Football: Iona Prep beats Stepinac 41-28 to reach Catholic school championship game
NEW ROCHELLE — If one thing was obvious early on in Saturday's Catholic league semifinal football game between host Iona Prep and Stepinac, it was that both teams would be frequent visitors to the end zone.
After all, the teams combined to score 77 points (42 belonging to Iona Prep) during their regular-season meeting last month, and in a 12-second period in the first quarter of Saturday's game the two traded touchdowns.
They were on a 21-yard run by Old Dominion-bound Iona Prep quarterback Ajani Sheppard and an 80-yard reply on Stepinac's first play from scrimmage by junior running back Jordan Osbourne.
And those scores were the tip of the iceberg as Iona Prep took a 20-14 lead into halftime before pulling away in the second half for a 41-28 win.
Iona Prep's defense, which was burned in their previous meeting by Stepinac signal-caller Will Currid, who threw for 483 yards and five touchdowns, didn't totally control Currid but did a much better job limiting his damage. Currid was 16-for-35 for 170 yards and two touchdowns but was also picked twice.
Both picks were huge.
Adande Nartey made the first, flying horizontally through the air to grab what was a certain third-quarter touchdown pass with the Gaels leading 27-14.
And the second occurred in the fourth quarter.
Stepinac's Kori Small had just intercepted an Ajani Sheppard pass near the end zone and run it out to his own 3 when, on the next play, Terron Johnson perfectly read Currid's attempted quick hit right, stepped in front of the receiver to make the catch and ran, untouched, in for the score. With Sam Bisesi connecting on the PAT (he was good on five of six), that essentially sealed the game at 34-14 with 8:54 to play in the fourth quarter.
What it means
Stepinac, which has played Iona Prep for 73 years, had held a 3-1 playoff-game advantage over the Gaels until Saturday's season-ending loss.
With the win, Iona Prep advances to next weekend's Catholic league title game.
Player of the game
Colin O'Garro would probably like to forget his near touchdown (he fumbled in the end zone on a 5-yard carry but teammate Jorge Ruiz pounded on the ball for the TD that, with the PAT, tied the score at 14 in the second quarter.
But a big reason Iona Prep was down there was O'Garro's running. And, on Iona prep's next offensive series, O'Garro ran in from 10 yards out to put Iona Prep up for keeps.
He ended up rushing 15 times for 150 yards and gained top player honors.
By the numbers
Iona Prep (9-2) — Sheppard, who also scored on a 2-yard run, had 18 carries for 130 yards and was 17-for-23 for 185 yards and a TD. That TD was a 36-yard catch-and-run to Dylan Iorgoveanu. Iorgoveanu had four catches for 66 yards. Mike Senatore had six catches for 53 yards. And Ethan Acevedo had five catches for 42 yards. Included for the future Division I Coppin State centerfielder was an acrobatic, one-handed grab at the 10 that preceded O'Garo's touchdown run.
Stepinac (8-3) — Osbourne carried 11 times for 140 yards. In addition to his 80-yard TD scamper, he pulled in a 15-yard scoring pass that, with Marco Graci's PAT, put the Crusaders up 14-7. Wayne Coleman had three carries for 16 yards, including a one-yard score that cut Iona Prep's lead to 34-21 with 7:24 left. Gjok Dedvukaj had three catches for 61 yards, including a 24-yard TD reception late in the game. Lorenzo Robinson rushed 13 times for 85 yards.
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They said it
"Iona did a great job capitalizing on our mistakes," Stepinac coach Mike O'Donnell said. "They're a very, very good football team. Their quarterback does a great job."
Iona Prep head coach Joe Spagnolo called the win "bittersweet," noting both Syracuse-bound linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard and defensive back Kieran Connolly, a team captain, are question marks for next week's final after leaving the game with injuries.
He said the Gaels will need to establish the run sooner in that game. He pointed to O'Garro's runs in the second half as the game's turning point.
Acevedo, who had that amazing sideline grab, is a senior but is playing his first year of Iona Prep football after transferring from Don Bosco in New Jersey.
The Bronx resident's time in New Rochelle, he made clear, has been a positive.
"It's been a great move -- one of the best decisions of my life. My emotions are through the roof," he added of going to the championship game.
Up next
Iona Prep will play the winner of No. 4 Chaminade-vs.-No. 1 St. Anthony's next Saturday for the title. That game was postponed to Saturday night from Friday due to poor weather. Iona Prep fell to St. Anthony's 48-42 on a last-second play and beat Chaminade 35-7.
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at both @HaggertyNancy and at @LoHudHockey.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Football: Iona Prep beats Stepinac to advance CHSFL final
