast highly touted quarterback Ryan Spelman. The Clippers secondary is tough and Laray Smith is phenomenal. Big things in 2011 start here for the X-Men. Pick: Xaverian
Staszewski: Raimondi is new to CHSFL predictions so he may need a bit of a history lesson. These are the type of teams Xaverian struggled with last season. Anytime the Clippers faced an elite squad, their offense went stagnant and defense couldn’t quite hold up. Until the X-Men prove this trend wrong, it’s hard to pick them in a game like this especially after Monroe-Woodbury QB Ryan Spelman rushed for 415 yards last week. Xaverian will keep a high-scoring game interesting, but it will only serve as a learning experience for the weeks to come. Pick: Monroe-Woodbury
St. Francis Prep vs. No.7 Holy Cross (Saturday, 7 p.m. @ SUNY Maritime)
Staszewski: Raimondi is high on the Knights after visiting coach Tom Pugh’s club in the preseason, so I know what to expect below. Who can blame him with Cross having dominated the matchup in recent years? But if there is any year for the Terriers to catch them, this is it since it’s supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Knights. With a ton of new faces, SFP has a bit of an element of surprise in its favor. Speedy running back Ramel Joseph gets a breakout season started right and new quarterback Tom Cani uses his big wide receivers well enough for the upset. Pick: St. Francis Prep.
Raimondi: Of course you’re going with your alma mater. Are you going to be wearing a St. Francis Prep hat Saturday in the press box, too? Of course, I’m joking. I know you’re not biased. Crazy, it seems like, but not biased. Holy Cross is expecting a rebuilding year? On the contrary. The Knights are going to have one of their best offensives in a long time – the kind that will be able to shred St. Francis Prep through the air. Syheim Wingate rushes for 160 yards and two touchdowns and Cross wins a tough one late. Pick: Holy Cross
No. 4 Archbishop Stepinac @ Middletown (Saturday, 8 p.m.)
Raimondi: It’s cool Middletown is hosting this upstate versus downstate event Saturday. I can imagine it getting bigger and better as the years go on. However, Middletown might regret scheduling Stepinac in Year 1. The Crusaders are going to be very good, led by running back Caleb (Don’t Ask Me Where The Skipper Is) Gilligan Evans. Austin Taps will have a pair of sacks and the boys from White Plains will put a nice little city-area capper on the day. Pick: Archbishop Stepinac
Staszewski: After a heated pick in the Battle of the Boulevard, we end Week 1 in agreement. Middletown, despite a 47-6 win over Valley Central last week, might want to rethink this matchup. Stepinac is out to prove it belongs in the CHSFL ‘AAA’ and losing wouldn’t be the way to start. Gilligan Evans will have a monster game even if Middletown had The Professor coordinating its defense. Taps will cause havoc as usual as his team picks up the win. Pick: Archbishop Stepinac
