St. Peter’s did a lot with a little last season and it may allow them to do even more this year.
Injuries dwindled the Eagles roster down to 23 players. Still, the all-boys Catholic school on Staten Island school was able to reach the CHSFL Class AA playoffs for the first time in three years. The shifting of players to different positions created a versatile and experienced roster that now stands at 40 players.
“Everybody had to learn an offensive and defensive position,” St. Peter’s coach Mike Cosentino said. “I think that’s only enhances things. You have guys ready on both sides of the football.”
The biggest constant for St. Peter’s will be junior Billy Triglianos. The quarterback blossomed as the season went along and threw for 1,279 yards, the third most in the CHSFL, and tossed 12 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Cosentino believes he has improved at reading defenses. Triglianos will be without his favorite target, graduated receiver Dan Low. He will have senior Glen Kartalis and sophomores Dominic Santacroce and Willie Dale, who should be able to stretch the field.
“He keeps improving with every season and every practice,” Cosentino said of Triglianos. “We are hopeful he is going to be able to throw the ball effectively and run our offense.”
He will work being a strong offensive line of seniors Rob Casey, Andrew Lazo and Andrew Noto. Classmate Dom Trimarco will be at tight end and also see time at outside linebacker and defensive end. The running back spot will be a tandem of seniors John Noone and Galo Carrera. Cosentino believes they are versatile enough runners who can break through a hole or dance past a defender.
“I think they have good strength and they have good balance to go either way,” Cosentino said.
The 6-foot-3, 237-pound Lazo, a two-way starter a year ago, is back at defensive end. He will be joined up front by Dan Smith, a returning starter. Thomas Feminella will be at one inside linebacker spot and Rob Casey is expected to split time at linebacker and nose guard with Nick Forlenza. The Eagles should be strong at safety with returning starter Terrance Kennedy and James Ball. They will be joined by Joe Bilotti at corner.
Cosentino doesn’t want to place the pressure of having to make the Class AA playoffs on this team. Instead, like last year when a coin toss broke a three-way tie, he hopes to be in a position late in the year to do so.
“If we keep doing the right things,” Cosentino said, “I think hopefully we will be in the right spot.”