On Saturday, the freshman Flyers battled against the Iona Prep Gaels in a match that ended in glory for the Gaels, who topped Chaminade, 30-14.
The Flyers knew they would need to play hard, as they were facing an undefeated team. Chaminade played well despite losing a few players to injuries, and the enthusiastic crowd of Gold Star Stadium cheered on the team - but it was not enough to lead them to a win.
After receiving the opening kickoff, Chaminade's opening drive ended in an interception on a pass intended for Lucas Dillon. The Flyers defense, a unit which has been very good over the course of the season, struggled against Iona Prep's ground game, with running back Roman Capobianco and dual-threat quarterback Jack McCarthy punishing the Flyers. By the drive's end, it was 8-0 Gaels.
After stalling out on offense, the Flyers had a big play of their own on the next defensive series, as Quinn Fernandez proved he can do more than just kick. Fernandez recovered an Iona fumble off a failed screen pass, returning the ball to the Gaels' 12-yard line. A few plays later, the Flyers offense was able to punch it in from the one-yard line on fourth-and-goal - a quarterback run by Christian Bekiers - which made it an 8-7 contest after Fernandez's extra point.
The Gaels continued their offensive barrage, but strong stops from Flyers defenseman Michael Cerone, Jr. and Enzo Stergion clogged the run. The Gaels then switched up their gameplan, with McCarthy throwing a perfectly placed deep ball into the hands of his wide receiver for a touchdown - making the score 14-7. Shortly thereafter, Iona scored off a turnover to make the game 22-7 at halftime.
The Flyers needed something to turn the contest around, a search made more difficult when Chaminade was pinned on their own one-yard line. However, running back Michael Gowen saw a hole in the line, and, with amazing blocks by tight end Luca Breglio and offensive tackle Ryan Falvey, he ran, he ran, and he ran some more.
No one could catch him, as he went for 99 yards for a Flyers touchdown, cutting the deficit to 22-14.
The game remained tight until the end of the third quarter, when the Gaels ran the ball in for another touchdown, giving them a 16-point cushion.
The Flyers tried all they could in the fourth quarter, but an effective Iona run game drained the clock. When the final whistle blew, the Flyers had fallen to the Gaels by a score of 30-14.
"I thought we played hard and well," said head coach Kyle Carroll after the game. "It was a good team effort today. It's not a W, it's not what I want, it's not what the coaches want - but it's a step in the right direction."
Over the course of the coming week, Carroll noted that the team would look to work on fundamentals, such as "blocking, moving the football, and scoring."
The Flyers hope to end their season on a high note, as well as move to 5-3, against the Knights of Xavier on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. on Ott Field. Meanwhile, the Gaels hope to finish their season with an undefeated 8-0 record by defeating Cardinal Hayes this weekend.
