Transcript of Richard Adragna’s Interview with Rich Reichert

Interview with Rich Reichert, Head Coach of St. Anthony’s Football Program. Mr. Reichert (Class of 1970) has coached his alma mater for 22 years.

1) From an alumni’s perspective, how do you see this rivalry?

Reichert: It’s always been a great rivalry. It’s two Long Island schools. Back when I was at St. Anthony’s, were an all-boys school just like Chaminade. The rivalry just continued all the way through the years I’ve been here.

2) How would you look at it from a coach’s perspective?

Reichert: It’s not hard to get excited about playing Chaminade. They’re a great football program. All the coaches in both schools know each other. It’s just a fun game.

3) When coaching these players, how much does this rivalry mean to them?

Reichert: Like I said, it’s not hard to get our kids up to play Chaminade. A lot of kids know each other from different sports that they play and different clubs that they play on in the off-season. When kids know each other, the game gets all that much more intense.

4) In terms of preparing for this rivalry, is it any different than preparing for all of the other teams? If so, how is it different in this case?

Reichert: Well, we try to tell the kids that everything is one game at a time, so it really shouldn’t be that much of the different. But when we start the week of Chaminade, you can always tell the kids are a little more excited about playing that game.

5) In your years as a student and as a coach, what are some of the games that jump out at you as being the most memorable game you’ve seen?

Reichert: We’ve had some great games with them. We went for a two-point conversion in the semi-final game and got it. That put us into the championship. We had two great championship games with them, coming from a ten-point deficit in the third quarter and winning that game in ’94. Then we had a great game with them in 2002, with the 34-32 game. The games are always close and competitive and just a lot of fun to be around.

6) In speaking with Mr. Buckley, Coach Wieczorek, and Coach Basel over in Chaminade, it’s apparent that respect is the theme of this rivalry. There are really no hard feelings between everyone associated with the schools. What can you attest to this?

Reichert: I think that’s 100 percent accurate. Bill [Basel] and I actually became head coaches the same year back in 1987. He’s been very helpful to me in the beginning years and we started a friendship that’s developed over 22 years.

7) When I spoke to Coach Basel, there was a couple of [Chaminade] alumni that did play in the NFL for a number of years, including one who is now the linebackers coach for Chaminade, Stephen Boyd. Have there been any alumni that have had that kind of an impact?

Reichert: We’ve been real close as far as the NFL. We think we have one or two that are playing in college now that have a really good shot. In the past, Joe Villani was cut by the Jets last year, and Joe Minucci, our defensive line coach, was cut by the Saints in the last preseason game. He’s playing in the arena league with Cleveland.