These young Friars are cooking up the St. Anthony’s offense.
The Friars boast five starting sophomores on varsity this season (including quarterback) as the athletic powerhouse looks to return to the Catholic League title game and this time finish the job.
“I just want to celebrate with this team and lead them to a championship. That’s all I care about, that’s the goal,” 15-year-old QB Anthony Diieso told The Post, adding that he’s put “hours and hours” of work into proving he belongs with upperclassmen on a team ranked second best in NY on MaxPreps.
“It’s a lot different than freshman, JV … I’m still adjusting to the speed, but I’m working on that every day,” added the 10th grader, who was called up to junior varsity midway through last year.
Admittedly, it’s been an aggressive learning curve for the group, which has faced some of the nation’s toughest teams in out-of-conference play, beating University Prep of Rochester, but losing to Maryland’s McDonogh School and New Jersey powerhouse, Don Bosco.
Although the group faltered 28-0 against Bosco, it became what they hope to be a pivotal moment moving forward to Catholic League play, which the Friars will open at home against Kellenberg on Friday night.
“It taught me you’ve got to be physical,” said the young QB, who has had an extreme trial by fire. “But it taught us a lot to get ready for what’s coming next.”
Rookies in the trenches
A pair of underclassmen peers — right tackle Justin Joseph, 14, and guard Brody Hofmann, 15 — will be Diieso’s lifeline of protection.
“I need him to trust me that I can block for him,” said Hofmann, who added, “I know that means to keep working harder and harder.”
It’s also been a whirlwind of changes for Joseph, as he recently transferred from Syosset. He’s fitting right in to the high standards at St. Anthony’s — where uniformed students get detention for having their top buttons undone — while keeping a one-track mind.
“Right now, I’m trying to improve on the field, and that’s the first thing,” said Joseph, who, more than anything, wants to take home a Catholic title for the next three seasons.
“That’s the standard we live by at St. Anthony’s,” he boasted.
The two young brick walls are also being shown the ropes by senior lineman Bryce Ciancuielli, who said, “They make it easy.”
“They’re hard-working kids … it’s amazing and they’re making such an impact on the line already, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
And, Diiesso has the utmost confidence in Joseph and Hofmann.
“I know they’re going to block until forever for me,” he said.
Fast Friars
Running back Christian Bordeaux and wideout Rory McDermott, both 15, are also well aware they are expected to put up points this season.
“There is a pivotal role with us to make sure we get the ball in the end zone,” said McDermott, who has been friends with Bordeaux, Diiesso, and Hofmann since they all bonded at a Friar football camp while middle schoolers.
Since then, seeing how the high schoolers got down to business, Bordeaux quickly learned what it took to succeed.
“This summer and last summer were the hardest I’ve ever had to work in my life,” he said, adding that head coach Joe Minucci pushes the young guys in practice, especially at the end while running “gassers.”
Like with the linemen, older players are embracing the “big brother role” with him and McDermott as well, said Bordeaux, who deeply embraces his own Christian faith.
“Every time we made a mistake, they wouldn’t really get on us or get mad,” Bordeaux said. “They would actually push us to do better.”
Senior receiver Johnny Russo is especially sympathetic as he, too, was called up to varsity as a sophomore.
“It’s definitely a challenge, and you want to make them feel like they’re at home,” he said, adding that finding the confidence not to be afraid of making mistakes is the toughest part of playing with the older bunch.
“Week after week, we see them improving. They’ll be very helpful in the playoffs.”
And, the five realize they will inevitably be the future of the program and its winning culture.
“As a group, we feel that expectation to grow into,” said Diiesso. “We’re all pushing each other.”
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