Halfway through the second quarter of Friday night’s Non-Public Group 2 semifinals, Holy Spirit held just a 7-0 lead on visiting Immaculata, and Immaculata’s offense — led by talented sophomore quarterback Nathan Barnett — was giving the Holy Spirit defensive unit some fits.
Spirit needed a time-consuming drive that resulted in points to give itself some separation, and a measure of control back.
The Avalon Limousine Drive of the Game got off to an inauspicious start, as Holy Spirit was whistled for a flag when it took over at its own 23-yard line with 6:25 left in the second quarter after forcing Immaculata to punt.
But Holy Spirit began to mount some momentum, as on first-and-20 quarterback Mike Costabile connected with freshman tight end Isaiah Gerena for a 12-yard gain. Senior running back Justin Figueroa then plowed ahead for eight yards and a first down. Costabile then hooked up with Danny Tarsitano for a nine-yard gain, and after another flag, that duo teamed up again to give Holy Spirit a first down around midfield.
Three straight runs by senior Reggie Jean-Charles — who finished with 161 rushing yards — brought the ball to the Immaculata 32-yard line, and Holy Spirit was in business. Needing another key first down to keep the drive alive, Spirit coach A.J. Russo again called on Figueroa, and he delivered, taking the ball down to the 25-yard line. At this point, Spirit had chewed up four minutes of clock and had Immaculata’s defense on its heels.
Another run by Figueroa brought the ball to the 16-yard line, then Spirit got a little bit of luck that would go a long way in its eventual 23-6 victory. Figueroa was bulldozing his way to the goal line on the next play, but was stripped of the ball around the 2-yard line. Tarsitano, a wide receiver who had lined up on the right-hand side of the formation, was in the right spot at the right time. He scooped up the loose ball and extended it over the goal line before the Immaculata defense could react.
Despite a blocked extra point, Holy Spirit was still able to extend the lead to 13-0 with just 1:22 left in the half. And, after stopping Immaculata on downs on the next possession, Spirit drove down inside the 30-yard line to set up Cade Antonucci’s 29-yard field goal that pushed the lead to 16-0 going into halftime.

— Dave O’Sullivan, Publisher