Sunday, October 8
Lions shut out St. John the Baptist 24-0
Junior defensive end/tight end Seth Clarke (#1) returns an interception 70 yards, setting up his 1-yard TD run to put the Lions ahead 21-0.
By James Speciale | youthsports@siadvance.com
WEST ISLIP, L.I. -- Monsignor Farrell, spearheaded by a solid defensive effort, blanked St. John the Baptist, 24-0, in a CHSFL inter-division game on Sunday.
The Lions, who play in the CHSFL's premier AAA division, improved 4-2 overall, while SJB, the CHSFL AA-1 defending champions fell to 2-3 overall.
Stifling Defense
“Our defense made plays all game long to keep us in it until the offense was able to get things going,” praised Farrell head coach Rocco Del Priore. “We did a great job of limiting their offense to less than 100 yards on the game. Our D-line led by freshman Alfa Ba, Yasire Dejesus, Seth Clarke, and Louis Martinez, was solid all game long.”
SJB drove a short field to the Farrell 2-yard line on its first series of the game, but the Lion defense would have the last say as it stopped the Cougars cold on four consecutive plays. Linebacker Gerard Sheehan made the key stop on fourth down.
While the offense was getting their feet under them, the defense was shining. Senior linebacker Michael Zeremba picked off a pass and went 58 yards to the Cougar 1. One play later, QB Cristian Pinto scored on a sneak to get Farrell on the board late in the first quarter. Chris DiGiacomo’s PAT kick made it 7-0.
Clarke Seals the Deal
Late in the first half, the Lions would go on a 65-yard Nafis Muhammad-led drive, culminating in the running back’s 6-yard scoring jaunt. DiGiacomo’s PAT gave the Lions a 14-0 advantage.
With SJB driving late in the half, Clarke delivered a back-breaking interception and 70-yard return to the 1-yard line. The 6'2", 220lb junior then barreled in from a yard out to give Farrell a comfortable 21-0 halftime edge.
DiGiacomo would add a 27-yard field goal for the only second-half points as the defense pitched its first shutout of the 2023 campaign.
“Our offensive line (Nick Pica, William Aguirre, John Vergona, James Murphy, and Brady Quinn) were tough in the trenches as was tight end Aiden Pedreros,” lauded Del Priore, who also got a stellar game from senior receiver Sal Scalci, who had five receptions with three resulting in first downs.
At St. Anthony's
The Lions have a short week coming up as they head back to Long Island to face defending CHSFL AAA champion and arch-rival St. Anthony’s, currently the state’s top-ranked team on Friday night at 7:00 pm.
“They’re the defending champs and a great team, but we look forward to the challenge,” claimed Del Priore. “They have some legit players on their roster, but it’s a great opportunity for our boys.”