Football Game Preview: Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders vs. Cardinal Hayes Cardinals

Archbishop Stepinac and Cardinal Hayes are an even 5-5 against one another since November of 2017, but not for long. The Crusaders will head out on the road to challenge the Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Archbishop Stepinac will be strutting in after a win while Cardinal Hayes will be coming in after a defeat.

Archbishop Stepinac gave up the first points on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They came out on top against St. Joseph-by-the-Sea by a score of 24-17. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Crusaders' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' New York football rankings (they are ranked seventh, while the Vikings are ranked 71st).

John Smith

Rushing Yards

09/26/25 @ St. Joseph-by-the-Sea	150
09/19/25 vs Chaminade	125
09/12/25 @ DePaul Catholic	120

It was another big night for John Smith, who rushed for 150 yards and one TD while picking up 7.5 yards per carry, and also picked up 55 receiving yards and one score. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 120 rushing yards. Jahmai McNeil was another key player, rushing for 37 yards and one touchdown.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Archbishop Stepinac was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 213 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Hayes played a tough game on Saturday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 42-14 loss at the hands of Iona Prep. The Cardinals were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 21-0.

This is the second loss in a row for Cardinal Hayes and nudges their season record down to 1-2. As for Archbishop Stepinac, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Archbishop Stepinac might still be hurting after the 24-3 defeat they got from Cardinal Hayes in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Crusaders, Rich Belin (who rushed for 52 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 133 yards on seven of 17 attempts) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.