Chaminade looks to beat St. Anthony's for first time since 1987
Chaminade quarterback Joseph Anile IV looks for an open receiver in the CHSFL high school Division AAA football game against St. Anthony's. (Oct. 21, 2011) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
One of the great high school football rivalries used to reside in the CHSFL. There, St. Anthony's and Chaminade split the first 10 meetings between the schools battling for Catholic league supremacy in the late '70s and early '80s. A once-brilliant flame flickered during the nineties and finally went out during the past decade as St. Anthony's went on to dominate CHSFL opponents winning 10 of the past 11 league titles.
Chaminade hasn't beaten St. Anthony's since 1998. But the Flyers are off to a 3-0 start and look to rekindle the old rivalry when they host St. Anthony's at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Mineola in the MSG Varsity game of the week.
"We have a tremendous amount of respect for them," Chaminade coach Stephen Boyd said. "Of course there is an added motivation because it's St. Anthony's. We're preparing like any other week but we understand what's before us."
The last time Chaminade bested St. Anthony's (1-2) was in the very first season of coach Rich Reichert's fabulous 26 year career. Reichert has since become Suffolk's all-time wins leader with 212.
Chaminade upended previously unbeaten Iona Prep, 34-31, last week led by linebacker Dan Fowler. Iona Prep edged St. Anthony's, 30-28, earlier this season.
"We believed we could win that game and we expected to go there and win," Boyd said. "We've seen a difference in the mindset of this team. It's a growth mindset that they know the work they put in will result in wins."
