Christ the King no match for St. Francis Prep

On talent and size alone, St. Francis Prep and Christ the King are not too different. Neither can boast of a bulky line. They have playmakers on each side of the ball.
When it comes to recent success and their respective records, however, the similarities end.
After handily dispatching Christ the King, 36-18, last Friday evening at St. John’s University, the Terriers are 4-0. They are tied atop the CHSFL “AA” standings with a first-place showdown against Fordham Prep, the league’s preseason favorite, on deck.
Christ the King, by contrast, has yet to win, having been blown out three times and dropping a two-point decision to Bishop Ford.
What’s the difference? Simply, the Royals roster is as thin as string. Almost every player goes both ways.
St. Francis Prep, on the other hand, has relied on depth, from rotating linemen in and out to shuffling their two talented junior running backs, Robert Dougherty and Tristan Akong, on each drive.
“It’s more of a brothership than a friendship,” Akong said. “I feed off him; he feeds off me.”
Every week, they have worn down the opposition. The victory over CK was no different. The Royals led much of the first half, getting big plays out of running back Dave Lopez, wide receiver Danny Manetta and quarterback Joe Nuss.
Eventually, after halftime, the Terriers ground game, as expected, took a toll. Akong started ripping off huge chunks of yardage. He would finish with 234 in all, including touchdown runs of 51, 45, and three.
“It just doesn’t seem like something I would do,” the humble junior said. “I know I wanted to break 200 yards. It’s really big.”
“He changes gears really well,” CK Coach Kevin Kelly said.
It was not just Akong though. Dougherty set the Royals up for the kill, moving the chains, finishing with 71 yards on 16 carries. Then Akong delivered knockout punch.
“It’s something we know we have to do,” Akong said. “First quarter, you’re realizing what kind of defense they are setting up in, you’re trying to adjust as much as you can. Third and fourth quarter we know exactly what they are doing.”
“Two is better than one,” Dougherty added.
If those two were not enough against the tiring CK defense, quarterback James Marsanico threw his first two touchdown passes of the season. Twice he found tight ends John Cunningham and Matt Gebert off play-action.
“I feel like I accomplished something,” he said.
Christ the King, meanwhile, saw a halftime lead disappear and a depleted roster shrink even further because of injuries. Four years ago, the Royals won the CHSFL “AA” title. They had several players bound for college careers on that team and strength in numbers like the borough’s other two Catholic League programs, Holy Cross and St. Francis Prep. Now, unfortunately, they do not.
“They’re a tough bunch of kids,” Kelly said, “and I wouldn’t trade any of them away for anything.”