Monsignor Farrell was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They took a 35-27 hit to the loss column at the hands of the St. Anthony's Friars. The match was a 14-14 toss-up at halftime, but the Lions couldn't quite close it out.
When it comes to explaining why Monsignor Farrell lost, don't look at Nafis Muhammad. Despite the final result, he rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown. Muhammad's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 130 rushing yards dating back to last season.
Even though they lost, Monsignor Farrell was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 205 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 160 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.
Even if they lost, Monsignor Farrell's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. Joseph Giovanelli was especially locked on to St. Anthony's QB and sacked him twice.
Gary Merrill was his usual excellent self, rushing for 168 yards and three touchdowns, while also throwing for 226 yards and two touchdowns for St. Anthony's. That's the most rushing yards Merrill has posted since back in September of 2023. Will Hart was Merrill's top target, picking up 105 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Monsignor Farrell's loss dropped their record down to 1-3. As for St. Anthony's, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Monsignor Farrell is taking a road trip to square off against Cardinal Hayes at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for St. Anthony's, they will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Iona Prep at 7:00 p.m. on October 4th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
