ESPN

Justin Combs is officially Hollywood bound.

The Iona Prep cornerback signed and faxed his National Letter of Intent to UCLA on Wednesday at a ceremony at the school. Friends and family, including his father, rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, were in attendance as Combs finalized his decision.

"It was like a dream come true, I can't even believe it, I am really signed to a major school that is going in the right direction," Combs said. "I'm really a Bruin."

Combs committed to the school just days after it had fired its previous coach, Rick Neuheisel. The school eventually hired Jim Mora, who Combs said was his favorite coach from his days coaching Michael Vick with the Falcons. He called it surreal to talk with him face-to-face.

"He's been recruiting very hard and our recruiting class is very good," said Combs, the No. 7 recruit in New York according to ESPNU.

Combs is one of two major gets from the Tri-State Area for UCLA, as the school will also get New Jersey's top recruit, quarterback Devin Fuller from Old Tappan. Combs said that the two are friends and he talked to him right after he committed, welcoming him to the UCLA family and saying "let's take this thing all the way."

"It's exciting," Combs said. "It's real. Everything else is just verbal, nothing is real until you sign that paper and you put your name on the X. I'm ready and I'm excited."

THE LINCOLN SIX: The reigning PSAL champions had six players sign and fax their letters, the most in the history of the program, according to head coach Shawn O' Connor.

Linebacker/receiver Tarik Pusey (Rhode Island), lineman Robert Kitching (UMass), running back Kareem Fokes (CW Post), running back Denzel Duchenne (Virginia Union), lineman Keyon Barnwell (CW Post) and lineman Armani Gordon (Southern Connecticut) made up the historic group.

"It was exciting to see all of my teammates signing and our teammates were there supporting us," Pusey said. "It was the result of hard work in the ofsseason that all of us put in and we bought into the Lincoln system and we did what our coaches said."

THE ARMY'S KING: Flushing running back Andrew King signed and faxed his letter to Army as his school celebrated with a small ceremony with former players, family, teachers, the school's principal and his coaches in attendance.

"It was one of my greatest life experiences. I got through it and got over it and now I can train my body and mind on what college has prepared for me," King said. "It was a relief because I have it over with and don’t have to stress anymore if I'm going to college or how I'm going to have to pay for it, and all of that."

CORNELIUS TO SYRACUSE: Tottenville wide receiver Alvin Cornelius III did not know that Wayne Morgan was headed to Syracuse when he signed and faxed his letter to the Orange this morning. Later on, he found out the good news that he would joined at Syracuse by Erasmus Hall's star cornerback.

"He's another kid from New York City and me and him have talked and know each other well and are going to go out there and handle business," Cornelius said.

STEPINAC TRIO: Stepinac had three of its players sign and fax their letters on Wednesday as tight end Austin Taps signed with UPenn, kicker Prezemyslaw Popek signed with Stony brook and offensive lineman Jesse Gwin signed on with CW Post. Fullback Caleb Gilligan-Evans, who is committed to Yale, did not sign on Wednesday.

"It was a great feeling great to wrap it up and finish up the process, I know my coaches and my family are proud. I wouldn't be in the position I am without them," Taps said. "It was cool signing with my teammates. I'm real proud of those guys and they worked hard and it was great to see them signing with schools."

POLY PREP HAS THREE: Poly Prep had three players sign on Wednesday. Wide receiver Malik Rodriguez signed with Ohio, quarterback Kevin Gebon is headed to Bryant and cornerback Dylin Lewis signed with CW Post.

"It was somewhat saddening because it's the finalization of my high school career and the dudes I was signing with are my friends and it was like leaving my colleagues behind since they're no longer my teammates," Gebon said. "They're not going to be teammates anymore but we'll still be in contact."

MOUNT'S ACQUAH TO HC: Mount St. Michael fullback Kenny Acquah signed and faxed his letter to Holy Cross. His older brother, Gary Acquah, is a sophomore for the Crusaders and Kenny said he is going to be a middle linebacker there.

"It was definitely very exciting to be signing with a Division I college," Acquah said. "I always wanted to do that since I was a little kid and to put the pen to paper was extremely exciting."

LIDDY TO THE HOYAS: Kellenberg offensive lineman Kevin Liddy signed and faxed his letter to Georgetown on Wednesday.

"It's a great school and it's a good football school," Liddy said. "I'm very excited to go down there. I've been there a couple of times and it's a great place to go."

ADEGUNLE TO NEW HAVEN: Beach Channel/Channel View wide receiver Henry Adegunle almost didn't get to sign because of a clerical error, but the paperwork came in time and he signed and faxed his letter to New Haven.

"It's excitement and relief," Adegunle said. "At first I thought I wasn't going to get signed and then when I went there I was interested in them."

BINCKES TO CW POST: Xaverian tight end Sean Binckes signed and faxed his letter to CW Post on Wednesday.

"It was awesome. it was a great day to commit to a school and know where I am going," Binckes said. "It was a pretty long process. There were so many people to talk to. At the end you get the offers. It was a long process but it taught me a lot. ... I'm pumped, I can't wait to go there and play, I've been out of it for too long."

IVY BOUND: St. Anthony's offensive lineman Pat McHugh and defensive lineman JD Hurt are both headed to the Ivy League as McHugh signed with Yale and Hurt signed with Columbia.

PAIR OF TIGERS: Fort Hamilton had a pair of recruits sign as defensive end Toba Akinleye signed with Columbia and lineman Mensur Ibric is headed to Sacred Heart.

When Iona Prep senior Justin Combs was selected to the Semper Fidelis All-American team, he said it was like a dream come true. Tuesday night in Arizona, he got to live that dream.

“Everything was great,” said an excited Combs. “It was very intense, there was a lot of talent. It was a fun time competing against the best of the best. The entire thing was sort of surreal.”

Comb’s West team eventually lost to Erasmus Hall star Wayne Morgan’s East team 17-14 in the inaugural edition of the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix Tuesday night.

Both players played their natural positions, cornerback, and played every third play of each drive, as did most players who competed in the game. Neither scored or recorded an interception, but both were happy with the way they played.

“I didn't play a lot, but I got a couple of reps,” Morgan said. “The atmosphere was so exciting it was easy to play with intensity. I played good, I broke up a big passing play on third down in the first quarter.”

“No balls were caught against me at all. I grinded. I'm proud of that,” Combs added.

The two players have never had a chance to meet each other until now despite playing just 33 miles apart from each other for their entire high school careers. But they got a chance to strike up a relationship thanks to their New York connection.

“We finally got to meet,” Combs said. “We've been in the same state for a long time. He's always been ranked No. 1 and I was No. 2 so I always wanted to meet him. He was really cool, someone who I would want to keep in touch with.”

The East jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass in the first quarter. In the second quarter the West came back as it went up 14-7, but the East tied it back up by half time. The second half was a tight defensive half that was only separated by a field goal.

“We tied it up in the first half,” Morgan said. “Then in the second half our defense did a real good job and we got a field goal to win it. It was exciting to play a role in our defense winning the game.”

Combs, the son of rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, is headed to UCLA in the fall while Morgan is still deciding between Syracuse and UConn.

Two of New York City's biggest football stars from this season in Iona Prep cornerback Justin Combs and Erasmus Hall cornerback/quarterback Wayne Morgan will represent the Big Apple Tuesday at the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Phoenix, Ariz. The game is scheduled for a 4 p.m. kickoff.

Combs, the son of rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, will play for the East team. Combs has verbally committed to UCLA. This past season, he completed 46-of-74 passes for 614 yards with four touchdowns, rushed for 196 yards and one touchdown and had one interception on the season, according to stats available on maxpreps.com. He helped his team to a 7-5 record and a spot in the CHSFL Class AAA semifinals.

Morgan was named on ESPNNewYork.com's PSAL players of the year and will represent the West team. The do-it-all senior helped his team to the PSAL title game where it ultimately lost to Lincoln. He completed 38-of-67 passes for 664 yards and five touchdowns, rushed for 500 yards and five touchdowns, and had one interception, two fumble recoveries, one sack and two defensive touchdowns on defense according to stats on the PSAL website. He is choosing between Syracuse and UConn.

The Bowl game consists of 100 players chosen from all around the country. It will be played at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Justin Combs doesn't know who will be coaching him next season at UCLA.

Yet, that didn't prevent the Iona Prep senior cornerback from verbally committing to the Bruins on Tuesday, making good on a private commitment he had made more than a month ago.

"I was committed before and I just thought I'm still going to go with them because I have faith in the program," Combs said. "I have faith that everything is going to work out."

Combs, the son of rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, chose the Bruins over Virginia, Iowa and Illinois despite UCLA firing head football coach Rick Neuheisel on Monday. Combs is a three-star recruit and the No. 8 prospect in New York for the Class of 2012, according to ESPNU. He will play in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in January.

"It was like love at first sight when I visited there," Combs said. "I loved the whole tradition of UCLA and the school and the academics and just everything about it."

Not wanting to announce his commitment to the Bruins during the middle of his team's season, Combs kept his commitment private except to the members of the Bruins' coaching staff and some family members. He added that he also wanted to make the decision with his family.

On Monday, the school canned Neuheisel, who was in his fourth year at the school, and named offensive coordinator Mike Johnson the interim coach if the Bruins reach a bowl game. Combs called it "shocking," but reiterated that he has faith in the program. He finally let the news out on Tuesday, wanting it to be a surprise. Combs plans to study business and finance.

"It was kind of a relief and excitement at the same time," Combs said. "Now I can just relax and be excited and celebrate. I have to work 10 times harder for the next level. It's just an accomplishment and I have to keep on building. It's a big time in my life."

Combs said his father's advice was to go wherever he felt was the right place for him to go. He added that he has family in California.

"As a parent, today is one of the proudest moments of my life," Sean Combs said in a statement released by DKC Public Relations. "This is everything a father could want for his son, for him to excel at what he loves to do and is truly passionate about. Justin is a shining example of what hard work, determination and a strong mentality can achieve. I am honored to call him my son and am happy that he is fulfilling his dream."

The 5-9, 175-pound senior will be playing cornerback for UCLA, his primary position at Iona Prep. He had one interception for the Gaels this year but also played quarterback at times. He completed 46 of 74 passes on the year for 614 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, according to Maxpreps.com. Iona Prep went 6-4 this year.

He said that playing quarterback has helped him as a defensive back because he has learned tendencies and signals that quarterbacks use. He is able to think about what he would do in the situation and how he would attack a defense or which side of the field he would throw to.

Combs hopes to let his play do all the talking for him at UCLA -- no matter who the coach is.

"I'm going to let me actions speak for themselves," Combs said about what type of play he will bring to UCLA. "I'm just a hard worker who is dedicated."

Click here for a photo gallery of Justin Combs and the Iona Prep Gaels when they played Xaverian early in the season.

This was supposed to be the year that St. Anthony’s fell. The Friars once again entered the playoffs undefeated this season, but with so many of their victories being close games it seemed like they were finally ready to fall.

It turns out they just like winning close games.

“It's much better than blowing any teams out,” St. Anthony’s quarterback Greg Galligan of his preference to play in close games. “I love it, it's the greatest feeling ever.”

The St. Anthony’s Friars (9-0) beat the Iona Prep Gaels (6-4) in the semifinals of the Catholic High School Football League “AAA” division finals in yet another close game, 14-10, at home Saturday night.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Neither sides generated much offense in the first half of the game. It wasn’t until the second half when Friar’s quarterback Galligan settled down that anyone started getting any offense at all.

“He tried to do too much in the beginning,” St. Anthony's coach Rich Reichert said of Galligan. “It's his third start, I think you have to be patient, but it's hard to be patient in playoff football.”

Iona Prep actually struck first, picking up a field goal early in the second half, but with Galligan looking looser and more self assured it didn’t take long for St. Anthony’s to answer back. Galligan threw a 32-yard pass to running back Maston Ellerbe to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Ellerbe that put the Friars up 7-3.

About midway through the fourth quarter Anthony Anderson added a touchdown that made it 14-3, but the Gaels wouldn’t go down quietly. They quickly scored their first touchdown about a minute later on a three-yard run from Shaquille Townsend that made it 14-10. Unfortunately for the Gaels, that was the last of their offense.

TURNING POINT: Iona Prep certainly had an opportunity to add more points. After the Gaels scored their first touchdown they got St. Anthony’s to go three-and-out. With just about two minutes to go in the game, Justin Combs finally had the offense moving and it looked like they would have a good chance to take the lead.

The Gaels had the ball, momentum, and a first down at the St. Anthony’s 40-yard-line. However a screen pass from Combs to Austin Jones lead to a fumble that was recovered by Pat McHugh at 33-yard-line and the Gael’s offense was stalled.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: The Friars offense really wasn’t impressive Saturday night, but luckily they have a very strong defense to back them up. It wasn’t even one single player that stood out either, it was an entire team effort.

McHugh’s fumble recovery was the single biggest play of the game, but sacks by Bryan Rhodes and Harry Passante were also impressive.

“They were unbelievable,” Galligan said of his defense. “Every week they come up with big plays. They really are unbelievable. They are the best defense in the league, the best in the state.”

BIAGGI HOBBLED: Iona Prep’s Mario Biaggi sprained his ankle last week against Chaminade. He didn’t start this game, but he came in briefly in the second quarter. That didn’t last long though as he clearly was having trouble getting around and came out after just one drive.

STAR WATER BOY: The Gaels had a rather famous water boy. Combs’ father, rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs served as the teams water boy during the game. He was often giving his son encouragement and did a very good job helping out the team during breaks. After the game he even lined up with the team to shake the hands of the St. Anthony’s players.

“I didn’t even know he was at the game,” McHugh said. “I only found out when he shook my hand after the game. I didn’t expect that, I think I did a triple-take.”

UP NEXT: The Gael’s season is over, but St. Anthony’s heads to the finals next week to take on the surprising Stepinac Crusaders.

Forget flying under the radar. Early on this season, Iona Prep junior running back Shaquille Townsend was struggling to be recognized as a blip on the team’s radar. Fumbling issues, a lack of production and a hard time taking in Iona’s complex offense contributed to the problems.

“It wasn’t really like he was flying under the radar, he was below the radar,” Iona Prep coach Vic Quirolo said with a smile.

What a difference a few weeks made. Flash forward to Sunday and there’s Townsend rushing for 242 yards to help his team to a 24-20 in the CHSFL playoffs. Suddenly, Townsend has gone from below the radar to a stalwart in Iona’s offense.

As Iona Prep heads into Saturday’s CHSFL semifinal matchup and ESPNNewYork.com's Game of the Week against top-seeded and undefeated St. Anthony’s at 8 p.m., it will be critical for Townsend to keep us his high level of play.

Townsend has rushed for 454 yards over his team’s last three games, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, and he will have to keep up his hot play against St. Anthony's as quarterback Mario Biaggi III is suffering from a right ankle sprain.

“It’s been great knowing my team is behind me,” Townsend said. “The offensive line has been stepping up and we’re working hard in practice to keep doing what we have to do be doing to keep winning.”

Quirolo acknowledges that Iona Prep’s up-tempo spread offense can be tough to pick up at first for running backs. The responsibilities change from play to play, from where the back is supposed to line up to the different terminology. Players have to be instinctual on the field, instead of thinking about every little detail of the offense.

Townsend admits that learning the team’s playbook was hard, ranging from learning different pass protections and where to correctly line up on different plays. It took time, including the use of review sheets and practicing at home, as well as some calls to last seasons’ starting back Sidney Weston, but eventually Townsend settled into the offense.

“After a while I started doing it over and over and it started becoming second nature,” Townsend said.

It all seemed to come together starting on Oct. 22 against Stepinac. Townsend had one of his strongest games of the season, rushing for 132 yards in a road win. He followed that up with an 80-yard performance against St. Anthony’s before leading into last week’s heroics.

With Biaggi knocked out of game with a sprained right ankle, the Gaels turned to Townsend, who had an illness on that day. They kept handing him the ball, one handoff after another. He ultimately carried the ball a season-high 29 times and responded with the best game of his career as he tallied 242 times and hauled in a touchdown pass to help his team escape with a win.

“It’s great. I’ve played with him my whole life and it’s great to see him peak and play to his potential,” teammate Justin Combs said of Townsend’s emergence. “Sunday he was sick so he really couldn’t play to his full potential and that show how dynamic he is that he can do that when he’s sick. Imagine what he can do when he’s not sick and he’s healthy?”

As the four seed in the playoffs, Iona Prep faces an uphill challenge against St. Anthony’s Sunday and it will need Townsend to perform like he has the past few weeks. Quirolo went as far to say that Townsend is going to need his “A-game” for the team to be successful. The junior is ready.

“I think this is probably the biggest game of the year for me,” Townsend said. “Just trying to get to the championship and knocking them out.”

Iona Prep’s Shaquille Townsend said he didn’t feel well when he woke up this morning, but he knew he had a big game today so he pulled himself together, ate a light breakfast and headed to the field. By the second half of them game he was taking regular breaks on the sidelines and was even seen throwing up a couple of times.

However, when he was on the field, it was impossible to tell he was anything but 100 percent as he rushed for 243 yards and a touchdown, leading No. 4 Iona Prep to a 24-20 victory over No. 5 Chaminade to advance to the semifinals of the Catholic High School Football League AAA playoffs.

“The whole game my stomach was hurting, but I couldn't let my team down,” said Townsend. “I had to stay in, keep fighting and keep playing. The first half I was ok, but after I started going a lot it started coming up and I had to throw up on the sidelines.”

WHAT IT MEANS: The Iona Prep Gaels (7-3) got their sweet revenge over the Chaminade Flyers (5-4), a team that beat them 24-21 with a last second field goal during the regular season. Next week, they now face St. Anthony's, another team that beat them earlier this season.

“It's the revenge tour,” said Iona Prep’s Justin Combs. “We are coming for anybody in our way. We've worked too hard to achieve our goals. We are bringing it.”

HOW IT HAPPENED: It was a close game through most of the first half, but about midway through the second half the Gael’s offense started to pick up.

Townsend rushed for 102 yards in the first half, accounting for most of the ball movement. He set up a 15-yard touchdown pass from Combs that put them up 7-0. After Chaminade fumbled the ball on the ensuing kick-off, the Gaels made it 10-0 on a 24-yard field goal.

The Flyers added an 83-yard touchdown from Joseph Anile to Thomas Zenker fora last-second touchdown to end the first half, but Combs and Townsend were back at it in the second half. On their first possession Combs ran for a four-yard touchdown that put them up 17-7.

Chaminade’s Matt Graham then had an impressive drive, capped off by a 53-yard touchdown run to keep his team in the game at 17-14. However, once again it was the Combs/Townsend combo going to work as Combs finished a drive with a three-yard run to go up 24-14.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: It was a close back and forth defensive game early on, but in the middle of the second quarter Iona Prep's quarterback Mario Biaggi went down with a right ankle sprain and the Gaels managed to turn that into a positive.

“Me and Shaq can be dangerous when we are back there,” Combs explained. “It gives us an option where I can run the ball or he can run the ball. It makes it hard for teams to know what we are going to do and we took advantage of that.”

Combs took over the ball at the 15-yard line of a scoreless game. His first snap was a 15-yard touchdown pass to Townsend that made it 7-0.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: With Biaggi out of the game somebody needed to step up and that person was Townsend. He carried the ball 28 times for 243 yards. His 103 first-half yards were impressive, but not as impressive as his 140 second-half yards while he was getting sick on the sidelines. He only had one touchdown, but he was key in setting up both of Combs’ scores.

“The kid is throwing up, he was dizzy, he was coming out of the game, but he held it together and played a great game,” Gael’s head coach Vic Quirolo said of Townsend. “Our seniors, our captains, those guys don't want to go home. They kept fighting and it was great to see.”

BIAGGI QUESTIONABLE: Biaggi’s ankle sprain was serious enough to keep him out of the second half of the game, but Quirolo thinks he should be able to go next week. They will have to wait until tomorrow though before making a final determination.

“We'll see,” Quirolo said. “Sometimes those ankles, the next day it's not as good as you thought and sometimes it's fine.”

UP NEXT: Chaminade’s has a bowl game against an uknown opponent but No. 4 Iona Prep will face No. 1 and defending champion St. Anthony’s next weekend in the CHSFL’s "AAA" semifinals.

HUNTINGTON -- St. Anthony’s coach Rich Reichert stood among his huddled players and told them the truth. Eventually, if the Friars keep making mistakes, time will catch up with them. And if it does, with the playoffs starting next week, it would me the end of the season for St. Anthony’s.

It was a warning. No. 1 St. Anthony’s (7-0) remained undefeated when it stopped a potential game-winning two-point conversion for the second straight week to win, 21-20, over No. 5 Iona Prep Sunday afternoon at home.

TWISTING THE KAPP OFF: It started when Iona Prep’s kicker, Alex Kapp, didn’t show up for the game. It was the second game Kapp missed because his travel team soccer coach -- Kapp is a top goalkeeper for FC Westchester -- advised him not to kick. Iona Prep struggled on kickoffs. The Gaels had their first extra point blocked and went for a two-point conversion with about 20 seconds left, when a kick could have tied the score at 21 and probably forced overtime.

Iona Prep coach Vic Quirolo said if Kapp had been on the sideline, the Gaels would definitely have tried to force OT.

“A hundred percent, if he was here we were going for the one,” Quirolo said. “But he wasn’t so we went for two.”

HOW IT HAPPENED: St. Anthony’s had control and a 21-6 lead with less than four minutes to play when Iona Prep quarterback Mario Biaggi, III slipped out of traffic for a 31 touchdown scramble. Then he found with junior receiver Brandon Williams for a two-point score put Iona Prep within a touchdown.

St. Anthony’s next drive stalled when Iona Prep (5-3) stopped Maston Ellerbe on third down and the Friars’ 41-yard field goal attempt sailed wide-right. Iona Prep took over with 1:39 left and put the game in Biaggi’s hands. He completed four passes, two which went to senior wideout Omari Buster. Biaggi hit Buster in the end zone for an 8-yard score that stepped up the Gaels’ chance to tie or win the game.

Without Kapp in the lineup, Quirolo elected to go for two, the same way that Chaminade tried to avoid overtime and end the game, as well as St. Anthony’s 26-game winning streak.

“I would have done the same thing,” said Reichert. “We were rattled. They had all the momentum. I think it was the right call.”

GETTING THE BIG STOP: It wasn’t just that St. Anthony’s survived with a win. The Friars defense stepped up and made plays when the team needed them. Senior cornerback Tim Stackpole slapped loose a touchdown pass when Iona Prep’s Justin Combs fired a pass that landed in the chest of Austin Jones early in the fourth quarter. St. Anthony’s capitalized with a time-consuming drive that resulted in a 7-yard touchdown run for Anthony Anderson.

Junior Anthony Leggio made the biggest defensive play of the game when he wrapped up Combs in the backfield during an Iona Prep two-point attempt to win.

“We made eye-contact,” Leggio said. “It was do-or-die then. Once I had him I knew he was going down. Greatest feeling ever.”

Combs had tried to rush right in but the Friars closed the door. When he cut back left, Combs thought he had found daylight. Instead, he found Leggio charging at him.

“I knew I was in,” Combs said. “There was no doubt in my mind I was in. It was just a great tackle. He came out of nowhere.”

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Leggio made the game-saving play, but Biaggi was the star of the afternoon. The Gaels’ quarterback led the team downfield with less than two minutes left and came two yards short of an upset win. He threw for a touchdown and rushed for another and finished 104 rushing yards on 23 carries. He also completed 12 of 16 passes for 143 yards.

MAN DOWN: Dariyan Riley, St. Anthony’s best option on the ground, missed three games earlier this season with an ankle injury. On St. Anthony’s first drive, Riley injured his knee after a 24-yard catch and run. Riley never returned to the game and said he twisted his right knee as he was hit going out of bounds.

“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Rlley said despite a noticeable limp.

In his absence, Anthony Anderson ran for 77 yards on 16 carries and junior quarterback Greg Galligan rushed for 83 yards in his first career start. St. Anthony’s lost its first string QB before the season started when Sean McDonough discovered two stress fractures in his back. Pete Carew started the first five games of the season because Galligan took over in the third quarter last week against Chaminade.

NEXT UP: The playoffs. St. Anthony’s locked up the top seed for the playoffs while Iona Prep will likely be the fifth seed.

Listen to the Iona Prep football teams players and coaches and it's clear that their team goes as far as junior Mario Biaggi III takes them.

"Once he's clicking, our team is unstoppable," junior running back Shaquille Townsend said. "When he's on point, we unstoppable. We have to keep him in that mindset and things will go well."

Saturday night against Archbishop Stepinac, Biaggi certainly had it going on offense and it made the difference as he led his team to an impressive 30-17 road win against Stepinac in front of a packed crowd in White Plains, N.Y.

Biaggi scored three touchdowns to lead No. 8 Iona (5-2) to a win in the first game played on No. 5 Stepinac's (5-2) new turf field.

HOW THE GAME WAS WON: The first play set the tone for Iona. The Gaels ran a double-reverse pass that ended with Justin Combs finding Omari Buster for an 80-yard touchdown pass that gave the Gaels a 6-0 lead.

"It was a great call by the coaches, this game was hyped and everything and we wanted to start off big and that's what we did," Biaggi said.

From there, the dynamic running attack of Biaggi and Townsend and a strong defensive effort led the way. Biaggi said the team saw an opening in Stepinac's defense that would allow them to run the ball so they went to work with a majority of running plays, rarely throwing the ball.

While Townsend had a team-high 124 rushing yards on 24 carries, Biaggi was the one who found the endzone as he scored three times. His four-yard score in the second gave Iona a 16-3 lead, he boosted it to 23-3 on a 30-yard run late in the third and he sealed the game with a one-yard score that made it 30-10 with 4:39 remaining.

On defense, Iona Prep picked off Stepinac quarterbacks Daniel Hoffer and Mark White a combined three times, with senior Daniel Fisher recording all three interceptions.

"We got them at the beginning and that was really important," Biaggi said. "Our defense was amazing and able to step up in big situations."

TURNING POINT: The first play of the game gave Iona all the momentum. It marked the first time this season Iona ran a pass play off a double reverse and it worked beautifully as Buster got behind the defense and hauled in the catch for the score.

Iona Prep coach Vic Quirolo said the play was called to get the kids loose and try to prevent them from being stiff early on and said it was critical that the Gaels jumped on Stepinac early.

"First play, got that touchdown, it shocked me," Townsend said. "We made it happen. I knew they were down from that, that hurt them and we just capitalized off that play and kept it going."

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Biaggi was the one who scored three times for Iona and he played a great game. He didn't throw very often but found the holes in the defense to get considerable yardage and found ways to get in the endzone. He also had no turnovers have being intercepted four times in a loss to Chaminade last week. He rushed 18 times for 84 yards.

"The quarterback position, what we do, is critical," Quirolo said. "When he's in rhythm, we are a lot better."

UP NEXT: Playoff seeds will be decided next week in the final week of the regular season. Iona Prep heads to St. Anthony's Saturday at 7 p.m. while Stepinac hosts Fordham Prep Friday at 7 p.m.

When Justin Combs first came to Iona Prep, it was his goal to play football and eventually move on to a Division I college.

His coach Vic Quirolo recognized that while Combs, the son of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, was a gifted athlete and very dedicated, he was still raw and wasn’t quite sure his young quarterback/cornerback had what it takes to get that far.

“I thought that it wasn’t until last year in the middle of the season he really came into his own,” Quirolo said. “That was his breakout point. But you could always tell he was an athlete even as a freshman.”

Combs still hasn’t settled on a college, but he should have no problem finding one now that he has been selected to play in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on Jan. 3, 2012. A ceremony was held at Iona Prep on Thursday to announce the news.

“It’s just a dream come true,” Combs said. “I dreamed about this when I was younger and now I don’t even know what to say about it. I‘m just living my dream. All my hard work has paid off.”

Combs and his coaches all talked about his dedication to the game as one of the biggest reasons for his success.

“I remember one time Justin told me that he flew out to Texas, for a whole week, just for speed training,” Quirolo said. “He is extremely dedicated, it’s great to see.”

Combs trains the hardest during the summer.

“I sacrificed my whole summer just to get better," Combs said. "I worked with professionals to improve my game. If you want something so badly you will do anything for it and I want this more than anything.”

Overall, just 100 kids are selected nationally to play in the All-American Bowl with Combs joining just one other player from New York, Erasmus Hall’s Wayne Morgan, to be selected to play in the nationally televised game so far.

A spokesman from the event said that they look for three things from the student athletes that they pick for the event: character, discipline, and academic excellence. The spokesman said Combs was selected because he exemplified all three.

As the son of Sean "Diddy" Combs it would seem natural for Justin Combs to gravitate toward a music career, but the 17-year-old Iona Prep senior wants none of that.

Instead he is interested in another of his father's passions -- football.

“He was very serious about football in high school,” Combs said of his father, who played football at Mount St. Michael. “He got injured though in his senior year so he couldn't really pursue it. That was always his dream though, to play football, but it never happened.”

The younger Combs, a senior cornerback at Iona Prep high school, has done a good job for himself on the field too. He has gotten scholarship offers from Division I schools and this Thursday it will be announced that he will be part of the Semper Fidelis All-American team.

"He is a very athletic defensive back,” said Iona Prep assistant coach Darlos James. “He's smooth, has very quick feet, and his acceleration is among the best in the state.”

However, because of who his dad is he has to deal with constant criticism.

“I definitely think there are a couple of guys who played before him and wore his uniform that didn't get his type of hype that are probably pretty upset about that,” said Xaverian head coach Joe DeSiena. “For him to get more publicity than those guys, I don't think is fair.”

He certainly gets his fair share of hype. After Iona Prep lost to Xaverian last Sunday a group of reporters lined up to speak with Combs before any one of them had even tried to interview anybody from that day’s winning team.

His coaches, teammates, and those who know him best tell a different story though. One about a kid who ignores all the hype and has to constantly work hard to keep making a name for himself.

“He could be like every other rich kid, but you have to give him credit, he works hard,” James said. “His work ethic is tremendous, he is not a great football player because of his dad, it’s because of all the work he puts into his game.

“He just wants to be known as Justin Combs, he doesn't want to be called Little Diddy.”

Combs hears the criticism, but he brushes it off and says that it’s best not to respond to. Instead he puts in maximum effort on the football field in hopes that his game will do the talking for him.

“This offseason I was everywhere,” Combs said of his quest to prove himself. “I was going from camp to camp all summer long. I was just going trying to earn everybody's respect.”

Combs' teammate and friend since the age of six, Shaquille Townsend, said that in all the time he's know Justin it can sometimes be easy to forget that he has a famous father. Other times though it is hard to forget, but that it is a great motivator.

“His dad even motivates me a lot,” Townsend explained. “He's just accomplished so many things and works so hard that it kind of rubs off. Justin has got it made, he doesn't even have to work hard, but he chooses to and I think he gets a lot of that from his dad.”

There may never be a time when people stop whispering his father’s name behind his back, but Combs works hard and doesn’t ask for any special treatment because that may be the only way he’ll ever quiet his critics.

“Obvious because of who he is, he’s had certain opportunities available to him,” said Iona Prep head coach Vic Quirolo. “But I think that’s what makes Justin so unique, he just works hard and blends in.”

UNIONDALE, N. Y. – About five minutes before the St. Anthony’s football team made its attempt at a perfect record, Friars head coach Rich Reichert gathered his team in the locker room for a speech.

One game stood behind his team and an 11-0 finish, which would a Catholic High School Football League AAA title. He preached to his squad that he didn’t want them to let his opportunity pass them by.

“Anytime you can go undefeated in this league its special, it’s really special,” Reichert said. “Undefeated teams don’t come along very often, you usually stumble along the way.”

Except, this season, there was no stumbling. Especially not on this day. More than three hours after the speech, Reichert’s team gathered around the logo at midfield of Mitchel Field hoisting a championship trophy.

St. Anthony’s capped an undefeated season with its second straight Catholic High School Football League AAA title as the No. 1 Friars downed No. 2 Iona Prep, 41-23, Saturday at Mitchel Field in Uniondale. The championship marked the ninth in 10 years for the Friars and the fourth time they have gone undefeated.

Quarterback Charlie Raffa and wide receiver Brian Kensil were named Co-MVPs.

“It was definitely something we wanted to do, especially when people were doubting us at the beginning of the year,” Raffa said. “I don’t think anybody thought we were going to do this and it was just an awesome feeling to get through this season like that, 11-0.”

Part of the reason there was speculation about how good St. Anthony’s could be this season came from the team’s youth. The starting lineup contains mostly juniors after graduating a boatload of seniors, yet it never slowed down Friars as they cruised through the CHSFL.

Saturday was a show of veteran leadership. Raffa and Kensil, two seniors who have been playing together since their freshman year, put on a passing-and-receiving clinic. Kensil had five catches for 155 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half, while Raffa finished 7-of-10 for 255 yards and four touchdowns and 31 rushing yards. Three of Raffa's touchdown passes were 49 yards or longer.

After St. Anthony’s 28-20 win over Iona Prep (8-3) on Oct .30, the coaching staff noticed that Kensil would have a height advantage against a defensive back, and the Gaels would often leave their corner in single coverage, and the Friars looked to exploit that matchup.

On St. Anthony’s second drive, Kensil found an open seam down the middle, beating the corner and the safety, and hauled in a 49-yard touchdown from Raffa to give the Friars a 6-0 lead.

The duo’s signature play gave the Friars an 11-point halftime lead. With St. Anthony’s leading 20-16 with 10.5 seconds remaining in the half and positioned at the Iona 12-yard line, Raffa lofted a ball to the left corner of the endzone where Kensil was matched up against the 5-7 Justin Combs. Kensil outjumped Combs for the score and the double-digit lead with 4.2 seconds left in the half.

Mike Schillizzi added a rushing touchdown, while Brian Sherlock also caught a 63-yard touchdown pass.

“It definitely was the best game I ever played,” Kensil said. “A great way to finish out my senior year here to go undefeated.”

While St. Anthony’s offense scored quite easily, it’ defense was quite stingy too. While it allowed Iona Prep running back Sidney Weston to rush for 250 yards and three touchdowns, including a 37-yard score that cut the score to 20-16 in the first half, it made plenty of defensive stops and kept all passing routes in front of it. Iona quarterback Tim Perley was just 11-of-20 for 98 yards and an interception, never finding his groove and making a big play down the field.

St. Anthony’s defense was especially stout in the second half. The Friars forced three punts, recorded an interception and recovered a fumble, keeping the Gaels from mounting any semblance of a comeback. Its special teams also added a late score when Craig Gellineau returned a fumbled punt return by Iona to make it 41-16.

“Our defense settled down and played great in the second half,” Reichert said.

Reichert admitted after the game that he did not see this team becoming his fourth undefeated squad. As the season progressed, though, the Friars continued to improve and finished the season just as last year’s team’s did -- as champions.

With plenty of juniors in the starting lineup, St. Anthony’s looks poised to be the premier team in the CHSFL next year. It might be too early to prognosticate, but Raffa believe undefeated team No. 5 is on the horizon in South Huntington, N.Y.

“I think they’ll be perfect next year, they got everything come back basically except a few starters,” Raffa said. “They’ll need to step up, but everybody here has a lot of talent.”