Chaminade-St. Anthony's heats up this football weekend
Chaminade offensive lineman Gerard Arnold congratulates quarterback Sean Cerrone on his touchdown in the first half against Holy Trinity in a CHSFL football game. (Oct. 6, 2013) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The football teams at Chaminade and St. Anthony's played two one-point games a year ago. The schools split those games, with Chaminade winning the CHSFL title in stunning fashion on a last-minute Zane Wasp 33-yard field goal, 17-16.
It was the Flyers' first CHSFL championship since 1998. St. Anthony's had won nine of the previous 10 CHSFL crowns and had been to the final every year since 1999. The Flyers' win reignited what was once the biggest rivalry in the CHSFL. Chaminade has continued to win under head coach Stephen Boyd. The Flyers are 7-0 after last week's 3-0 win over Holy Cross.
The road to the CHSFL championship has rolled through South Huntington for the past two decades. Chaminade's next stop is Friday's showdown at St. Anthony's at 7 p.m.
The Flyers have one of Long Island's top backfield tandems in quarterback Sean Cerrone and halfback Rob Speranza. St. Anthony's (6-1, 6-0 CHSFL) lost a non-league opener and then ripped off six straight wins behind its own dynamic duo in halfback Jordan Gowins and quarterback Greg Galligan. Get there early to find a seat.
North Babylon at East Islip, Friday, 3 p.m.: This is an afternoon delight for any football fan. Both teams are vying for home-field advantage in the Suffolk Division II playoffs and need a win. East Islip (4-2) plays better defense. The Bulldogs are 3-3.
Oceanside at Syosset, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: Oceanside (5-1) is coming off a big 16-13 win over Massapequa as sophomore quarterback Vincent Guarino threw for two scores and continues to lead the Sailors. Syosset (4-2) lost to Massapequa, 49-28.
Wantagh at Long Beach, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: Both teams are 4-2 in Nassau Conference II and have almost identical points for and against. A win would secure a home game in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
West Hempstead at Roosevelt, Saturday, 1:30 p.m.: The Rams (5-1) are seemingly on the doorstep to a Nassau IV crown and average a conference-high 37 points per game behind halfback Enrique McFarlane. Roosevelt (6-0) is undefeated and allowed a conference-low 27 points. The starting unit has only allowed two touchdowns in six games.
West Islip at Riverhead, Saturday, 2 p.m.: Two weeks ago the Riverhead defense shut out Smithtown West (5-1), which had Long Island's highest scoring offense at the time. The Blue Waves will need another standout defensive performance to slow down West Islip's super quarterback Sam Ilario, who has 14 touchdowns this season.
