Tyler Granito's 2 TD tosses help Chaminade roll to first win of season
Chaminade's James Levelis (right) celebrates his touchdown reception with Christopher Galluccio at a CHSAA football game between Chaminade and Kellenberg on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at Mitchel Field. Credit: NEIL MILLER
Chaminade went into October still in search of its first win.
On Saturday, it got the complete game it needed to end the drought.
With lockdown defense, methodical offensive drives and key special teams plays, Chaminade beat Kellenberg, 35-7, in CHSFL AAA play at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale.
“Things are just coming together for this football team,” Chaminade coach Kevin Dolan said. “I don’t even know how to explain it, I’m the proudest 0-4 football coach coming into this game.”
Chaminade improved to 1-4 overall and Kellenberg fell to 3-3 overall.
“It was huge,” quarterback Tyler Granito said. “We became self-involved, we just focused on ourselves and focused on being the best team we could be. Coming out with the W feels so good.”
Chaminade’s defense set the tone in a slow start for both offenses in rainy conditions.
The Flyers defense bolted through the Kellenberg offensive line to break up a double reverse rush, with Eamonn Welch pouncing on the fumble recovery to give Chaminade good field position late in the first quarter.
“This is the worst part as an offense, when the defense you’re against is starting to have fun,” Dolan said. “There was a point in the first half where these guys were having fun . . . the Firebirds were in trouble at that point.”
Chaminade drove 54 yards in nine plays, with Granito lofting a perfect ball to 6-5 wide receiver James Levelis for a 13-yard touchdown. After the missed PAT, Chaminade led 6-0 with 10:24 left in the first half.
Chaminade kept its defensive momentum just over a minute later, with defensive back Will Handley perfectly timing a Kenny Noe pass for a 30-yard interception return touchdown. Wildcat quarterback Timothy Murphy’s two-point conversion run put the Flyers up 14-0, the eventual halftime score.
“It feels really good,” Handley said. “Watching film all week, we knew it was coming. We knew we were going to make some big plays tonight.”
Kellenberg punted on its opening drive of the second half, and Chaminade turned its defensive prowess into points once again. The Flyers ran most of the third-quarter clock on a 12-play, 78-yard drive. Granito finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Peter Braz, putting the Flyers up 21-0.
Granito completed 10 of his 15 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
“Honesty, it was just the receivers, man,” Granito said. “. . . We couldn’t be stopped.”
A fortunate bounce allowed Chaminade to fully put the game away late in the third quarter. On the kickoff following the Braz touchdown reception, the ball bounced deep in Kellenberg territory and was scooped up by John Marshall at the Kellenberg 25-yard line.
Chaminade capitalized with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Murphy to take a 28-0 lead.
Noe found Jack Geoghan for a 5-yard touchdown pass to get Kellenberg on the board with 7:22 left, but that would be it for the Firebirds.
Peter Gerbasi’s 1-yard touchdown run with 4:46 left to give the Flyers their 28-point winning margin.
“We know what we’re capable of,” Handley said. “I think we showed it tonight.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
