Last year, the varsity football Flyers had a less-than-stellar season, finishing with only one victory under their belt. In their fourth game of this year's campaign, they have already tripled last year's win total. Chaminade earned a hard-fought victory on Saturday over St. John the Baptist, 24-12, thanks to a true team effort on both sides of the ball.

The Flyers entered the game at 2-1 on the season, looking to rebound after a disappointing 10-3 loss to Seton Hall Prep last Saturday. As for the Cougars, they aimed to improve their 1-1 record after a 40-15 thrashing of Holy Trinity. In the last matchup between the Flyers and Cougars, it was St. John the Baptist who came out on top, with a 34-7 victory, setting the stage for an exciting rematch. 

The Flyers defense was on point throughout the game, only allowing 158 total yards. "Our defense has been relentless, and that starts with preparation," said Chaminade Assistant Coach Nicholas Auriemma. "The coaching staff has done a great job breaking down film and getting these guys in the right positions, but credit really goes to the players for executing on game day. They communicated well, trusted each other, and played with intensity."

The results have been impressive, as the Flyers have held opponents to just 22 combined points over the past three games. 

On the other side of the ball, Chaminade's offense stepped up when needed, capitalizing on mistakes and reaching paydirt three times. Quarterback Tim Murphy led the way, accounting for 129 of Chaminade's 186 yards and two touchdowns. 

The Flyers' defense picked up where they left off the previous week by forcing a fumble on the opening drive. Peter Braz ripped the ball  away from Cougar receiver Kevin Peters, and Giancarlo Viscardi was able to fall on top of it. However, Chaminade was stopped quickly on offense. The special teams unit attempted to pick up a first down on a fake punt, but Justin Jones was tackled short of the sticks, resulting in a turnover.

The Cougars went three-and-out on their second possession, and punter Brandon Moloney fumbled the fourth-down snap, resulting in a huge loss of yardage and giving Chaminade great field position to start their second drive. This time, Chaminade capitalized on the Cougar mistake, as Murphy scored on a designed quarterback run from three yards out to make it 7-0.

On the Flyers' next drive, Murphy threw an interception on the first play; Jayden Miller stepped in front of the receiver and picked it off for the Cougars. They quickly scored off the turnover, as a big run from Jovan Bonilla got them near the goal line, and quarterback Maxwell Bowers punched it in on a draw for six. A blocked extra point kept the score at 7-6 in favor of Chaminade. 

Another major moment ensued midway through the second quarter. Chaminade caught a lucky break when Michael Dietrich's muffed punt rolled out of bounds, allowing the Flyers to retain possession. The Flyers' offense then made the most of their second life when running back Peter Cwietniewicz ripped off a bruising 36-yard touchdown run, breaking tackles along the way as he tip-toed down the sideline, making the score 14-6.

Back on defense, Chaminade forced a turnover on downs with just under four minutes to go. The offense worked its way down the field, setting up Jones for a 36-yard field goal, which he promptly knocked through the uprights to make the score 17-6 at halftime. 

Things were quiet in the third quarter until the 6:30 mark. After a promising start to the drive, the Cougars made a myriad of critical mistakes. It started with a false start penalty on fourth and two, forcing them to send out the punt unit. Then, the long snap back to the punter Moloney went over his head; he was able to get to it, but it did not matter, as Chaminade was set up at the Cougars' eight-yard line.

They cashed in on the next play, when Murphy found tight end Brady Murray on a play-action pass, making the score 24-6.

The Flyers continued to swarm around on defense, as the Cougars simply could not move the ball. Louis D'Agostino was everywhere on this day, and he had a massive sack of Bowers late in the quarter. 

St. John the Baptist tacked on six late in the fourth quarter; quarterback Maurice Scott, who came in for the struggling Bowers, tossed a touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal from eight yards out. The ensuing two point attempt was no good, keeping the score at 24-12.

With the victory, the Flyers moved to 3-1. St. John the Baptist fell below .500 after the loss, now sporting a 1-2 record.

Up next for the Flyers is a home date with Holy Trinity next Saturday at 1:30. As for the Cougars, they will hit the road to take on powerhouse Iona Prep, also next Saturday at 1:30.