By The TimesLedger
Mike Cassidy’s Christ the King Royals entered the postseason with a dismal 1-7 record, which put the Middle Village club right in the middle of the pack vying for the second-tied ‘AA’ playoffs. Still, it was clear that the Royals would be a tough out, with some even thinking they could win the crown.
A couple of seasons ago, such talk might have insulted Cassidy, a coach who managed to build the fledgling football program into a viable contender for the coveted ‘AAA’ championship of the Catholic High School Football League in relatively short order.
Some questioned Cassidy and the school’s motives, accusing the coach of luring players to the school and letting discipline take a back seat to talent. And despite the criticisms, Cassidy and the team continued their meteoric rise, competing in the ‘AAA’ playoffs against the best in the league and more than holding their own.
But just as quickly did the team start to fall. Injuries to key players, well-publicized legal transgressions and the sudden death of two of his players, one of whom — Tommy Johnson — was shot to death on an Arverne Street just outside his home.
The tumultuous ride has left Cassidy a much more mellow and affable man and coach, something that certainly served him and his team well this season.
Cassidy never wavered and slowly but surely began righting the ship that had seemingly fallen off the football map. Every week the team began to improve, even if its record didn’t. By the time the ‘AA’ playoff began, the Royals and their coach were ready to start winning.
The first ‘AA’ playoff game saw CK trounce an outgunned Fordham Prep, 34-6, setting up an all-Queens semifinal against rivals St. Francis Prep, which had beaten the Royals in a hotly contested game earlier in the year.
This time the result would be different, as CK, behind running back Anthony Lazarus, stormed its way into the title game and a date with the Iona Prep Gaels.
In the title game, it was more of the same. Lazarus ran and ran, while the CK defense shut down Iona’s star running back Vincent Christoforo, holding the bruising runner to just 20 yards.
Afterward, Cassidy was typically understated in his exuberance.
“We’re building a nice program,” he said after the game. “It’s a major stepping stone for us.”
Next year, no doubt, Cassidy is aiming at making a dent in the ‘AAA’ playoffs. After what he accomplished with his club next year, who would doubt him?
