Joshua Bagwell (Sr.); QB – Holy Cross Knights
Looking at the NYC week #1 schedule, it would not have been surprising to hear most pundits predict that that a senior signal caller would put on a show and unequivocally be rewarded with POTW honors in the battle of Queens between Holy Cross and Christ the King…However, what many of these insiders are now humbly forced to confess (myself included) is that while we were correct on the position, we missed on the individual…With all of the attention focused squarely on seeing what 247 Sports #1 rated NYS QB/2x All-Catholic/2019 1st-Team All-Stater, Noah Bodden, would do as an opening act in 2021, instead it was his counterpart [Bagwell] that owned the night en route to leading the Knights to the decisive 34-12 triumph last Friday…Completing nine of 14 throws for a sum of 111 yards, the 5’10, 150-pounder out of Springfield Gardens was at the forefront of three of Holy Cross’s five TDs on the night…Hooking up with junior WR, Devin Grant, on a pair of touchdown connections, Bagwell posted the third multi-TD pass game of his career (also throw two in back-to-back weeks versus Holy Trinity and Mount St. Michael Academy last season)…When not relying on his arm, #12’s legs proved to be an adept secondary weapon, as he called his own number on four keepers, gaining 24 yards (second most among Knight rushers) and tacking on a third overall touchdown…
Brendan McKeon (Sr.); WR/CB – St. Peter’s Eagles
What a difference a year can make! When these two programs last met (October 2019) in a war of Staten Island bragging rights, it was the Vikings emerging with the 29-26 victory…The proverbial tables certainly turned this past Saturday and one of the primary catalysts at the heart of the reversal of fortune was the 5’11, 190-pound, team captain [McKeon]…Going above and beyond on both sides of the line in the Eagles’ 50-18 triumph on April 17th, the SUNY-Cortland bound standout seems well intent on making the most of every second he has remaining in the gold #6 jersey…Accumulating in excess of 100 yards of total offensive production as a ball carrier and/or receiver, McKeon boasted a remarkable touchdown to touch ratio of 3:5….No, you did not read that wrong! Handling the “prolate spheroid” just five times individually (two carries, three receptions), the STP senior accounted for 18 points, scoring on a 6-yard run before hauling in TD grabs of 28 and 27 yards respectively from QB Vincent Mazzone…Defensively, he put the “corner” in a cornerstone defensive effort that stifled a SJS arsenal that averaged over 30 ppg in 2019 and returned several play-makers at the skill positions (ex- 2019 3rd-Team All-State signal caller, Jackson Tucker)…Whether it was repeated pass break-ups, timely tackles, DB blitzes, or just good old fashioned lockdown coverage where the opponent did not entertain the notion of throwing to his side of the field, it is quite evident why [Cortland] Red Dragons’ Head Coach Curt Fitzpatrick, is smiling at the thought of having McKeon patrolling secondary for the next 4-5 years!
John Michalski (So.); QB – Moore Catholic Mavericks
No Justin Lacks…No Problem! For anyone under the impression that the defending NYCHSFL “AA-2” titlists from Staten Island might be in the midst of a rebuild following the graduations of the multiple-time All-State/5,400+ yard rusher and several additional 2019 All-League personnel, the rumors of Moore’s demise have surely been greatly exaggerated…On the contrary, while the names and faces may be fresh in the spring of 2021, the unwavering tradition of lighting up the scoreboard is here to stay!!! And at the center (more literally under center) of this reign of terror is the 6’2, 190-pound signal caller [Michalski]…Needing only 24 minutes (sat the entire 2nd half) in his varsity debut to make a bold and unmistakable statement about the dynasty being in capable hands, the Woodbridge resident was nearly flawless in MC’s 35-0 shutout over Nazareth on April 17th…Completing 10 of 12 attempts for 236 yards, the 10th grade field general ought to get a sponsorship deal from Domino’s Pizza, as he clearly “delivers everywhere.”…Connecting with a different target on all four of his touchdown strikes, Michalski registered his first career TD pass as the commander of the Mav attack when he hit freshman, Matthias Lighten, on a 27-yarder…Sophomore, Nick Jordan, was on the back end of the longest of his quarterback’s TD hurls as Michalski found him on a 30-yard pitch-and-catch…Michael Zeh, who like Jordan, is only a 10th grader, got himself into the conversation when he made the third TD reception of the evening from 19-yards out…Jaylen Johnson (yet another sophomore) put the exclamation on the remarkable collective display when he made a 3-yard TD snatch…Since the program’s return to the varsity level in 2016, Michalski’s yardage and touchdown pass totals are tops among MC QBs making their first varsity starts!
Anthony Rosati (Sr.); RB – Xaverian Clippers
Welcome back to the spotlight Anthony Rosati!!! While all of our fine Metro Catholic League student-athletes were forced to endure a prolonged wait before getting back on the gridiron, for the 5’10, 173-pound senior tailback, the absence from the thing in which he loves/excels required an exercise in patience greater than most…Identified in the 2019 Double-A season preview as a potential rookie play-maker for Coach Michael Jioia’s brigade, the Brooklyn boy was sidelined for the entirety of junior campaign due to injury…At long last, Rosati was afforded the opportunity to transform all of that heartache, fortitude, and tireless work during the rehab process into a varsity debut of which he could/should be mighty proud! Carrying the pigskin 10 times, #34 in White successfully surpassed the century mark in his first career appearance, concluding the contest with 110 yards (an avg of 11 ypc) in his school’s 34-0 blanking of returning “A” runners-up, Cardinal Spellman….The linchpin of a Clipper land attack that generated 218 yards and scored four touchdowns, that moment that Rosati has been dreaming about for the last 17 months came to fruition when he darted 14 yards into the end zone for the first of what we hope is many TDs for him this spring!