Archbishop Ryan sophomore Thanas Strati is carried on the shoulders of his teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal in a 3-0 win that clinched the Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division championship Oct. 18 at Northeast High School, Philadelphia. (Photo by John Knebels)
It’s one thing when a kicker has the confidence and ability to win a game in the closing seconds.
Add the Holy Spirit to the mix, and the odds become insurmountable.
In a regular-season meeting between a pair of 4-0 teams that mathematically decided the Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division football championship, Archbishop Ryan defeated Lansdale Catholic, 3-0, on Oct. 18 at Northeast High School in Philadelphia.
After a dominant defensive display by both squads – Ryan allowed a total of 108 yards while Lansdale Catholic surrendered 121 – Ryan sophomore Thanas Strati supplied the game’s only points by drilling a 34-yard field goal with six seconds remaining in regulation, securing the Raiders’ second straight PCL crown.
Beaming during a postgame interview, Strati relived “the best moment” of his life.
“I was praying,” said Strati, playfully honoring his faith by blessing himself twice during a jubilant postgame interview. “I prayed and was like, ‘Please help me make this kick.’”
Two other surreal facts made Strati’s moment feel almost otherworldly.
A soccer player by trade, the likeable Strati had never kicked a football before deciding to “give it a shot” in late summer. And though he had already buried 25 extra points, he had never before attempted a field goal – until this one, with a championship hanging in the balance.
Archbishop Ryan clinched the Philadelphia Catholic League Blue Division championship Oct. 18 at Northeast High School, Philadelphia, after a 3-0 win over Lansdale Catholic. (Photo by John Knebels)
On top of that, before his fairytale kick, Strati and his key teammates – junior snapper Ryan DeMas and freshman holder Neil Carr – had to endure four stoppages: three Lansdale Catholic timeouts and a false-start penalty that extended the try from 29 to 34 yards.
“I usually struggle with nerves a lot,” Strati admitted. “It’s hard to block everything out. I just wanted to get everything over with as fast as possible. Even though I was getting iced, I remained calm and took deep breaths and kept my head down. I didn’t look at anything else. I was envisioning making the goal every time and kept doing air kicks.
“In my mind, I was talking with myself and telling myself that I trained every single day that led up to this moment, although I was not expecting this at today’s game.”
Once he called on the Holy Spirit, Strati said his worries faded. Seconds later, his view shifted to atop the shoulders of celebrating teammates near midfield.
“I was born into a Catholic family and my mom loved going to church every Sunday,” said Strati, a graduate of St. Martin of Tours Catholic School in Northeast Philadelphia. “She would take me to church and I would always enjoy it because when I’m in church, it makes me pause and kind of reflect on myself.
“My development in faith has always been good, I always have learned new things when priests talk about certain topics during Mass and in school. My classmates and I always choose a random verse in the Bible to write a short summary or reflection about.”
Should Strati ever face a similar moment again, he said he already knows on Whom to rely – no matter the outcome.
“I see very successful athletes talk about their faith,” said Strati. “I understand that being thankful is a form of prayer, and I don’t like asking God for a lot of things. I just pray in the form of appreciation of how blessed I am.”
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Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘X’ @johnknebels.
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