When Holy Cross dropped their first two games this year, finishing atop the CHSFL ‘AA’ seemed like a longshot. Five victories later, the division crown is nonetheless up for grabs.
The Knights’ 47-27 win over Kellenberg sets up a winner-take-all finale against Fordham Prep, 29-14 losers to Stepinac, Sunday at Bayside High School.
“I’m very happy,” Holy Cross Coach Tom Pugh said. “The kids raised their game.”
In his finest performance of the year, quarterback Brian Pugh completed seven of eight passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns, two to senior Tariq Tongue, one to Daryl Whiting and a fourth to Robert DiRe. Barrington Wallace ran for 167 yards and a score, and Whiting, who has now found pay dirt in five consecutive games, rushed for 141 yards and two scores.
It was a perfect weekend for the Catholic locals. Christ the King got their first victory of the season, getting by Cardinal Spellman, 18-15. Dave Lopez ran for a touchdown, caught another from quarterback Joe Nuss. William Hunger ran for 91 yards and Danny Manetta made a team-high 10 tackles. St. Francis Prep (6-1, 5-1, CHSFL ‘AA’) won their second straight, 27-7, over Cardinal Hayes.
In PSAL action, Campus Magnet bounced back from two straight losses in a big way, edging previously undefeated Grand St. Campus, 22-20. Jason Weston ran for one touchdown, caught another from quarterback Datalia Holness, and made the game-saving tackle on the possible tying two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
Running back Anthony Roberts scored the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter from one yard out, putting the 5-2 Bulldogs back into the city’s playoff picture.
“It was,” Campus Magnet Coach Eric Barnett said, “a huge win for our confidence.”
Elsewhere in the Bowl Division, August Martin blew a seven-point fourth-quarter lead against Fort Hamilton, the two-time defending city champions, in a 26-21 loss; Jamaica beat Thomas Jefferson, 28-14, to improve to 3-4; Long Island City dropped to 3-4 after falling to Madison, 14-12.
In the Cup Division, John Adams improved to 7-0 after routing Info Tech, 44-14. Luis Cerna threw touchdown passes to Darren Baker and Akeeme Chavis. Baker ran for 161 yards and two more scores, while Kevin Patterson and Willie Beauford also scored TDs. Flushing moved to 5-2 with a 24-20 win over Springfield Gardens, who dropped to 1-6, and William Bryant (6-1) beat Alfred Smith, 16-8.
