The fabulous Friars of St. Anthony, who defeated Hudson Catholic in lopsided fashion Sunday afternoon, are absolutely in cruise control mode right now and don’t appear to be showing any sign of letting up.
“We’re looking now for any possible slippage,” said veteran head coach Bob Hurley after the Friars defeated Hudson Catholic 86-33 on Sunday at Hudson Catholic. “You have to guard against little things that might hurt us. That and injury are the two main concerns.”
There were stories online and in local newspapers that it has basically come down to a one-game season for the undefeated Friars, now 23-0. The stories all said that the only game the Friars really have to worry about will be an inevitable showdown with St. Patrick’s of Elizabeth in the NJSIAA Parochial (Non-Public) B North finale, which would take place Wednesday, March 5 at Rutgers University.
“Honestly, I think it will come down to a two-game season,” Hurley admitted. “Paterson Catholic on March 3 and then St. Pat’s. But if we make a mistake and dare to look ahead, it might not get there. But no doubt, it’s in our minds. We know what we’ve done so far and know what we can do.”
It’s also about fine tuning now, as five Friars reached double figures against the Hawks, with Dominic Cheek scoring 17 and Mike Rosario, who learned this week that he was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-American game on March 26 in Milwaukee, becoming the sixth St. Anthony product to play in the game, scoring 13.
“When you have five guys in double figures, that’s how you can gauge how well the team is playing,” Hurley said. “We have nine seniors, so there’s a lot of maturity with this team. They’ve handled every challenge, the tough schedule, the travel. We’ve handled all the challenges so far, and we’re waiting for the biggest challenge ahead. I like the way we’re playing right now.”
The Friars close out their regular season this weekend with a rare trip to Kearny and it could very well turn out that they would play consecutive games against teams from the place known as “Soccertown, USA.”
After facing Kearny High School on Saturday, the Friars’ next game will be in the second round of the NJSIAA Parochial B North tourney, where they are slated to face the winner of Kearny Christian and Morristown-Beard.
So if Kearny Christian wins Monday, they get the dubious distinction of being the second straight team from Kearny to face the No. 1 team in the country.
After those two games, the residents of Kearny might keep Hurley out for a long time and unable to visit the famed Thistle Restaurant for the popular fish and chips…
Hoboken football products Isaac Holmes and Bernardo Nunez are already getting the big-time college offers, with both Rutgers and the University of Miami offering the Red Wing linemen full rides.
Speaking of Hoboken football, because there will be no more Emerson and Union Hill in the fall, only one Union City High School, it has forced the Red Wings to look outside the HCIAA for independent games. And where did they end up? Namely with games against state powers Montclair and St. Joseph of Montvale. Ouch…
One last thing about Hoboken football, former Red Wing and Rutgers University punter Joe Radigan was selected by the Alabama franchise in the new All-American Football League, a new professional league that will play in six locations that house traditional college programs.
Radigan headed to Alabama to work out with the team last week, and we’ll have more on Radigan and the team if he makes the final roster in a few weeks… – Jim Hague