St. Anthony's wins thriller on blocked field goal, TD return
St. Anthony's #80 Jaeden Jenkins recovers blocked FG Attempt for a TD during CHSFL High School AAA football game where St. Anthony's defeated Stepinac 27-21 at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York on Oct. 28, 2022 Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Marco Graci lined up for a 30-yard field-goal try to break a tie with 28 seconds left. It was a chance for Stepinac to claim a stirring win after falling into a 21-point hole and possibly kick St. Anthony’s out of the top seed and the accompanying two home games in the CHSFL AAA playoffs.
Then came an amazing twist and turn in Friday night’s regular-season finale. Ian Strong came off the edge from Graci’s right and blocked the kick. Jaeden Jenkins saw the free ball.
“And I get the most perfect bounce on the run right into my hands,” Jenkins said.
The senior felt a rush of adrenaline and took off for a 70-yard touchdown return. Thirteen seconds remained on the clock. The PAT went wide. No matter. The Friars won, 27-21.
“It’s like you’re in shock,” Jenkins said. “I didn’t feel like it was real. It’s an unreal moment. You only get to live that kind of moment once or twice in your life.”
St. Anthony’s (7-1, 7-0) arrived with the most power points in AAA.
“I believe that win clinches us as No. 1,” coach Joe Minucci said. “We’ve had three home games this entire year. That’s been a thing all year long, that we needed the two more home games. That’s what we preached.”
Stepinac, which expects to have the third seed, fell to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in AAA.
“We played a great second half and put ourselves in a shot to win,” Crusaders coach Mike O’Donnell said, “and that kid [Strong] made an unbelievable play and blocked it.”
Deonte Douglas ran for touchdowns of 26 and 4 yards in the third quarter for Stepinac. Lorenzo Robinson ran 2 yards for a score with 9:50 left. So 21-0 Friars had turned into 21-21.
“Our offense did not play well,” said St. Anthony’s quarterback Dante Torres, who went 9-for-21 for 136 yards and a TD and threw two interceptions. “We stunk it up. That’s not the team we are. If we play like that again, it’s not going to work out.”
Torres rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, Frank Ruta ran 14 yards to the end zone and Torres hit Korey Duff Jr. for a 34-yard TD to help build the 21-point cushion before halftime. Then it disappeared.
“But we stayed strong,” Strong said, “and then we blocked the biggest kick of the game.”
