This Week in Sports
On Sunday, varsity and J.V. cross-country ran in the CHSAA Championships known as “Intersectionals.” As a whole, the team excelled tremendously, with Xavier taking at least third in every race.
Xavier varsity took second place in a competitive field, which is the team's best performance since 1931, when the team took first place. John Rice '15, one of the top runners in New York State, was in a three-way battle for first throughout the entire race, and his eventual third place performance gave Xavier the momentum it needed. Christian Raslowsky '16 ran a personal best–and second all-time Xavier best–for seventh place, and the other runners were close behind, including Garrison Schwer '15 and Louis Vasquez '15, who showed true grit with their respective personal bests. With their second place performance, the team qualified for the New York State Championships this Saturday in Bowdin Park for the seventh time (and fourth year in a row) in Xavier history. Also, the team is ranked fifth in New York State by ArmoryTrack.
Xavier came in third place in the J.V. Championship. Making his debut on the 4000-meter course, freshman sensation Raphael Oettl '18 led the team and took third place among all runners and now holds the second best time ever run by a Xavier freshman for the course, trailing only John Rice by a mere second. In addition, Hank Camacho '15, Christian Watch '15, Dante Perez '15, and Christian Tiong-Smith '16 all hit PRs.
After the meet's conclusion, head coach Mr. Patrick Dormer said, "The guys have worked hard all season, and their success at Intersectionals is testament to the work they've put in. We finished at least third in every race, and underclassmen contributed in every way. The future looks bright."
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Varsity and J.V. Football Advance to Semifinals
On Saturday, November 8, with the great support of Xavier friends and family, varsity football defeated Kellenberg Memorial 26-17 in the quarterfinals of the CHSFL playoffs. Described by Frank Masella '16 as "an exciting and challenging game," the Knights played with tenacity on both offense and defense. Mike Chiarovano '16 rushed for two touchdowns and Zach Cilmi '16 returned a Kellenberg kickoff 85-yards for a touchdown. On defense, Anthony Pugliese '16 made ten tackles, including five for a loss. Malik Fisher '17, Ryan Fitzpatrick '15, and Jack San Pietro '15 all had interceptions, and the whole defense limited Kellenberg to only 79 rushing yards. The team will next play the third-seeded St. John the Baptist in the CHSFL AA semifinals on Saturday in what looks to be a great game.
J.V. football also advanced to the semifinals of the CHSFL playoffs by defeating St. Joseph-by-the-Sea 48-0. Raphael Chierchio '17 said that Xavier's next opponent, Holy Cross, is one of the best teams in the league. He said, "Holy Cross is a very athletic team that rushes often, so our defensive backs need to be ready to fill in necessary holes and prevent any potential scores." Karrington Johnson-Payan '17 also maintained the challenge of a Holy Cross matchup. Nevertheless, he is confident that Xavier will win, saying, "We've improved all year and are one of the best teams in the league, so if we work hard, we have a strong shot of succeeding every time we step on the field."
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Frosh Swimming Perform Well Against Xaverian
In their second-to-last meet of the season, the freshman swim team defeated Xaverian 76-51. James Fiechter '18 won the 100-yard IM and the 50-yard breaststroke and also anchored the winning 200-yard freestyle relay. He also set a new Xavier freshman record for the 50-yard backstroke. Sebastian Diaz '18 won the 50-yard freestyle and the 50-yard butterfly. The team has one meet remaining in the season.
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Varsity Hockey Plays First Scrimmage of Year
In preparation for the regular season, varsity hockey scrimmaged against Monsignor Farrell on Monday at Bayonne High School, losing 6-4. According to head coach Al DiMauro, "the game was up-tempo and fast-paced, with back-and-forth scoring from both teams in the first two periods." Senior Tyler D'Agostino '15 scored once and assisted twice, David Kelly '15 scored twice, George Clark '16 scored once, and Nick Gutilla '15 assisted once. Brothers Matt '16 and Luke Erhard '17 played well at goalie, collectively stopping 43 of 49 shots for the night. The team has several more scrimmages before the regular season begins.