Well, week 8 has come and gone, and I think we have a clear idea of who will be the top seeds in each division will be. Teams that expected to win, won, albeit some tough games were out there. Overall, the top teams of the each division strengthened their grip on their positioning for the playoffs, while teams just behind them are jockeying for position to get a high seed.

There is a lot to get through, and keep in mind that power points are the only things that matters.

Another note is that all games past week 3 are league games. I have gotten a few folks saying their game vs a team in another division does not count, but they do. My NYCHSFL Hub has all the league games bolded. Take a look at it here.

Anyways, onto the results:

• Monsignor Farrell 55-St. Anthony’s 21; 8 possessions, 8 touchdowns for the Lions. Rocco Del Priore’s boys sent a message to the rest of the league yet again as they dominated the Friars in a way that you just don’t see. I am not sure I will ever be accustomed to it. The Farrell offense got off to a quick start scoring a touchdown on their first drive off a 19 yard touchdown run by Jayden Burch. The Friars responded with a touchdown of their own with Anthony Diieso finding George Skenderis over the middle for a 68 yard touchdown to knot the game at 7 just 4 minutes into the game. But the Lions would march right down the field the next drive. Bryce would find Braxton Moye in the back of the endzone to take the lead for good. Bryce Moye would find Joseph Augustin-Martino for a touchdown to go up 21-7. After stopping the Friars again, Moye would find his brother again for his 3rd touchdown pass, and Braxton’s second touchdown of the day to balloon the lead to 28-7. David Leverock would finish off the first half with a rushing touchdown in the redzone put the Lions up 35-7 just before halftime. The Friars would fight back in the second half. Xavier Bala pounded the ball into the endzone early in the 3rd quarter to cut into the lead. After the first of 2 Bryce Moye rushing touchdowns, the Friars would cut the lead to 42-21 after a deep pass from Diieso to Luke Maurino. Moye and Luca Bruno would score 2 more touchdowns on the ground to round the scoring out. Monsignor Farrell sends a message, and makes a statement. The Lions rushed for 303 yards on 37 carries and 5 touchdowns. A win here likely wraps up the #2 seed in the playoffs, but, they still have business to take care of. The Lions stay on Staten Island and play St. Joseph by the Sea. St. Anthony’s, now at 4-2, gear up to play Cardinal Hayes, who is also 4-2.
• Kennedy Catholic 38-St. Dominic’s 14; I could not rewatch this game since Kennedy locks their streams after the game. This was a pivotal ‘AA-II’ matchup for both teams. The Bayhawks traveled their way to Somers to take on the Gaels. The Bayhawks won their 3 league matchups, while Kennedy has had a tougher road this year, and it showed. The Gaels would build a 38-6 lead in this game, and would essentially wrap up the 3 seed in the ‘AA-II’ playoffs. This Kennedy team is peaking and gelling at the right time as they prepare to make a run at the playoffs. The Bayhawks aren’t done yet either, this is a team that has shown it can compete on this level. They face a big test next week as they welcome the Mount to Oyster Bay. Kennedy wraps up their regular season with a home game against Nazareth Regional.
• Iona Prep 42-Chaminade 7; Iona Prep continues their dominance. Chase Reeves and Jaydin Jackson combined on a deadly attack on the ground and through the air to score 6 touchdowns in just over 2 quarters. Chase Reeves carried the ball only 6 times for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns. Jaydin Jackson was 7 of 16 through the air for 168 yards and 3 touchdowns, finding Lamar Lewis for 1 score, and Trey Newton for 2 touchdowns. Chaminade’s lone touchdown came in the 3rd quarter, a passing touchdown from Sean Carnevale to Michael Genovese. Iona Prep continues their season next week on the road, against their Westchester neighbors and rivals– Archbishop Stepinac. Chaminade stays on the road as well, traveling to Rose Hill to take on the Rams.
• Cardinal Hayes 28-Fordham Prep 6; A rumble in the Bronx took place on Friday night as Cardinal Hayes took the trip to Fordham University to take on Fordham Prep. The Cardinals would struggle in the first half, turning the ball over 3 times, 2 fumbles and an interception by Dylan Saladino allowed the Rams to take a 6-0 lead early in the game off a 15 yard touchdown run by Luke McKay. The Cardinals defense would clamp down on the Rams though, and Kenzo Jackson would run the ball into the endzone from 9 yards out for the Hayesmen to take an 8-6 lead. The game would remain 8-6 for much of the next 2 quarters until Kymonni Valentine barreled into the endzonewith 28 seconds left in the 3rd quarter to extend the lead to 14-6. The Ram offense just could not finish drives, or get much of anything going in the 2nd half. Valentine would ice the game with a 3 yard touchdown run with 5:24 left to extend the lead to 20-6. Jackson scored a touchdown on a 25 yard touchdown run to make the score 28-6. A bitter loss, the Rams stay at home with a huge game to end the regular season against Chaminade. Cardinal Hayes go to South Huntington to take on St. Anthony’s.
• Holy Cross 42-Christ the King 0; Holy Cross asserted themselves over the young Royals this week up in the Bronx as they play at Mount St. Michael. Madden Martinez tossed four touchdowns on the day, finding Caleb Rivera, Brandon Glaudin, Joseph Alestra, and Adrian Collado. Royce Thomas and Joseph Alestra both had 65 yard touchdown runs to round out the scoring for Holy Cross. Brandon Glaudin reached the 1,000 yard milestone this game (according to an instagram post) as the Knights have wrapped up the ‘AA-II’ portion of their schedule. Sitting at 4-2 in league play, the Knights have the honor of playing St. John the Baptist next week in a rematch of last year’s thriller. Christ the King is off this next week by virtue of the Holy Trinity football program folding, and they will take the 2 weeks to prepare for the playoffs.
• Kellenberg Memorial 14-Xavier 6; A big test for both Xavier and Kellenberg, and an important game for the Knights to stay in the race to get a top seed, this game was a defensive battle. Kellenberg would drive the ball all first half, and their big and nasty defense would stuff the single wing offense of Xavier for much of the half. But Xavier was feisty, turning the Firebirds away twice on the goal line. It wasnt until late in the 3rd quarter would the 0-0 tie would be broken. Brayden Farrelly found Ryan Kuntz for a touchdown to go up 7-0 with 4:42 in the 3rd quarter. Xavier would not go quietly though, they would muscle their way down the field, and Marcello Vitale would power into the endzone to cut the lead to 7-6 with 4:20 left in the game. But the Firebirds were patient, and as they do, they responded with a knock out punch on their next possession as Quinn Saccheri broke a long touchdown run to put the Firebirds up by 8. With not much time left, the Knights could not mount a last minute drive, and Kellenberg would escape with a tough, physical game that is characteristic of an afternoon playing Xavier. Kellenberg stays at home, and plays St. Francis Prep to finish the regular season. Xavier is on the road again, going out to Staten Island to play St. Peter’s.
• Cardinal Spellman 31-Nazareth 8; The Pilots got a win and defended their home turf. This is another game that was not streamed, but this was an important win for the Pilots as they have been having a tough year. As they make preparations for the playoffs, a win against a Kingsmen team was important. The Pilots likely overwhelmed the youth and inexperience on Nazareth’s team. Cardinal Spellman plays Xaverian next week on the road, a daunting task before the playoffs. Nazareth Regional ends their regular season at Kennedy Catholic, who is looking to improve their position for the playoffs.
• Archbishop Stepinac 41-St. John the Baptist 17; This was another game where the score does not indicate how the game went. Much of the first quarter was a defensive game with the Cougar defense bottling up Pierre for much of the first half. The Stepinac Crusaders scored on a field goal with 2:22 left with a 39 yard field goal by James Lilly to go up 3-0. The Cougars, after driving the ball, but stalling out, would strike next as a pass was intercepted by Finn Hansen at the 39 yard line and brought all the back for a touchdown to go up 7-3 with 10:53 left in the 1st half. The Crusaders would strike back quickly, with Jayden Gonzalez taking the next kickoff back 87 yards for a touchdown to put Stepinac ahead. After forcing a punt by SJB, the Crusaders would kick a 41 yard field goal to put Stepinac up 13-7 with 7:49 left in the 1st half. A long St. John the Baptist march ensued next with Devin Michaels hitting Nicolas Mastriano for a big gain to get them in field goal range. Leonardo Vera would nail a difficult kick from 36 yards out on the far has to cut the lead to 13-10 with 1:59 left in the 1st half. Nicholas Harrison would return the ball past midfield, putting Stepinac in position to score just before the half. It would be Dylan Wrona to Nicholas Harrison a few plays later from 30 yards out to put the Crusaders up 20-10 with 54 seconds left in the half. St. John the Baptist would begin the 2nd half with the ball and would drive the ball into Stepinac territory with a pass from Michaels to Mastriano. The Cougars stalled out inside the 10 yard line and the subsequent block on a field goal would result in Prince Akoko returning the ball back roughly 90 yards back for a touchdown for the Crusaders. This would put them up 27-10 just 2 minutes into the second half. Akoko would get an interception on the next drive to get the ball back for the Crusaders. Just a few plays later Nahum Pierre would provide the knock out punch, running 39 yards for a touchdown to put Stepinac up 34-10, breaking the Archbishop Stepinac single season rushing record on the score. After a Cougar punt, Wrona would throw his second touchdown pass on the day, a 40 yard touchdown to Jayden Gonzalez to round out a 3 touchdown 3rd quarter that put them up 41-10. The Cougars would compete though. Michaels found Mastriano in the back of the endzone with 11:40 left in the game to make the score 41-17. The Cougars have an important game next week against Holy Cross, a team that beat them in the final moments last season. Archbishop Stepinac stays at home and plays Iona Prep in a clash of the ‘AAA’ rivals.
• St. Joseph by the Sea 28-St. Peter’s 27; In what must have been an instant classic, one that I could not see any of do to no streaming at St. Joseph by the Sea, the Vikings were able to come back late and hold on against their archrival. The Eagles came out swinging, Anthony D’Acunto and the Eagles powered their way to a 21-0 lead, led by D’Acunto’s tough running in the red zone, leading to 2 touchdown runs on the ground and a touchdown pass to Aaron Vazquez, shocking the Vikings. Still though, Sea’s offense came to life toward the end of the half, with Joey Moran powering his way into the endzone to get on the board and cut the lead to 21-7. The Vikings continued their offensive stream, with Pete Tronolone throwing for 3 second half touchdowns to tie, and take the lead late. Anthony D’Acunto would find Aaron Vazquez to cut it to 28-27 as the game dwindled, but the Viking defense stuff the 2 point attempt for the win, and the Vikings escaped this rivalry game with a win. St. Joseph by the Sea stays at home this week again, and welcomes Monsignor Farrell to town. St. Peter’s also stays on the island as they prepare for a key game against Xavier.
• Xaverian 29-St. Francis Prep 21; I could not stream this one either. The link posted on YouTube for it never got turned on, so I don’t have any information. I know that Xaverian got out to a quick 21-0 in the first half. The Terriers would score just before halftime to make it 21-7. St. Francis Prep would cut the lead to 6 in the second half as they scored a touchdown and 2 point conversion to make the score 21-15. Xaverian would go up 29-15 late in the game to seal it, and a late SFP touchdown would have the score end up 29-21. Another close game for the Terriers where they seem to play much better in the second half. St. Francis Prep goes on the road next week and plays Kellenberg Memorial. Xaverian welcomes Cardinal Spellman next week to finish out the regular season.

Standings are below. As of the publishing of this post, power points have not been calculated, as they have been in year’s past. See the standings below:

Here are next week’s matchups:

• Kennedy Catholic vs Nazareth Regional
• Fordham Prep vs Chaminade
• St. Anthony’s vs Cardinal Hayes
• St. Dominic vs Mount St. Michael
• Xaverian vs Cardinal Spellman
• Holy Cross vs St. John the Baptist
• Kellenberg vs St. Francis Prep
• Archbishop Stepinac vs Iona Prep
• St. Peter’s vs Xavier
• St. Joseph by the Sea vs Monsignor Farrell

My Take on Week 8:

All three divisions seem to have locked up their top seeds.

• Iona Prep and Monsignor Farrell sit atop the ‘AAA’
• St. Joseph by the Sea and Kellenberg sit atop the ‘AA-I’
• Mount St. Michael and Holy Cross sit atop the ‘AA-II’

The real intrigue seems to be who below these teams in the standings can make a push for better playoff positioning.

• For the ‘AAA’
  • St. Anthony’s vs Cardinal Hayes is an enormous game. Both teams enter the final week of the season at 4-2. The winner of this game likely earns a 3 seed in the playoffs.
  • Iona Prep and Archbishop Stepinac battle as well. As we know with rivalry games, anything can happen. Stepinac can make a play for a home playoff game with a win here.
  • Monsignor Farrell plays St. Joseph by the Sea. Another Staten Island rivalry.
  • Chaminade plays Fordham Prep this Friday in the Bronx. The Flyers would love a win to build momentum into the playoffs, but they are likely locked in at the 6 seed.
• For the ‘AA-I’
  • Sea would like to continue their storybook season with a win against Monsignor Farrell, their other Staten Island rival.
  • Kellenberg must take care of business this weekend against St. Francis Prep to retain their 2 seed.
  • Xaverian, by virtue of their #8 preseason ranking (last in the ‘AA-I’), likely has locked up at least a 3 or 4 seed if they take care of business this weekend. The Clippers need to tighten up this weekend, the wear and tear of playing bigger, and stronger foes on average have begun to show itself.
  • Fordham Prep will be battling for a top seed. By virtue of their high preseason rank, a 4-3 record may earn the Rams a 3 seed. A loss, and it is likely very dicey– At 3-4, they could be anywhere from 4 to 6.
  • Xavier is reeling now. Having dropped 3 in a row to very good opponents, the Knights would love to go into the playoffs on a win. They would be 3-4 with a win and if Fordham Prep loses, there is a possibility they overtake them in the standings.
  • St. John the Baptist too. They hung tough against a good Stepinac team. Madden Martinez and Holy Cross will make things difficult, but the Cougars would love to be in the ‘AA-I’ off being 3-4. They likely are out of the running for a playoff game at home though.
  • St. Peter’s would likely solidify a 7 seed and a date with Kellenberg likely if they win. They would love to get revenge against Xavier. The Eagles do not seem to be intimidated by anyone, and if they play like they did last week, this is a team no one will want to face in the playoffs.
  • St. Francis Prep has shown themselves to play tough late in the game. This is not a team to be overlooked.
• In the ‘AA-II’
  • Mount St. Michael and Holy Cross have locked up their positions. Mount is 5-0 in league, and will want to keep their win streak alive. Holy Cross is 4-2 and would love a huge win against SJB to keep things going.
  • A battle for the 3 seed should sort itself out. It is simple, St. Dominic’s must beat Mount St. Michael to lock up the 3 seed. If they lose, they likely are the 4 seed.
  • Kennedy Catholic did a lot of favors for themselves by beating St. Dominic’s this last Friday. They now sit at 3-3 in league, and a win likely gets them that 3 seed. If they lose to Nazareth, Kennedy is likely the 4 seed.
  • Christ the King is 2-4 and done with their league schedule. Their positioning depends on how everyone else does, but they will likely be in the 5 spot.
  • Nazareth and Cardinal Spellman end the year with tough games on the road. Both programs have had a tough road this season.

I think this will be my last power rankings of the year, since the playoffs start after this last week. The second season begins and there is less to be debated and more to focus on the various programs’ championship runs.

Anyways see below:

My reasoning:

• St. Joseph by the Sea won, but I feel that Cardinal Hayes’ win was more impressive and should be weighed more.
• Xaverian took care of business and moves up, but mostly because both Fordham Prep and Xavier lost.
• The rest of the rankings remain unchanged for the most part.

What do you think? Let me know!

See records below:

Pete’s Prognostication 2026: 82-16

Coach X and O’s Picks 2026: 69-20

Coach Redzone Rick’s Picks 2026: 8-3

The Community: 80-18