STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Tomorrow’s Super Bowl will feature two head coaches named Mike, and if the Borough President Vito Fossella SIHSL Tournament quarterfinal matchup between Mike Cortese’s Vikings and Mike Mazella’s Tigers offered any cosmic foreshadowing, NFL viewers are in for a treat.
Thanks to a scorching start to the game and Jaques Award candidate Nick Rebracca’s 26 points, St. Joseph by-the-Sea overcame a strong challenge from Staten Island Academy to get one game away from the final, claiming a 67–58 win that felt closer than the final score indicated.
The Vikings ultimately captured the win largely due to their ability to attack the rim and draw fouls, most evident when Sea entered the bonus with over four minutes to play in the third quarter.
Despite winning by nine points thanks to late foul shooting, the Vikings either led by a single score or were tied with SIA for much of the fourth quarter, giving Cortese’s No. 4-seeded squad a vivid reminder of just how close February games between Island schools can be.
Player of the Game: Nick Rebracca
Similar to fellow Jaques frontrunner Chris Albano, who carried his team earlier in the day, Rebracca’s 26 points led Sea in an outing that could have been even more potent had he not missed numerous shots in the second half.
But, he said the cold streak only motivated him to focus down the stretch, as the Vikings star scored nine big points in the fourth quarter.
“A lot of it was teammates giving me the confidence to shoot more; we executed well on backdoor cuts, which got me points, and we stayed sharp physically and mentally throughout it,” he explained.
When asked how a big first game of the tournament could improve his chances at Staten Island basketball’s top individual award, he said, “It feels amazing, but obviously the most important thing is winning. It would definitely be an accomplishment for me to win the Jaques, so it was good to see how I’m doing out there.”
Lastly, as to how he can improve his game in the semifinals, Rebracca said, “I think I need to be stronger to the hoop; I have to finish better, and also just stay confident.”
Turning point
It’s rare for a “turning point” to occur so early in a game, but considering how tight it was late in the contest, Sea’s best stretch unquestionably came in the first quarter.
Had they not jumped out to a 14–1 lead over SIA to open the game, the final outcome might have swung in the Tigers’ favor, making it the Vikings’ most pivotal run of the matchup.
HighlightsCoach Cortese’s take
Sea bench boss Mike Cortese agreed that starting the game in such a big way was crucial, saying, “It’s credit to our guys for setting the tone.”
“One thing we really wanted to do was focus on playing our game, but also credit to SIA for answering right back. I thought we took our foot off the pedal a little bit, but it shows that it’s a game of runs, which made a difference for us.”
Cortese was also pleased with his team’s physicality on the night. “We might not be the most imposing team physically, but our guys play the game hard. We really pride ourselves on getting to the rim and being playmakers, and I think we played through a lot of contact. For guys to get to the line and hit foul shots down the stretch was key, and we did a good job attacking the paint.”
Lastly, speaking about how proud he was of his team’s resiliency to avoid an upset, Cortese said, “Mental toughness in February is key. Our mental toughness was big; I believe we ended up not surrendering the lead at any point, so making big stops and holding on was big for the mental part of the game.”
St. Joseph by-the-Sea’s Luca Mineo handles the ball during a SIHSL quarterfinal matchup with Staten Island Academy on Feb. 7, 2026.Michael O’BrienNext up
Thanks to the victory, the Vikings will advance to the semifinals, where they’re set to face Susan Wagner at Petrides on Monday at 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. in what promises to be a powerhouse matchup between two Jaques frontrunners.
Stats corner
Also lending a big hand alongside Rebracca was a three-headed double-figure effort from Joey Moran (16 points), John Paturzo (14 points), and Luca Mineo (10 points), providing a more than capable supporting cast for Rebracca.
Danny Nowak also played admirably in the loss for the Tigers, leading Staten Island Academy with 21 points of his own.
Staten Island Advance