When St. Anthony’s lost a regular-season league game for the first time in nine years back in September, head coach Rich Reichert said he hoped it would shake his players of the overconfidence he felt was built on past teams’ success.
Apparently, it had the desired effect. Since that loss to Mount St. Michael, the Friars haven’t lost and once again head into the CHSFL AAA playoffs with a 7-1 record and the No. 1 seed. They open the postseason at home tonight at 7:30 when they host winless No. 8 seed, Xaverian (0-8).
“It definitely woke us up,” Reichert said of the defeat.
Senior quarterback James Brady, who has drawn interest from Missouri and several Division I-AA schools, has recovered from an ankle sprain that slowed him earlier in the season. The Friars’ defense has shut out two opponents in a row.
“The last couple of games the defense has really come on,” said Reichert, whose team beat both No. 2 St. Joseph by the Sea and Long Island rival Chaminade to close the regular season.
Rutgers-bound lineman Scott Vallone, who had been hampered by a stinger, has helped spark the defense and the Friars look poised to make a strong run to their seventh consecutive crown.
“I told them after they lost that we were going to lose eventually, one of these years,” Reichert said. “And it happened at the best possible time. It was early, so we had time to fix things.”
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In other AAA matchups: No. 5 Iona Prep (4-4) visits No. 4 Monsignor Farrell (5-3) tonight at 6 p.m. Tomorrow, No. 2 St. Joseph by the Sea (6-2) hosts No. 7 Mount St. Michael (3-5) at 1 p.m. and No. 3 Holy Trinity (4-4) hosts No. 6 Chaminade (4-4).
In the AA tonight at 7 p.m.: No. 7 Christ the King (2-6) plays No. 2 St. Francis Prep (7-1) at St. John’s and No. 6 Kellenberg Memorial (2-6) faces No. 3 Holy Cross (5-3) at SUNY Maritime. Tomorrow: No. 4 Archbishop Stepinac (6-2) hosts No. 5 St. Peter’s at 1 p.m. and No. 8 Cardinal Hayes (3-5) visits No. 1 Fordham Prep (7-1) at 1:30.
In the A: No. 3 Bishop Ford (4-4) plays No. 6 Nazareth (0-8) tonight at 8 p.m. at Aviator, while No. 5 Moore Catholic (1-7) visits No. 4 Cardinal Spellman (3-5) tomorrow at 1 p.m.