Week 2 is officially in the books, and while we still have a few more non-league games left on the schedule, we’re finally getting to the point of the season where we can start separating what we think teams are from what they actually are.

There were some impressive performances, some concerning losses, and a few games that raised more questions than they answered. That’s usually what happens during the early part of the season, especially with the CHSFL playing such a long non-league schedule. Some teams are still figuring out personnel, some are still trying to establish an identity, and others are already looking like legitimate contenders.

Week 2 Analysis and Takeaways

Iona Prep Continues to Look Like the Team to Beat in AAA

Iona Prep followed up its opening-week win with a dominant 63-20 victory over Paramus Catholic. The Gaels put up more than 400 rushing yards and completely took over the game in the second half, shutting out Paramus Catholic while scoring five touchdowns after halftime.

Chase Reeves was outstanding, rushing for 267 yards on just 13 carries and consistently creating explosive plays. The most impressive part of Iona’s performance wasn’t just the points—it was how physical and relentless they were once the game settled in.

The question now is whether anyone in the league has the personnel up front to slow them down. Iona looks like a team that can control games with its running game, and that is a very difficult formula to deal with when the defense is also playing well.

League play will tell us more, but right now, the Gaels look like the team everyone else in AAA is chasing.

Farrell Shows Its Mental Toughness Against DePaul

Monsignor Farrell’s 21-18 comeback win over DePaul Catholic was one of the more impressive wins of the week—not necessarily because of the final score, but because of how the game unfolded.

Farrell went into halftime down 10-0, then came out and scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to completely change the game. That showed a lot about the team’s toughness and ability to stay composed when things weren’t going their way.

Jayden Burch gives Farrell a legitimate playmaker who can change the game in multiple ways, while Moye continues to develop into a more reliable offensive weapon. The defense also deserves credit for holding on late, with Costanzo and Stallone leading the way.

This is a team that seems to have confidence in itself, and Rocco Del Priore has them playing with the type of edge and discipline that can carry over into league play.

St. Anthony’s Has More Questions Than Answers

St. Anthony’s lost to St. Peter’s Prep, 45-24, but the game was much closer than the final score for most of the afternoon. The Friars were within 24-21 late in the third quarter before the game got away from them.

The biggest concerns were on special teams, turnovers, and defensively. St. Peter’s Prep consistently found ways to create short fields and make momentum-changing plays, while St. Anthony’s struggled to get off the field when it mattered.

Offensively, the Friars have talent, but there are still questions about consistency and predictability. Against a strong team, they can’t afford to become too one-dimensional or rely on the same looks over and over.

They now travel to Stepinac in what should be a very revealing game. St. Anthony’s is talented enough to beat anybody on its schedule, but they have to clean up the areas that cost them against St. Peter’s Prep.

Stepinac’s Second-Half Response Was Impressive

Stepinac trailed Immaculata 16-14 at halftime before taking over in the second half and winning 38-16.

The ground game was the difference. Nahum Pierre rushed for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, while Ronnell Chambers added 126 yards and another touchdown. Together, they gave Stepinac a combination of power and explosiveness that Immaculata simply couldn’t handle after halftime.

The defense also deserves credit. After giving up 16 points in the first half, Stepinac shut Immaculata down in the second half and allowed the offense to pull away.

That’s the kind of response you want to see from a team with championship aspirations. Things weren’t going well early, but Stepinac made the necessary adjustments and physically took control of the game.

Now they get St. Anthony’s at home. That should be one of the better games of the week.

Cardinal Hayes Survives, But the Questions Remain

Cardinal Hayes defeated Middletown, Delaware, 30-28 after jumping out to an 18-0 lead and then allowing Middletown to fight its way back into the game.

Hayes eventually won on a late jet-sweep touchdown from Marcus Abellard with just 31 seconds remaining. Kymonni Valentine was also a major factor throughout the game.

A win is a win, but Hayes made this much more difficult than it needed to be. Giving up an 18-point lead is something that will concern the coaching staff, especially when league play begins and the margin for error becomes smaller.

There is clearly talent on this roster, but I still need to see more before calling Hayes a legitimate top-tier contender. This week’s matchup against Kellenberg should tell us a lot.

Kellenberg Has Become a Very Difficult Team to Defend

Kellenberg defeated South Shore, 42-20, after putting together a huge second half. The Firebirds scored 28 points after halftime and showed how balanced they can be offensively.

Quarterback Farrelly was efficient, completing 13 of 15 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. The rushing attack produced 230 yards and five touchdowns, with Cristales, Saccheri, and Barkley all making major contributions.

That balance is what makes Kellenberg dangerous. They aren’t relying on one player or one way to win. They can run the football, throw when necessary, and make defenses defend the entire field.

The homecoming matchup against Cardinal Hayes is a major opportunity for Kellenberg to make a statement. If they can win that game, people are going to have to start looking at the Firebirds very differently.

Xaverian 35 – Mount St. Michael 21

Xaverian’s biggest takeaway is simple: the Clippers have the explosiveness to separate themselves from teams very quickly. Price, LaRocca and Aiken are proving to be a difficult trio to contain, and Xaverian doesn’t need long drives to put points on the board. The 82-yard connection, Aiken’s 74-yard touchdown run and the early 21-0 lead showed just how quickly this offense can tilt a game. If Xaverian can consistently generate those explosive plays, they have the weapons to make a serious run once league play begins.

For Mount St. Michael, the biggest takeaway is they cannot afford to spot good teams a three-touchdown lead. The Mount showed plenty of fight after halftime, with Jacob Jimenez leading three touchdown drives, but the early deficit was simply too much to overcome. The talent and offensive ability are there, but Mount needs to become more consistent from the opening whistle. With league play starting against Kennedy Catholic, we’ll find out quickly whether the Mount can turn that second-half fight into four-quarter football.

Xavier Looks Like Xavier Again

Xavier defeated Cardinal Spellman, 38-6, and the game was never really in doubt.

The single-wing offense continues to create problems for opposing defenses, especially when Xavier is able to establish its physical running game early. The Bombers also scored on two punt returns, which shows how quickly they can turn a game into a blowout.

Xavier is defending its championship for a reason. The system is established, the players understand their assignments, and they play with a level of physicality that wears teams down over four quarters.

The competition gets tougher this week against Holy Cross, but Xavier looks like a team that is already operating at a very high level.

Chaminade’s Biggest Problem Is Finishing Drives

Chaminade lost to Seton Hall Prep, 30-11, but the final score doesn’t fully explain the game.

The Flyers moved the ball at times and had opportunities, but they repeatedly failed to finish drives. Against a team like Seton Hall, those missed opportunities eventually become a problem.

Trapani’s return was a positive, and he gave the offense some needed juice, including a four-yard touchdown. But Chaminade needs to turn yards into points. Moving the ball between the 20s is not enough against quality competition.

Now they face Monsignor Farrell, which is a much different type of opponent. Farrell is physical, confident, and coming off a big comeback win. Chaminade will need to be much more efficient in the red zone if it wants to win this one.

St. John the Baptist Had No Trouble With St. Dominic’s

St. John the Baptist defeated St. Dominic’s, 48-0, jumping out to a 34-0 halftime lead before emptying the bench.

There isn’t much to analyze from the game itself because the matchup was clearly one-sided, but SJB did exactly what a good team should do in that situation. They handled business early, played physical football, and gave younger players an opportunity to get experience.

The real test comes this week against St. Francis Prep. That will be the first game where we get a better idea of how good this SJB team really is.

The Cougars have a strong running game, a solid defense, and a quarterback in Michaels who gives them stability. They should be taken seriously once league play begins.

St. Peter’s Finds Another Way to Win

St. Peter’s defeated Hudson Catholic, 24-20, in a game that was competitive and filled with turnovers.

The Eagles didn’t necessarily dominate, but they found a way to make the critical play late. Baez’s 46-yard punt return touchdown was the difference, and the defense came up with a huge fourth-down stop to seal the victory.

That’s what good teams do. They may not always play their best football, but they find ways to win close games.

D’Acunto and Baez continue to be important pieces, and the defense has shown that it can keep St. Peter’s in games even when the offense isn’t clicking consistently.

Fordham Prep will be their first league test, and that should be a very competitive matchup.

St. Joseph by the Sea Is Rolling Offensively

St. Joseph by the Sea defeated Long Island Lutheran, 35-7, and the offense continues to look extremely dangerous.

Tronolone completed 18 of 24 passes for 348 yards and two passing touchdowns, while also adding a rushing score. Joey Moran contributed 190 total yards and two touchdowns.

Sea has the ability to hurt teams through the air and on the ground, which makes them difficult to prepare for. The offense is clearly ahead of schedule, but the biggest question is whether the defense can hold up when they face stronger competition.

That question gets answered quickly. Iona Prep is coming to town this week, followed by Stepinac. Those two games will tell us whether Sea is a legitimate contender or simply a team that has been taking advantage of favorable matchups.

St. Francis Prep Wins the Battle of the Boulevard

St. Francis Prep defeated Holy Cross, 10-8, in an ugly but important game.

Neither offense was particularly impressive, but St. Francis made just enough plays to win. Backup quarterback Brian Gleason connected with Sal Vakili for the game’s decisive touchdown, while Holy Cross answered with a touchdown from Caleb Rivera and a two-point conversion.

St. Francis has size, strength, and a defense that can keep them in games. The concern is whether the offense can generate enough production against better teams.

They now travel to St. John the Baptist, and that will be a much more difficult challenge. SFP can’t afford to be as inconsistent offensively as it was against Holy Cross.

Holy Cross Continues to Be Difficult to Figure Out

Holy Cross has now shown both sides of the spectrum offensively. One week they score 46 points, and the next they score only 8.

That inconsistency is the biggest issue right now. The offense needs to find some balance and establish something it can rely on week after week. They can’t continue to depend on explosive plays while struggling to sustain drives.

The matchup against Xavier will be a major challenge. Holy Cross will need to play disciplined football, avoid turnovers, and find a way to keep Xavier from controlling the line of scrimmage.

The Bigger Picture

The biggest takeaway from Week 2 is that we’re finally approaching the point where the non-league schedule starts to mean something.

There are still teams with records that don’t tell the whole story because of who they’ve played. There are teams with impressive records that haven’t faced a real test yet. And there are teams with losses that may actually be better than their record suggests.

But the next few weeks will clear a lot of that up.

The long non-league schedule can be frustrating, especially when league games are delayed, but it does give teams time to develop. By the time league play begins, coaches should have a much better understanding of what they have and what still needs work.

Onward to week 3!