By Joseph Staszewski
St. Francis Prep has made a habit of playing close games during the program’s resurgence in the last two seasons. It is also making a habit of winning them.
The Terriers heart-pounding 28-27 football comeback victory over Xavier at SUNY Maritime in CHSFL play Saturday was no different. St. Francis Prep, which won last year’s meeting in overtime, twice rallied from two scores down. It took its first lead with less than 2:00 to play and the entire sideline got to hold its breath as Xavier’s potential game-winning, 36-yard field goal attempt got caught up in the wind and curved right on the game’s final play.
“The whole time I felt like I was watching in slow motion,” SFP running back Justin Guerre said of the kick. “When I seen it was short right, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, yes, yes.’ I jumped up.”
It took plenty of big plays when things didn’t look good to get to that point.
St. Francis Prep (5-1, 5-0) was stopped well short of a first down on a fake punt from its own 34-yard line in the third quarter. Two plays later Xavier star William “Trey” Solomon scored his third touchdown of the game — one passing — with a 6-yard run. It put the Knights up 27–14 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Solomon had 278 yards of total offense and an interception on defense.
The Terriers quickly answered when quarterback William Gluck connected with Tariq Oliver for a 16-yard touchdown pass to help make it 27-21 with 7:30 left in the game. Xavier (2-4, 1-4), the defending Class AA champions, appeared it might run out the clock when a 20-yard pass play and an offside penalty kept a 12-play drive alive. SFP was able to get the ball back at their 48-yard line after a poor Knights punt for one last chance with 2:43 left to play.
“They are never surrender kind of kids,” Terriers assistant Coach Richie Carroll said.
A 20-yard, third down pass from a scrambling Gluck to Michael Hartgrove, who had four catches for 63 yards, down to the Xavier 27 kept the drive alive. Guerre (12 carries, 93 yards) did the rest rushing for 19 yards and then an 8-yard touchdown. Francis Cole’s extra point gave the Terriers a 28-27 lead with 1:44 remaining.
“We keep fighting and never give up,” Guerre said.
They could have easily done that in the first half.
Xavier led 15-0 after the first quarter, but SFP got the spark it needed. William Kobel recovered a punt after it hit a Xavier defender for a touchdown in the end zone. An Olivier 2-yard touchdown run eventually got the Terriers within a point at the half.
“That brought our momentum back,” Gluck said of the fumble recovery. “It brought us back into the game. Without that, this whole game is nothing.”
The Knights were able to limit Guerre, the usual catalyst, by often having Solomon stick with him on defense. Others stepped up around him as Gluck, Olivier, Hartgrove and felling running back Anthony Vieto made plays. Gluck was 5 of 9 for 81 yards passing.
“The support guys today, we are no longer the support guys,” Carroll said. “Justin became a support guy.”
Collectively they willed an incredible win.
“This team is so close,” Olivier said. “It’s just a special team.”
