The Post’s high school staff looks ahead to the most intriguing matchups in football, boys soccer, girls soccer and girls volleyball for the week of Oct. 3 through Oct. 9.
FOOTBALL
Flushing @ Kennedy (Friday, 7 p.m.)
Kennedy is riding high with three straight wins following an impressive defensive performance in a 16-14 win over Curtis on Sunday. Flushing, which is also 3-2, provides another stern test – and a team that never gets pushed around. The Knights might have the size advantage, but the Red Devils aren’t going to leave The Bronx without a fight in what should be a low-scoring slugfest.
St. Anthony’s @ Xaverian (Friday, 7:30 p.m. @ Kings Bay)
It’s the game Xaverian has waited all season for and it has nothing to do with the fact that St. Anthony’s will be on the other sideline. The X-Men get to play their first home game and having it against the Friars coming off three straight wins only adds to the drama. An athletic Holy Cross team gave St. Anthony’s trouble and Xaverian is a similar bunch. Pete Carew and Zach Kearney have both settled into the dual quarterback role. One will lead their team to a big win.
Boys & Girls @ Canarsie (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
If Canarsie thought Clinton was physical, wait until the Chiefs face the bruising Kangaroos. The huge rivalry game has playoff implications and will certainly be settled in the trenches – where both teams take pride in owning the opposition.
Curtis @ Port Richmond (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
These two teams lost games Sunday by a combined total of eight points. Curtis fell to Kennedy, 16-14, and Port Richmond lost to Tottenville, 26-20 in overtime. One of these 3-2 Staten Island teams with aspirations for a deep run in the playoffs will bounce back in Week 6. The question is which one will it be? This is a pivotal game for both – the loser will fall to .500.
Archbishop Stepinac vs. Holy Cross (Saturday, 1 p.m. @ SUNY Purchase)
Both teams are coming off losses to forget and need a win to get back on track. Holy Cross followed up a close defeat to St. Anthony’s with a flat 43-0 loss to Mount St. Michael and the Crusaders fell 55-29 to St. Anthony’s. A win by either side will go a long way to toward playoff seeding and keep that club among the league’s elite. Can Stepinac outmuscle the athletic Knights?
BOYS SOCCER
Regis @ Fordham Prep (Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.)
A very physical first encounter last month ended in a 1-1 tie and Regis striker Ryan McLaughlin being sent off with a red card. Expect more fireworks Tuesday between two rivals jockeying for playoff positioning in the CHSAA Archdiocesan division. Fordham has just three more points than Regis coming in.
Fieldston @ Horace Mann (Wednesday, 4:15 p.m.)
Horace Mann has faced the best the Ivy Prep League has to offer, except for one team: Fieldston. The Eagles showed their mettle last week by playing defending NYSAISAA champion Collegiate to a scoreless draw. A win at Mann would propel Fieldston to a surprise lead atop the league more than halfway through the season.
Francis Lewis @ Bayside (Friday, 4 p.m.)
Bayside seemed to have the first match well in hand, comfortably ahead 3-0 at halftime, before a Francis Lewis flurry netted the Patriots a shocking 5-4 win. The Commodores can’t draw even Friday because they also played Cardozo to a tie, but they can stop Lewis’ Queens unbeaten streak, which is now at 53 (46-0-7) in a row.
GIRLS SOCCER
Grand Street Campus @ Brooklyn Tech (Monday 9 a.m.)
The PSAL Brooklyn A-VII title is on the line as Brooklyn Tech trails Grand Street by just thee points coming in. The Wolves won the teams’ first meeting 1-0 thanks to a Lizette Cuautle second-half goal. Grand Street features one of the PSAL’s top duos in Cuautle and Guadalupe Quiroz. Can Tech star Ryan O’Connell and company find a way to avenge an early-season loss?
Mary Louis @ St. Joseph Hill (Tuesday 4 p.m. @ Miller Field)
It’s the battle of the Hilltoppers. St. Joseph Hill is ranked No. 1 in the city by The Post and continues to run through CHSAA intersectional competition. Hill may not face a stiffer test than No. 7 Mary Louis, which plays Christ the King on Friday for Brooklyn/Queens supremacy. Sweeper Deirdre Munday and the TMLA defense will have its hands full with Gianna Smith and company. Therese Boyle and Deirdre Ray will test a Hill back four that has allowed just three goals all season.
Bayside @ Francis Lewis (Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.)
The Commodores can gain a strangle hold on their first PSAL Queens A-IV title since 2008 with a win while a tie still keeps them in control of their own destiny. Bayside and rival Lewis tied 1-1 in their first meeting thanks to a late D.J. Glazer goal. The Patriots need a win to grab a two-point edge and shot at winning a second straight crown. Games are tight and well-played whenever these two meet.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Fieldston @ Horace Mann (Wednesday, 4:15 p.m.)
Fieldston is the only undefeated team left in the Ivy League, while Horace Mann has stumbled to three losses, including one early to Fieldston. But the Lions are the defending Ivy champions and they have pride, especially at home. The Eagles will not just fly in and put themselves in the driver’s seat easily.
Fontbonne Hall @ Archbishop Molloy (Friday, 5:15 p.m.)
The first time these teams met two weeks ago it was an absolute war, Fontbonne Hall winning two of the first three sets before Molloy took the final two for a five-set win. Very evenly matched, Fontbonne will be bent on revenge – two-fold. The Stanners also dashed the Bonnies’ CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens title hopes in last year’s semifinals.
Cardozo tournament (Saturday, 9 a.m.)
Could the top seed in the PSAL Class A city playoffs be the winner of this tournament? It’s within the realm of possibility. If Cardozo wins a second host tourney this season, it would be a near lock unless something crazy happens in league play. Bronx Science and Stuyvesant, two rising clubs, will also be in attendance with championship aspirations – and seeding concerns.
