Kennedy Catholic Wins State Title

Jack Zona scored the game-winning goal in the second overtime off an assist from Bryan Szpindor as John F. Kennedy Catholic High School defeated Long Island champion Holy Trinity, 7-6, for the CHSAA state championship.

It was the second state title in four years for the Gaels, who received 18 saves from freshman goalie Sean Carroll.

“To beat Holy Trinity this year meant so much to our kids,” Kennedy coach Vin Savastano told Catholic Sports Scene and Catholic New York. “The last two years we lost by a goal to them at their place. This year on our own field, we would not be denied.”

Kennedy Catholic earned a spot in the state final by winning the CHSAA Class A city championship with a 7-5 victory over Msgr. Farrell May 12. Senior Greg Brann, who will play next season at NCAA power Loyola University in Baltimore, finished with two goals and two assists, and Carroll made 12 saves.

“We are so proud of our kids,” said Savastano. “We put together the hardest schedule we’ve ever had here at Kennedy. We took our lumps early and found all of our weaknesses.

“We put together two gameplans that the kids executed to perfection leading us both to the city and state championships.”

14 Iona Prep Scholar-Athletes Commit to Colleges Programs

Fourteen Iona Prep recently participated in a signing event at the school as they committed to compete at the collegiate level.

The Gaels now have 31 senior athletes committed to college athletics.

The recent 14 participants in the signing ceremony were Brian Alberts, Manhattanville College baseball; Kevin Bomba, Trinity College baseball; Michael DeGasperis, William College football; Matthew DiSanto, Catholic University of America football; Caleb Donnelly, Villanova club crew; Mike Eboli, Manhattan College swimming; Devin Grandison, Western New England University wrestling; Robert Greer, High Point University track and field; Ryan Kingston, St. Joseph crew; Brendan Martin, Ithaca College football; Mauro Pacsi, Iona College swimming; John Steele, MIT water polo; Bryce Willis, Stanford University basketball, and Tyler Dorsainvil, Providence College track and field.

The 17 who previously signed were Josh Alexander, American University basketball; Joseph Colaio-Coppola, Elon University football; Jack Doty, Brown University football; Marion Ellis, Springfield College football; Derek Ferraro, Rice University football; Johnryan Freeman, Trinity College football; Sebastian Gruber, Merrimack College lacrosse; Herschel Halesworth, College of Holy Cross lacrosse; Jacob Hargraves, Jacksonville University football; Souleymane Kouressi, Richmond University basketball; Malkelm Morrison, Army football; Jon Oronzio, St. Joseph’s University lacrosse; Joe Persico, University of Utah lacrosse; Max Persico, Bryant University lacrosse; Colin Realbuto, Brown University wrestling; Ki’Shyne Shipmon, Pace University football; Luke Tobia, Ithaca College football.

 

All-State Boys Basketball Honorees

The following Catholic high school boys basketball players from the archdiocese earned all-state honors from the New York State Sportswriters Association:

CLASS AA

First team — Alan Griffin, Archbishop Stepinac. Second team — Chris Ledlum, St. Peter’s; Tyrese Williams, Cardinals Hayes. Third team — Joe Toussaint, Cardinal Hayes; R.J. Davis, Archbishop Stepinac. Fifth team — Bryce Willis, Iona Prep. Sixth team — Souleymane Koureissi, Iona Prep. Eighth team — Omar Silverio, St. Raymond; Dallas Watson, St. Raymond; 10th team — Adrian Griffin, Jr., Archbishop Stepinac; Erlyn Ramirez, Mount St. Michael. 11th team — Nick Johnson, All Hallows. 12th team — Jake Pawliczak, Burke Catholic. 13th team — Chris Clancy, St. Peter’s. 14th team — Michael Green, Mount St. Michael. 15th team — Josh Alexander, Iona Prep.

CLASS A

Third team — Devin Nicholson, St. Joseph by-the-Sea. Seventh team — Kalos Evans, Cardinal Spellman.

CLASS B

Third team — Korey Williams, La Salle Academy; Dylan Wusu, Sacred Heart.

 

 

Pitching Leads Iona Prep

They always say pitching and defense win championships.

The Iona Prep baseball team sports the best record in the archdiocese at 15-2, and the Gaels have outscored their opponents 85-15 entering today’s game with St. Francis Prep.

Iona Prep’s pitching staff has eight shutouts this season and has given up three runs on only two occasions in 2018. The staff has surrendered two runs in two games and one run in five games.

Iona Prep’s losses were 2-1 decisions to Fordham Prep and John F. Kennedy Catholic.

CHSAA Athletes Top List

Three CHSAA track and field athletes currently hold the top performances in the state during the spring outdoor season.

The leaders are Iona Prep’s Robert Greer, javelin, 174-10; Msgr. Farrell’s Charles Crispi, pole vault, 16-1, and Cardinal Hayes’ Jahsira Dunbar, triple jump, 48-5.5. Crispi was the state pole vault champion during the 2017-2018 indoor season.

Click here for the complete list.

Junior Golf Tournament on Schedule

CYO Staten Island is hosting its Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Memorial CYO Grammar School Junior Golf Tournament at Silver Lakes Golf Course on Staten Island on June 27.

Prizes will be awarded to the top boys and girls overall and individual grade winners.

Fee is $35 per golfer. A barbecue follows the tournament.

Entry deadline is June 10.

Click here to register.

 

Cosgrove Rebounds After Slow Start

Tom Cosgrove has allowed four earned runs over his last 14 innings for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a full-season affiliate of the San Diego Padres in the Midwest League.

He surrendered 11 earned runs over 11 innings in his first three outings of the season.

Cosgrove, who is 1-2 and averaging a strikeout per inning, was a 12th round pick of the Padres in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft out of Manhattan College. He is a graduate of Msgr. Farrell High School on Staten Island.