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55-41; Crusaders best the Bells

This was a historical statement win for AR. Many of the WCAL foes are or will be probable statement wins for them as well. But when a team can overcome a long history of losses to a single team and then beat them, it is reason for celebration.

I remember the game where Serra beat St. Francis for the first time in 25+ years. Think it happened in 2006. This was a turning point for JS.

Hats off to you, @SFcityfan, for having faith in your team and seeing that AR was going to be very special this year. They will likely be good for the next couple years at least too. You have every right to enjoy your celebration.

I will answer the question myself that I'd hoped you would have been able to answer earlier in the season. AR is better this year than their 2015 and 2000 counterpart teams. I can't make any comparisons with the 1971 & 1972 teams because I don't have any stats from those years. (Surely someone has access to that kind of data.)

AR's offense is explosive and potent. Their defense, though, is suspect and could be their nemesis with stronger teams. This was also a problem for the better AR teams of 2000 and 2015.
 
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This was a historical statement win for AR. Many of the WCAL foes are or will be probable statement wins for them as well. But when a team can overcome a long history of losses to a single team and then beat them, it is reason for celebration.

I remember the game where Serra beat St. Francis for the first time in 25+ years. Think it happened in 2006. This was a turning point for JS.

Hats off to you, @SFcityfan, for having faith in your team and seeing that AR was going to be very special this year. They will likely be good for the next couple years at least too. You have every right to enjoy your celebration.

I will answer the question myself that I'd hoped you would have been able to answer earlier in the season. AR is better this year than their 2015 and 2000 counterpart teams. I can't make any comparisons with the 1971 & 1972 teams because I don't have any stats from those years. (Surely someone has access to that kind of data.)
AR's offense is explosive and potent. Their defense, though, is suspect and could be their nemesis with stronger teams. This was also a problem for the better AR teams of 2000 and 2015.
Agreed, any time you can beat a league rival for the 1st time since 2000 is a statement. This offense is crazy with the number of skill players they have. On their 1st 8 possessions they scored 8 TDs. A huge difference from previous years is the depth of the team. Last week, both starting RBs out, and they don't miss a beat. Last night, one of their starting RBs was still out, yet 2 RBs running behind that huge O-line go for over 100 yards each. QB Mitchell is special, and he's blessed to have a bevy of receivers. Lawson, Jackson and soph Thomas are studs. Dubriwny, soph Nash and frosh Winn are solid and are only going to get better.

How good their defense can be has yet to be seen. Injuries, like with all teams, is taking somewhat of a toll on them with their starting LB and a few DBs. St. Bonaventure showed that a good running team can keep the ball away from the R offense. Last night it was 42-13 at the half, and 49-20 after 3 qtrs, so I'm guessing the coaches put in the reserves for the 4th qtr. Sometimes the "old' Riordan shows up with unforced penalties and blown assignments. The personal fouls and unsportsmanlike conduct calls after plays are maddening, but so far they have had a big lead to overcome these. They will have to clean this up as their collision course with Serra is fast approaching, and will need to have all cylinders pumping going forward and hopefully in to post season.
 
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What IS uniquely FUNNY, Riordan hasn’t won anything yet?

Although I have been listing #’s for achievements, but I truly feel that Coach A-Rav’s mantra of “MoreWorkToDo”, IS the stable new Riordan mindset.

Us zealous fans are always looking for as reason to do the ELECTRIC SLIDE; Lmao

@colehenrylives computer many explode from my quotation, “there is a lot of games still to be played”
 
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It became pretty clear several weeks ago: The Oct. 21 WCAL contest between Serra and Riordan in San Mateo will probably decide the 2023 league title. That assumes neither team suffers a letdown upset loss this coming week, or thereafter. There is little love lost between the coaching staffs of the two schools. There's a reason for that. The Padres are not pleased with the new Riordan brain trust and its aggressive roster enhancement practices. Which is interesting because Serra has been attracting players from a wide geographic area for some time. Both rosters now are regional all-star teams. Let the good times roll.
 
I am worried about TRAP game vs Our formally Marinist sister school.

The ONE absolution Is, #“IN A-Rav. We Trust”.
 
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It became pretty clear several weeks ago: The Oct. 21 WCAL contest between Serra and Riordan in San Mateo will probably decide the 2023 league title. That assumes neither team suffers a letdown upset loss this coming week, or thereafter. There is little love lost between the coaching staffs of the two schools. There's a reason for that. The Padres are not pleased with the new Riordan brain trust and its aggressive roster enhancement practices. Which is interesting because Serra has been attracting players from a wide geographic area for some time. Both rosters now are regional all-star teams. Let the good times roll.
I'll take the other side and say St. Francis might get Riordan. Both teams are fairly even IMO and that could be a tough bounce back game after playing at Serra
 
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