New York: Rochester-area rivals rev up for showdown

Chris Bostick, Aquinas

File photo by Richard Wallden

Others may be equal, but it would be hard to argue that any football series is more emotional or full of energy than Aquinas vs. McQuaid in Section V, complete with spirited chants from the student bodies and the oversized Father John Onorato Trophy that goes to the winner.

It began with upstart McQuaid practically having to beg its way onto the schedule in 1964 and showing its gratitude by beating the Little Irish 14-13, and it’s been heated since. And now the gridiron gods have added to the drama by matching up a pair of unbeatens on Friday at St. John Fisher College.

McQuaid has walloped six opponents by a combined 196-38 margin after a 41-0 romp against Edison/Monroe on Friday. The Knights are 11th in Class A in the most recent rankings by the New York State Sportswriters Association. No. 3 Aquinas routed Bishop Kearney 44-0 to also improve to 6-0. The four-time state champions have outscored opponents by a 214-21 margin.

"It’s always a big game," Aquinas senior receiver/defensive back Anthony Bianchi Jr. said following the Kearney game, in which he caught a TD pass. "Throw in both of us being undefeated and it makes it even more special."

Bianchi’s father played for Aquinas in the late 1970s (earning a split vs. the Knights) and is now the athletic director there after a successful coaching career in Webster. He brought his son along a time or two to watch the Aquinas-McQuaid slugfests.

"I always told him it’s an important tradition, bigger than any individual here or at McQuaid," Anthony Bianchi Sr. said. "It’s important to the alums and to the schools, and the players need to understand what it’s all about – a healthy, strong rivalry."

Bianchi Jr., who’ll play lacrosse next year at Robert Morris, made his first varsity start vs. McQuaid as a sophomore and had a breakout game last year in a 21-14 win. He’s not alone in sharing a family tradition in the series. Aquinas quarterback Manny Magliocco is the son of late-'70s QB (and current assistant coach) Mark Magliocco Sr., and the brother of 2001 state player of the year Mark Jr.

"Being in that household I was going to grow up to be a quarterback. I didn’t really have a choice," Manny Magliocco said, laughing. "I grew up watching my brother play and basically took notes."

Magliocco, who carved up Kearney with four first-half touchdown passes, is well versed in the McQuaid-Aquinas rivalry.

"Both teams play 10 times harder," he said. "It’s not a normal game. It’s a championship game."

Chatham junior Josh Keyes posted his second straight big performance by rushing for 402 yards and eight touchdowns during a 56-14 victory over Watervliet. A week earlier, Keyes scored seven touchdowns on just nine touches during a 62-0 rout of Cairo-Durham. Against Watervliet, he scored on runs of 10, 10, 3, 52, 24, 4, 45 and 65 yards to bring his season total to 1,221 yards on just 84 carries.

Keyes’ yardage total vs. Watervliet ranks fifth in Section II history. The record is held by Coxsackie-Athens’ Brandon Ryan, who ran for 442 yards against Bishop Gibbons in 2002.

The Lafayette bus broke down in Brooklyn on the way to play Stuyvesant, which could have been all the justification the team needed to give up and accept a 33rd straight loss as inevitable.

"We’re kinda used to adversity with the program," coach Michael Rubino told The New York Post. "It’s been a black cloud around here for a while now."

This night turned out to be much different, however. Lafayette rallied for a 9-7 victory in PSAL Cup Division play as Troy Greaves made a 22-yard field goal with one second left. Coincidentally, the last team Lafayette beat was Stuyvesant in 2006.

"We’re gonna try to make it two in a row," Rubino said. "It’s been a couple years since we can say that."

A look at the top of the rankings from the New York State Sportswriters Association shows just how stacked Class A is this season.

Sweet Home and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, last year’s NYSPHSAA tournament finalists, remain first and second with matching 6-0 records, followed by Aquinas. Sitting fourth is New Hartford, which has blown through six foes by a combined 258-106 margin following a 49-26 triumph against previously undefeated Fulton.

Senior Anthony Acevedo scored five touchdowns and rushed 11 times for 118 yards. His TD catch was a 40-yard heave from QB Vin Servadio on the final play of the first half for a 30-12 lead.

Right behind New Hartford is Garden City, which is 5-0 against Section VIII competition this fall and has yet to surrender a point. The Trojans dominated previously unbeaten Wantagh 34-0 to extend the season scoring margin to 166-0. Garden City didn't allow a first-half first down for the third straight game.

Troy and Poly Prep are sixth and seventh, respectively, in the rankings and being pushed by Rye. The Garnets outslugged unbeaten Roosevelt 49-26, meaning that the Rye has beaten the Indians, who have beaten Harrison, which has beaten Eastchester, which has beaten Rye.

"Every week's a battle," all-state linebacker/running back Cole McCormack told The Journal News after picking up 178 yards and three TDs on 23 carries. "We knew that coming in. We knew we had to prepare the same every week. It doesn't matter at all who we're playing. We have to respect every opponent, go out there and give it 100 percent."

Ithaca's turnaround from 0-9 a year ago to 5-0 this fall hit a bump in Week 6 in the form of Dorian Feggins. Feggins carried for 266 yards and three TDs as Binghamton earned a 34-23 win vs. the Little Red and clinched the top seed in the Section IV Class AA playoffs.

Meanwhile, Zack Fleiss kicked a 35-yard field goal with three seconds remaining as Attica edged previously unbeaten Holley. The Blue Devils drove 62 yards to the winning kick after regaining possession with 4:30 to play against the Hawks, coming off an 0-8 season.

Section II is coming off its best Friday night of the season for big matchups:

* Hoosick Falls held off Cambridge for a 21-19 Class C victory to claim the Ken Baker Jug trophy, named in honor of the man who built both programs into powerhouses. Alex Hansen led the way with 22 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown, and Hoosick Falls limited Cambridge to 4 yards rushing on 29 carries.

* Lansingburgh, ranked No. 1 in the state in Class B, was toppled by Broadalbin-Perth, which scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns for a 23-20 victory. R.J. Pingatore’s 15-yard pass to Nick Coveney provided the winning margin after Cody Menge (117 rushing yards) carried for a score earlier in the period.

* Junior Anthony Fogarty scored the go-ahead TD and then intercepted a pass from QB Hunter McCarthy in OT as Cohoes scored a 33-26 victory over Class B contender Albany Academy. Fogarty finished with 103 yards rushing and three TDs to go with one sack and the game-clinching pick.

* Saratoga scored a 17-14 win over state-ranked Ballston Spa in Class AA by putting up all its points in the second quarter. QB Luke Fauler was 7-for-8 in the first half, including a 5-yard touchdown to Ford Plowman.

* Ossining beat Nyack 20-16 in the rematch of last season's Section I Class A final. Nyack linebacker Donald Davis returned an interception 41 yards to the 9 with 3:49 to play, but the Ossining defense held up to preserve the win. Ossining QB Lemar Johnson was 11-for-13 for 124 yards.

* Nanuet shook up Class B with a 38-8 rout of Pleasantville as Gabe Ostrow rushed 27 times for 156 yards and four touchdowns. Ostrow scored on a 1-yard run late in the first quarter, and Brian Purvis' 32-yard field goal in the second made it 10-0 at the half.

* Dobbs Ferry broke to a 14-0 lead in the first half and polished off Tuckahoe 21-6. The first score was set up when James Nieman took a direct snap and picked up 24 yards on a fake punt on the game's opening drive.

* Cicero-North Syracuse blanked Rome Free Academy 27-0. RFA (2-4) is almost certain to miss the Section III playoffs for the first time since the tournament was launched in 1979. The Northstars got 200 passing yards from Ryan Lacey, who was 10-for-17.

* In Section V, junior Ashton Broyld completed all 10 of his passes for 93 yards and four touchdowns and also ran 10 times for 143 yards as Rush-Henrietta dominated Churchville-Chili 54-20. Devon Maio caught four passes for 33 yards and three TDs.

* Senior Levester Tucker rushed 31 times for for a career-high 248 yards and scored four times as Gates Chili defeated Brockport 40-13. Running back Dylan Brown, who leads Brockport with 738 rushing yards and 10 TDs did not dress for unspecified disciplinary reasons and was not on the sidelines.

* Reigning state Class AA champ Orchard Park blanked Class A unbeaten Victor 14-0. Okoya Anderson ran 32 times for 121 yards and a pair of short TDs, and Mike Fisher was stellar on defense with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions as the Quakers defense held Victor to 165 yards.

* Williamsville South beat Iroquois 28-7 in Section VI action as senior Tyler Krempa scored four TDs on just 14 touches. Billies junior Joe Licata went 15-for-25 for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

* In Section VIII Class A action, Half Hollow Hills West pulled out a 27-21 overtime victory against Kings Park after linebacker Andrew Hodge tackled Sean Russell (145 yards) for no gain on fourth-and-goal late in regulation. In OT, the Colts held Kings Park on downs and then won on a 16-yard touchdown run by sophomore Devante McFarlane.

* Rob Anderson went 6-for-8 for 168 yards and two touchdowns as Seaford won its 26th consecutive Conference IV game by thrashing Locust Valley 56-0. Mike Gallo had three catches for 102 yards and a TD and also put up a 65-yard interception return in the second quarter.

* Mepham beat Great Neck South 42-20 as Kaalen Jackson rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns and his twin Khaalid registered eight tackles, one sack and blocked an extra point.

* Steve Gambles picked off three passes as Bellport edged Smithtown West 24-19 and handed coach Joe Cipp his 200th victory. His final pick came at midfield with 1:46 to go.

* Monroe-Woodbury coach Pat D'Aliso earned his 195th victory with a 56-9 romp vs. Middletown. D'Aliso became the all-time winningest coach in Section 9, passing retired Warwick and Port Jervis coach Joe Viglione. Dan Scalo had 11 carries for 183 yards and two TDs for the state’s top-ranked large school.