Monsignor Farrell hasn't had much luck against St. Anthony recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Lions will head out on the road to take on the Friars at 7:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Monsignor Farrell put up the most points they have all season on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 48-13 win over St. Peter's. The victory continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won seven in a row.
Kevin Gumb Jr produced another solid performance rushing for 186 yards and three scores on only 11 carries. His longest rush was for an impressive 63 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Another player making a difference was Bryce Moye, who threw for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes.
Monsignor Farrell's run defense was locked in: St. Peter's could only muster 3.3 yards per carry. While three picked up at least three total tackles, Gianni Pasqulone stood above the rest. He rushed for 18 yards and one TD. Monsignor Farrell didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 13.3.
Monsignor Farrell didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Biagio D'Aquino and Michael Libretta.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely St. Anthony's strategy against Kellenberg Memorial on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Friars blew the Firebirds out of the water with a 48-20 final score. Given the Friars' advantage in MaxPreps' New York football rankings (they are ranked third, while the Firebirds are ranked 85th) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Monsignor Farrell better focus on containing Xavier Bala and Anthony Diieso as the pair were huge in St. Anthony's win. Bala rushed for 146 yards on only ten carries, while Diieso threw for 201 yards and one touchdown while completing 77.8% of his passes.
The win got St. Anthony's back to even at 2-2. As for Monsignor Farrell, their record is now 3-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Monsignor Farrell has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 363.5 total yards per game. It's a different story for St. Anthony's, though, as they've been averaging only 241 total yards. Will Monsignor Farrell be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Friars flip the script?
Monsignor Farrell came up short against St. Anthony's in their previous meeting back in September of 2024, falling 35-27. Thankfully for the Lions, Gary Merrill (who rushed for 168 yards and three scores, and also threw for 226 yards and a pair of TDs) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
