Game of the Week !

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Iona Prep vs. Archbishop Stepinac</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Gaels' road back to the AAA Championship only gets tougher as they face a 5-0 Stepinac team who is hungry for the title. Stepinac is balanced on all sides of the ball the one of the best offensive lines in the state led by 6'1 300 pound [player_tooltip player_id='440721' first='Ryan' last='Diaz'] protecting the right side of lefty, [player_tooltip player_id='277898' first='Will' last='Currid']. Will holds the #2 spot on the stat board in comp percentage and passing yards just behind Torres. But some would argue his game speaks louder than the stat sheet.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Early this year I highlighted Stepinac's primary weapon [player_tooltip player_id='237044' first='Gjok' last='Dedvukaj'] to keep an eye on for this season. Just 5 games in, Gjok has 618 receiving yards and 5 scores, already shattering his junior season numbers. This year he is bigger, stronger, and faster and rising to the top of the spotlight amongst New York's best receivers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stepinac's defense led by senior linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='237045' first='JT' last='Krivinskas'] who is averaging more tackles per game than his previous year with 12 per game (60 TOT) will have their biggest test against Iona's dual threat QB. I have already mentioned [player_tooltip player_id='437244' first='Wayne' last='Coleman'] in <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2022/04/defensive-lineman-to-know-this-fall/">Defensive lineman to know this Fall</a> and he is producing at a high rate this season with 34 tackles, 8 TFL and 5 sacks through 5 games. These two athletes and their units will have to play their best games yet to stop Iona's dual-threat [player_tooltip player_id='233599' first='Ajani' last='Sheppard'] protected by the state's top offensive linemen, Georgetown commit, [player_tooltip player_id='235891' first='Jorge' last='Ruiz'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps one of the biggest keys to this weekends matchup lies with Iona Prep's [player_tooltip player_id='233641' first='Jaden' last='Codrington'], a rising star at the cornerback position. He is 5'11 170 pounds who has the speed, footwork and ball skills to make plays on even the best of receivers. After intercepting a pass from [player_tooltip player_id='241877' first='Dante' last='Torres'] in their recent loss, this may very well be a breakout game for the Gaels 2024 class defensive back. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a pivotal point of the season in which teams rise and fall, learn and grow closer together, and endure physical and mental hardships to play for the success of their programs. This will be the top battle to watch this weekend with so much on the line early on. Will the Gaels climb their way back to the top of the mountain? Or will Stepinac remain undefeated and continue their quest for this years championship?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->