With Galloping Friar, tradition sits high in the saddle at St. Anthony's

St. Anthony’s High School freshman Noah Seus slipped into a friar’s habit, which came complete with a knotted cincture, on Oct. 15. He proceeded to parade through the halls and the crowded cafeteria at lunchtime.

About an hour later, Seus was back for a second act. In his long tunic, he trotted across the school’s football field waving at his nearly 2,400 fellow students packed onto the bleachers in advance of the hotly awaited annual homecoming pep rally.

If you didn’t know better, it appeared that the 14-year-old from Northport was getting a head start on Halloween. But his antics weren’t about trick-or-treating or pulling a prank. They were about school business. He was gamely playing the Galloping Friar, an enduring school mascot for half a century. Its roots reach back to a Founding Father.

"It was an honor to be part of it," said Seus, who had lots of support in every sense.

A team effort

While in character and performing, his feet never touched the ground. That’s because he was carried by 15-year-old sophomores Christopher Novelli and Samuel Cook, junior varsity football teammates. Hidden from sight, the two were tucked inside a chocolate-brown horse costume doing the heavy lifting.

Their assignment: Channel Secretariat, say, or Sea Biscuit or Mister Ed, and work in unison — Novelli in front; Cook in back — to provide the horsepower, actually manpower, needed to pull off the time-honored tradition.

At St. Anthony’s, a Roman Catholic school run by Franciscan Brothers, it takes a trio to raise a mascot whose goal is to energize this major fall event celebrating athletics and various clubs.

"Homecoming is a much-anticipated event, a big source of spirit and pride. The mascot has a key role," said Brother Joshua DiMauro, assistant principal and dean of student activities who has worked at the school for 47 years and oversees the pep rally. The friar is always a freshman, and his horsemen are always sophomores.

"The school mascot is about stoking team spirit as kids file into their seats and during the show," said Brother Joshua. "And then at the end we always have pictures of the Galloping Friar with the newly crowned homecoming king and queen."

"It was so fun," said Seus, who likes English and baseball (he plans to try out for the team in the spring), stands 4-feet-11 and tips the scale at 90 pounds.

'I think it was an easy choice. I’m small. But I’m still growing.'

-St. Anthony’s freshman Noah Seus on playing the mascot

If his height and weight seem like TMI, those details matter when it comes to being selected for this friars’ club.

"I think it was an easy choice," said Seus. "I’m small. But I’m still growing."

The Galloping Friar has also evolved during the past 50 years, which might come as a surprise to the Class of 2022 and the rest of the student body. "At present," the school website (stanthonyshs.org) states, "few students are aware of the origins of the title ‘the Galloping Friars.’ "

A quick recap: A bronze statue of George Washington on horseback at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point inspired the Galloping Friar mascot in the late 1960s. St. Anthony’s school colors — black and gold — shifted to reflect hues connected with the prestigious institution overlooking the Hudson River.

"Washington on horseback gave the impression of strength," said Denise Creighton, who taught English for 32 years at St. Anthony’s and has directed its Alumni Affairs since 2014. Since mascots are brand ambassadors, it was conceived as a means of communicating the school’s mighty spirit.

'Unique and different'

The Galloping Friar grew out of a Gridiron Club formed in the late 1960s. It was led, Creighton said, by Cy (Cyril) Donnelly, her grandfather and chief inspector of the Suffolk County Police Department for whom St. Anthony’s football field is named, and Newsday journalist Robert Greene, whose son graduated from the school.

Initially a school doctor’s son masqueraded as a friar before he straddled a real horse and "cantered along the sidelines" to rally team spirit, according to stanthonyshs.org.

The mascot was officially born in 1971. That’s when Brother Shane Burke, a St. Anthony’s math teacher and principal, assumed the part. He hit the field on horseback for a homecoming celebration and football game.

"Brother Shane was an extremely athletic man," said Creighton. "He gave the appearance of strength." Very on-brand.

By 1984 St. Anthony’s had relocated to its current home in South Huntington and the custom of the Galloping Friar saddling up a real horse was put out to pasture. The tradition was replaced by a featherweight freshman hoisted by burly sophomores.

Before his death in 2006, Brother Shane would still occasionally show up on a trusty steed to add cheers at big games and pep rallies. In 1991, a Newsday story reported: "St Anthony’s principal Shane Burke saddled up in the north end zone, readying himself and a beautiful gray horse named Buck II for the Friars’ showdown with CHSFL nemesis Chaminade."

At the school pep rally on Oct. 15, a day marked by sun-kissed skies and unseasonable 79-degree heat, students expressed some thoughts about the costumed Galloping Friar.

"It’s very unique and different," said Kyleigh McNulty, 16, a junior on the girls swimming team lineup.

Christina Sabella, 17, a senior on the girls tennis roster, considered the students stuffed inside the equine get-up. "That has to be uncomfortable," she said.

In the past the pep rally has been held in the gym. Because of pandemic precautions, it was held outside this year for the first time. St. Anthony’s prides itself on its academic excellence, and this event is all about spotlighting and celebrating sports and clubs — and crowning homecoming royalty.

Emceeing the pep rally was 17-year-old Student Council President Aidan D’Alonzo, a senior who played the Galloping Friar as a freshman. This year he wore a suit, not a friar’s tunic, as he introduced school groups.

During the rally cheerleaders brought their best "Bring It On"-style moves, the Rock-n-Roll Club covered "Saturday in the Park," step dancers rocked with synchronized precision, and athletes proudly pranced and punted confetti-filled footballs when called to the stage.

Some adventurous athletes showed off their funky dance skills and did the "worm" when called to the podium. A girls crew member expressed relief that COVID-19 was somewhat in the rearview, saying "We’re excited to get back on the water."

For roughly an hour, they all had their place in the sun as the audience of fellow students roared in approval.

Special cheers went out to seniors Trinity Williams and Rhett Gallagher, who were crowned homecoming king and queen from a field of five finalists in each category. The honorees were voted on by electronic ballot by students, faculty and staff.

"It was a very excited crowd," said Seus, who periodically giddyapped on the sidelines with the equine helpers during the show. He took D’Alonzo’s advice to "always have a smile on your face — that’s the main part of the job."

'Massive icebreaker'

While good-natured horseplay is at the heart of the Galloping Friar, a closer look reveals something deeper about the tradition that speaks to generosity and kindness — some of the tenets of the school.

Cook and Novelli weren’t chosen by their football coach to be horsemen just because they could muscle their way through the job. They were picked because they embody team spirit.

"Last week we were called down to the office and told we were going to be doing this," said Cook, adding that he and Novelli were proud to be picked based on their character.

How did they choose who’d be the front of the horse and who’d pull up the rear? "Rock, paper, scissors," said Novelli. "The best of three rounds." (Novelli won.)

During the event they beamed with pride, despite broiling inside the costume. Asked midway through the rally how they were doing, Cook and Novelli responded in unison: "Hot!"

'He’s small, but he’s big today.'

-Brother Vincent Adams on the Galloping Friar's fame

From the stands, Brother Vincent Adams, who heads the campus ministry, assessed the 2021 Galloping Friar.

"He’s small, but he’s big today," he said. "He’ll be a superstar the rest of the year."

D’Alonzo echoed that sentiment. He says playing the mascot opened the door to new friends and acquaintances and helped pave the way to his role in student government. "Being the Galloping Friar is a massive icebreaker," he said.

On the Monday after the rally, some ice had already cracked for Seus. His history teacher applauded his newly minted mascot status.

"A kid I don’t know came up and asked me if I was the kid on the horse," he said. "He said he thought it was cool."

"It’s crazy to think about it," added Seus. "It was exciting. It was a chance for meeting new people and being a part of homecoming."

He’s poised for an encore run in the role. "We have a winter pep rally as well, and the Galloping Friar returns for that event," said assistant principal and dean of women, Christina Buehler, a 1990 St. Anthony’s graduate.

Seus looks forward to that. His favorite thing about being the Galloping Friar? "Everything," he said. "The whole experience."