Iona Prep Facing Tough Schedule

Iona Prep will face a challenging regular-season schedule as it looks to defend its CHSAA state championship in 2022.

The Gaels, who open the season with four road games, will face two state finalists as well as its Catholic High School Football League rivals and state powers to start its season.

Iona Prep opens its season on Sept. 3 in Akron, Ohio, against Ohio state finalist Archbishop Hoban. A week later, the Gaels are in the Bronx to play Cardinal Hayes for their league opener.

On Sept. 17, Iona Prep plays at New Jersey state finalist Don Bosco Prep in a rematch of the 2021 season opener won by Don Bosco Prep, 21-7. The Gaels won 11 consecutive games and a state title after dropping its season opener.

Iona Prep meets Christ the King in Queens on Sept. 24 before playing St. Anthony’s in its home opener on Oct. 1. In 2021, Iona Prep beat St. Anthony’s by only a point on Long Island during the regular season and needed two overtimes to defeat St. Anthony’s in the league playoffs.

The Gaels host rival and perennial state power Archbishop Stepinac on Oct. 8. Iona Prep closes out the season with league games against Kellenberg Memorial on Oct. 15, at Msgr. Farrell on Oct. 22 and versus Chaminade on Oct. 29. 

The Gaels defeated Msgr. Farrell for the 2021 league championship and a berth in the state title game.

PHOTO BY CHRIS SHERIDAN

Thanksgiving Football is Back

Looking to get out of the house to enjoy a Thanksgiving tradition before celebrating the day with family and turkey?

Four Catholic high school football programs will carry on their Thanksgiving tradition and rivalries on Thursday morning.

Xavier and Fordham Prep will play at 10 a.m. at Fordham University’s Coffey Field, and Cardinal Hayes will travel to Mount St. MIchael Academy in the Bronx for a 10:30 a.m. game.

These Thanksgiving games were not played in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, Cardinal Hayes and Mount St. Michael did not play because Cardinal Hayes won its league title and was preparing for the state championship game.

Anderson Scores in Army Win

Cardinal Hayes High School graduate Christian Anderson ran for 43 yards and the game’s first touchdown during Army’s 63-10 football victory over Bucknell in West Point on Saturday.

The senior quarterback saw limited action as his team scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters.

Anderson has run 473 yards and six touchdowns on 72 carries this season.

Army improved to 6-3 overall with its second straight victory and clinched a spot in a postseason bowl for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Black Knights will host UMass at noon Saturday in a game being televised by CBS Sports.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY WILD/ARMY ATHLETICS

CHSFL Results/Schedule

Week 4 Results

Poly Prep 28, Kennedy Catholic 7

Msgr. Farrell 16, Cardinal Hayes 8

St. Joseph by-the-Sea 27, Fordham Prep 14

Christ the King 28, St. Francis Prep 14

Cardinal Spellman 36, Nazareth 6

Mount St. Michael 14, Xaverian 7

Iona Prep 34, Archbishop Stepinac 7

Moore Catholic 28, Xavier 14

Capital Harbor 20, St. Dominic’s 6

Chaminade 35, Kellenberg 8

St. Anthony’s 42, St. Peter’s 8

Holy Trinity 45, St. John the Baptist 21

Week 5 Schedule

Friday, Oct. 8

Chaminade at Msgr. Farrell, 7 p.m.

St. John the Baptist at St. Dominic’s, TBA

Saturday, Oct. 9

Xaverian at Kennedy Catholic, noon

Iona Prep at Kellenberg, 1 p.m.

Holy Cross at Mount St. Michael, 1:30 p.m.

Fordham Prep at St. Peter’s, 1:30 p.m.

St. Francis Prep at Moore Catholic, 1:30 p.m.

Archbishop Stepinac at St. Anthony’s, 1:30 p.m.

Christ the King at Cardinal Hayes, 3 p.m.

St. Joseph by-the-Sea at Xavier, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 10

Holy Trinity at Cardinal Spellman, 1:30 p.m.

Anderson Powers Army

Cardinal Hayes High School graduate Christian Anderson ran for career-best 236 yards and two touchdowns in leading Army to a 23-10 football victory over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.

Anderson, who averaged 15.7 yards per carry and scored touchdowns on runs of 75 and 72 yards to give Army a 14-3 lead, left the game with an injury. His status for Saturday’s game at Ball State is uncertain.

In Saturday’s win over Miami (Ohio), the senior quarterback topped 100 rushing yards for the second time this season and scored the 11th and 12th touchdowns of his collegiate career. His 236 rushing yards ranks him sixth on Army’s all-time list for rushing yards in a single game.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY WILD/ARMY ATHLETICS

Manhertz, Jaguars Drop to 0-2

Cardinal Spellman High School graduate Chris Manhertz and the Jacksonville Jaguars dropped to 0-2 with a 23-13 loss to the unbeaten Denver Broncos on Sunday.

The Jaguars lost their season opener to the Houston Texans, 37-21. In this game, Manhertz, a tight end, caught a 22-yard touchdown pass, the second touchdown reception of his career.

Jacksonville will host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Anderson Propels Army

Cardinal Hayes High School graduate Christian Anderson ran for two touchdowns and threw for a third in Army’s 52-21 football victory over UConn in West Point on Saturday.

Anderson ran two yards for a touchdown, threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Alston and ran one yard for a touchdown as Army took a 21-0 lead in the first minute of the second quarter.

Anderson, a senior quarterback, finished with six carries for 21 yards and completed both of his passes for 70 yards.

“I think that is exactly what happening, he is gaining more confidence as he plays. He is doing a great job distributing the ball, handling the ball when he needs too, taking care of it when he runs it. I’ve been really proud
of him, I thought he played another really good game,” said Army coach Jeff Monken following Saturday’s win on Anderson.

Army (3-0) hosts Miami (Ohio) at noon Saturday in a game being televised by CBS Sports Network.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY WILD/ARMY ATHLETICS

Ice Bucket Challenge at Iona Prep

The captains of the Iona Prep varsity and junior varsity football teams participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge to honor Iona Prep graduate Pat Quinn Aug. 20.

Quinn, a 2001 graduate of the school who died of ALS in November 2020, started the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge in August 2013. He challenged friends to do the same to raise money for ALS research to find a cure.

Pat Quinn’s father, Pat Quinn Sr., addressed the crowd at the event that also was attended by two of his son’s classmates at Iona Prep, Anthony Fava and Frankie Meade.

PHOTO CAPTION: Iona Prep varsity football coach Joe Spagnola gets dunked by Justin Joly and Jose Ruiz.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IONA PREP

CHSFL Releases 2021 Schedule

The Catholic High School Football League released its 2021 fall schedule which begins and ends with interesting matchups.

The regular season opens Sept. 4 with Moore Catholic hosting Staten Island rival Msgr. Farrell and closes Oct. 30 with a meeting between league powers Archbishop Stepinac and Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx. Cardinal Hayes quarterback Henry Belin just announced he will be heading to Duke University to play football.

The playoffs start the weekend of Nov. 6 and championship games are scheduled for Nov. 20.

Visit http://nychsfl.org/ for the complete schedule.

3 Stepinac Grads Joining NFL Teams

The NFL Draft weekend was a historic one for the Archbishop Stepinac High School football program as one alum—Malcolm Koonce—was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders and two more—Trill Williams and TJ Morrison—signed as undrafted rookie free agents with the New Orleans Saints and Raiders, respectively.

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