Article by Matt Diano
Week #4 (September 29th-October 2nd, 2022)
Dean Aquilina (Sr.); DE – Chaminade Flyers
“We killed it; We’re Back!; We’re back!…These were the words that the 6’3, 250-pound Defensive End out of East Williston used to describe the comprehensive and stellar performance put forth by the entire defensive unit in the Flyers’ 36-20 victory at home over Cardinal Hayes on Sunday October 2nd…
An instant classic when the two teams squared off last fall (Won 42-39 by the Cardinals on a last-second Hook and ladder), #66 in Red, along with all of his peers among the front-7 made sure that there would be no repeat of history in 2022, as they tormented and harassed opposing field general, Rich Belin (holding DI offers from Syracuse, Temple, etc.) on nearly every snap!
Off to a fast start to his senior campaign as an individual (13 stops, 4 TFLs) in his first three games, all the cosmos aligned for both person and team last Sunday as Aquilina’s career-day was a definitive reason as to why Chaminade was able to get off the schneid and break into the win column!
Living in the Cardinal backfield, the Newsday Top-100 selection was able to register personal-bests across the board, as he was credited with 9 total stops, 5 tackles for negative yardage, and a pair of sacks to limit an explosive Hayes’ offensive (entered averaging over 35ppg in their previous two outings) to a modest 20!
Joining Aquilina in turning in a dominant display up front were the likes of fellow seniors—Claudio Pinto (DE) and Benjamin Mann (LB)…Each racked up 10 tackles, with the former [Pinto] also earning a pair of QB bags, while the latter [Mann] pounced on a loose ball to notch a fumble recovery!
Offensively, Jack Tully (career-bests of 28 carries, 203 yards, 3 rushing TDs), Gavin Creo (3 grabs for 73 yards, 2 touchdown receptions), and Matthew Dieguez (5-of-14, 102 yards tossing, 2 TD hurls) steered the ship!
Rocco Rainone (Jr.); QB – Holy Trinity Titans
Put another “w” in the book for the Big, Bad, Green Machine!!! The defending NYCHSFL AA-2 Champions out of Hicksville [Holy Trinity] remained unblemished (5-0) and extended their year-plus-long winning streak to 15 straight following a commanding 39-0 victory at home over a very capable Rams squad from visiting Fordham Prep (entered at 2-2 and on the heels of a respectable, 28-13, loss to AAA member, Kellenberg Memorial)!
Providing the Titans with the early “punch” they would need to eventually runaway with last Saturday’s matinee triumph was the 6’0, 190-pound, junior signal caller hailing from Glen Cove [Rainone] who connected on not ONE, not TWO, but THREE touchdown passes during the opening quarter to propel his school to a 20-0 advantage from which they never looked back…
The 11th grader, who has assumed full-time starting duties after splitting time last fall, drew first blood approximately 5:15 into the 1st when he hit a diving Josiah Brown over the middle on a 15-yard strike to give the Titans the quick 7-0 lead!
The duo hooked up again for a second consecutive score-yielding occasion with a little over 3:00 remaining in the stanza, Rainone found the 4-star national prospect [Brown] on a short completion and then allowed the speedster to do the rest on his own, as Brown collected serious YAC on his 93-yard dash TD catch + run to the promised land that increased the cushion to 13-0!
In the last minute and change of the initial 12:00 period, Rainone closed out his TD hurling trifecta when he lofted a beautiful ball into the corner of the end zone into the hands of sophomore, Jayden Simpson, for the 10-yard pitch-and catch…It was a fitting choice of targets as moments earlier, it was Simpson’s interception that put HT in prime scoring position!
All in all, Rainone, who has been nothing short of phenomenal thus far in 2022, compiled a stat line that read as follows: 9-for-12 in the air, 180 yards throwing, and the already cited three TDs!
Incredibly, after throwing multiple touchdown passes just once during his sophomore campaign (9 in total), the Long Islander has now done the deed THREE times in five appearances this season, as he previously notched a hat trick in week #0 and Week #1 wins over Kennedy Catholic and St. Francis Prep respectively…In a week 2 victory over Garden State opponent, Immaculata, he tossed for 1 and ran for two additional scores!
Rainone and his 14 combined TDs (11 in the air; 3 on land) will need to be at his best this coming Sunday (October 9th) as the Titans face perhaps their biggest challenge of the year when they take the short trip Mitchel Field to face-off with Kellenberg in a battle of unbeatens!
Wayne Coleman (Sr.); DE – Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders
In a game where one team’s “0 had to go”, it was again the impenetrable defense of the visitors from White Plains, Archbishop Stepinac (5-0), that paved the way for the Crusaders to emerge with a 40-0 victory over Moore Catholic (4-1) under the Friday Night Lights of September 30th!!
In fact, the concept of zero has seemingly become something of a mantra on Mamaroneck Avenue, as Head Coach, Mike O’Donnell, made certain to call attention to the fact that his “D” has not allowed a single touchdown to be scored against them in three consecutive games, boasts a league best average of only surrendering 9 points per game (deceptive since 21 of the 45 points allowed were in the 4th quarter with reserve personnel on the field), and have registered defensive TDs in each of the past two outings to out-scoring the opposing offenses from Chaminade and MC by margins of 12-3 and 8-0!
And while it can be stated that this swarming, stifling, stout display is a total team effort where there is no shortage of game-changers from one appearance to the next, one of the most constant and/or visible on a routine basis is the presence of the standout in the #43 jersey, Wayne Coleman….
The kind of player whose name echoes in the ears of the public address announcer after saying it repeatedly for 48 minutes in a given day, the 6’2, 305-pounder returning All-Catholic/All-State (5th team) selection caught our eye during previous conquests (8 stop, 4 TFL, 1 sack vs. DePaul Catholic on September 17th; 8 tackle/2 sacks against Chaminade during week #3), so we had a feeling that his spotlight moment was coming sooner than later!!!
That recognition has now arrived following a performance that witnessed him rack up 8 stops (his third 8-tackle game in a row), 2 TFLs, a sack, a forced fumble, and even a blocked FG for good measure….
It was his ability to bulldoze his way up the gut, throw up his paws, and reject the 47-yard kick attempt like he was NBA HOFer, Dikembe Mutombo, that ultimately created a wave of momentum that Stepinac was able to ride to a decisive victory…
The game scoreless at the time with 7:48 remaining in the half, Coleman’s clean denial gave the Crusaders possession on their own 35….Shortly thereafter, Jordan Osbourne (65 yards on 8 carries, 1 TD) punctuated the ensuing drive with a 1yard TD run to give AS the 7-0 lead!…They would erupt for three additional scores (10-yard pick-6 by Deonte Douglas with 2:20 remaining in 2nd quarter; safety-inducing off of a mishandled kick-off by Samuel Madu; 34-yard FG by David Encina In the last half minute) to carry the 19-0 cushion into the halftime break!!!
As a brigade, Stepinac yielded only 61 yards of opposing offensive production to the Mavericks, as All-Catholic/2nd Team All-Stater, John Michalski, was contained to the tune of an 8-for-16, 32-yard, 2 INT effort aerially, while the running game gained on 29 yards on 13 attempts!
Coleman, who was credited with 77 tackles, 4 TFLs, and 4 QB bags as part of his All-State junior demonstration, is on pace to surpass/shatter all of these numbers, as he already has 34 stops, 8 TFLs, and 6 sacks thru his first five games this fall!
Anthony Massa (Sr.); OG – Monsignor Farrell Lions
Every year we wait for it; and every year it delivers!!!
An ode to the toughest of the tough; the grittiest of the gritty; the men who possess proverbial “mountains” between their legs….A.K.A the Offensive lineman that bangs for 48 minutes in the trenches and wears his battle scars proudly!
The first individual fitting the profile to be bestowed POTW honors since the semifinal round of the 2021 Metro Catholic playoffs, the 5’11, 250-pounder out of Staten Island [Massa] was the catalyst/facilitator for an explosive afternoon that saw the host Lions prevail, 40-0, over St. Peter’s in a clash of SI’s finest on October 1st!!
A two-year varsity starter who was originally expected to be at center, but later was placed at left guard, the beefy brainiac (4.0 grade point average) who garnered All-Catholic accolades in 2021, demonstrated the form that makes him a legitimate candidate to be in the conversation for NYCHSFL Lineman of the Year prestige in November!
Credited with FIVE pancakes and utilized as the lead-blocker in “traps” and/or “power-running formations” per Farrell Head Coach, Rocco Del Priore, with mighty #51 flattening and/or demolishing anyone who crossed his path, the returning Triple-A runners-up from Amboy Road darn-near etched themselves into school history, as they accumulated 401 yards and scored five touchdowns to just miss the all-time mark by a mere 40 yards!
The damage was inflicted by a six-headed monster backfield led by seniors—Mauricio Cetina (126 yards, 2 touchdowns on 8 attempts), John Caufield (116 yards, 1 touchdown on 7 carries), Shawn Keegan (70 yards, 1 score on 6 hand-offs), and Messiah Burch (First game back in the line-up; suffered an injury after gaining 45 yards on 4 tries)…
With Massa providing grade-A protection and keeping the pocket unoccupied, junior QB, Cristian Pinto, enjoyed success in all endeavors, as he completed 3-of-5 passes for 100 yards and one TD, while also taking off and using his legs to add a complementary 45 yards and an additional “6” on just 2 keepers!!!
Embracing all roles and helping the team in any manner possible, Massa acted as the long-snapper on all kicks/punts, with junior PK, Christopher DiGiacomo converting four PATs, and Caufield averaging 33.3 yards on his three punts!
Despite being without the services of their All-State RB [Burch] for almost the entirety of 2022 thus far, Massa has done such a superb job setting the mood among the OL that thru five appearances, Farrell is averaging just under 187 yards and two touchdowns rushing!!!
Brian Daly (Sr.); Two-Way Lineman – St. Francis Prep Terriers
While this was in no way planned, week #4 was clearly the weekend of the brutes as the 6’1, 248-pound resident of Franklin Square [Daly] is making his first career appearance on the POTW list one spot below his fellow all-purpose beast in the war zone [Massa]!!!
Labeled by the Terrier coaching staff as the most authoritative presence on both sides of the line of scrimmage in SFP’s 41-0 toppling of Cardinal Spellman last Saturday night, there was no need for Daly to choose between “immoveable force” or “unstoppable object”, because like a superhero come to life, he proved that he could be both!!!…
Dictating terms from his spot on the OL at Left Tackle, Daly’s ability to consistently win his match-up and blow his counterpart off the ball as part of the “Ground & Pound” game-plan incorporated by Coach, Rich Carroll, laid the tracks for a nine-person running back committee (no one carrying the ball more than six times) to collect 198 yards and strike for all SIX touchdowns on just 24 attempts (team average of 8.3/hand-off)…
The strong showing rushing was a continuation of a resurgence displayed this season by the Fresh Meadows posse…A year removed from netting only 808 yards/10 touchdowns on the ground, with capable linemen such as Daly doing the dirty work up front, the Terriers have already logged 673 yards + 11 scores of land production despite having carried the pigskin 100 less times in comparison!!!
Reaping the benefits of the pummeling demeanor of the OL on October 1st were the likes of Anthony Collura (tied his career-best of 35 yards and scored the first two rushing TDs of his time as a Terrier), Dionis Best (accumulated 53 yards and notched a rushing TD for the second straight week), and Christopher Felle (personal-high of 53 yards and his first TD run)!
Described as the “Alpha Male” of the defense a few weeks ago In the season preview, Daly lived up to his reputation when he shifted to the other side of the ball…
Causing a loss of yardage on every one of his 5 tackles (2 solo, 3 assisted) and adding a sack (loss of 8), Daly is well ahead of the team-best marks he posted in 2021, as his five TFL performance gives him 8 on the year (14 all of last season) and the QB bag raises his total to 2 (5 as a junior)…
On a tear during his past two outings, had it not been for the fact that his squad suffered a hard-fought loss at the hands of St. Joe’s by the Sea, it is almost inevitable that Daly would have been recognized last week (career-high 13 stops, 3 TFLs, 1 sack)!
His individual feat, coupled with equally impressive showings from Brandon Ricupero (5 stops, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble), Simon Sanchez (3 stops, 2 TFL, 1 caused fumble), Logan Cross (2 assisted stops; both yielded negative yardage), and Brandon Francis (finished tied with Daly and Ricupero for the team-lead with 5 tackles) all contributed the Terriers’ pitching only their second shutout in the past decade (per MaxPreps)!
Not that he was asked to do much of it in win #4, but let it be acknowledged that with his build, Daly is one of the most physically intimidating punters in the entire Evil Empire!
Anthony Castaldi (Sr.); QB – Kennedy Catholic Gaels
Making his return to the POTW list after debuting in week #5 of the 2021 season is the 5’10, 185-pound, Dual-threat field general hailing from Wappingers Falls [Castaldi]!
A captain in every sense of the word when he steps out on the gridiron, the ‘21 All-Catholic selection has accomplished so much during his three-year stay on the Gael varsity that it is not always easy to establish a new milestone….But alas, he would be successful in hitting a plethora of new heights on September 30th as part of KC’s 47-7 win over the visiting Bayhawks from St. Dominic’s!
Connecting on 9 of 12 his throw attempts, the 4.0 student-athlete would record both his first 200-yard (208) hurling game of his scholastic tenure, as well as set a new best for TD passes in a single-game with THREEE!!!
Utilizing the talents of his fellow seniors in the aerial assault, two of Nick Calandros’s three receptions (3 grabs for 85 yards) would result in touchdowns, as Castaldi put the ball over the shoulder of the team’s top target on tosses from distances of 45 and 21 yards respectively….
Nick Duryea (2 catches for 79 yards), was on the back-end of Castaldi’s remaining TD pass as the former would scramble to create time, side-stepped an intended ankle tackle and the dump it off his running back, who broke out of an arm-tackle and found space down the sideline to polish off the 21-yard TD reception…
Demonstrating the full array of his skill set, Castaldi’s legs also came into play, as he called his own number on five occasions for a net gain of 71 yards and two additional scores to log the fourth multi-rushing TD effort of his career (1st of 2022)!
Having amassed four touchdowns (2 in the air, 2 on the ground) the previous time he received Player of the Week acclaim, his FIVE scores last Thursday constituted yet another raising of his individual bar!!!
Feeling nostalgic, Castaldi even channeled his former wide-receiving self when he hauled in a 7-yard reception!
At the halfway point of his swan song, Castaldi is well on his way to matching, if not blowing past the 2021 stat totals that earned him league-wide renown….Hitting on a 56% completion rate (28-for-50), his 454 yards already surpassed the 441 he recorded a season ago; and the four TD passes are identical to his 2021 output…His 309 yards and 2 TDs on 39 carries is actually statistically superior to the 743 + 9 he notched as a junior (115 attempts)!
Ian Strong (Sr.); WR/Rover – St. Anthony’s Friars
Welcome to the parade, Ian Strong!!!
Regarded by every pundit as one of the top overall players in both the Metro Catholic League on a micro level and the entire state of New York on the macro, it came as a shock when it dawned on us that the 6’4, 195-pound, impact performer out of Coram had yet to be featured as a NYCHSFL Player of the Week!
That enigmatic predicament is about to be rectified as the Rutgers University bound senior can no longer be ignored following one of the finest and most clutch displays that we have seen in recent times during the Friars’ statement-making 48-42 triumph on the road over defending League and State champs, Iona Prep, this past Saturday afternoon (Oct. 1st)…
Having spent the majority of his scholastic journey concentrating exclusively on the defensive side of the ball, Coach Joe Minucci’s decision to allow the future Scarlett Knight to play both ways has added an undeniable element to an already lethal STA vertical attack…The 1999 alumnus of “Friarville” [Minucci] is being rewarded 246-fold today for his intuition, because that is precisely the number of yards the gentleman in the #5 jersey amassed in avenging his school’s two heartbreaking losses to the Gaels last year (including a 35-28 OT defeat in a AAA semifinals) …
When sharing a depth chart with the likes of a KJ Duff Jr. (6 catches for 77 yards, 1 TD reception) caliber teammate, it is not very often that you are going to be one who steals the show out wide; but that is precisely what Strong succeeded in doing as his 13-catch, 246-yard, 3-TD haul resume is believed to be the most decorated/documented effort by an STA receiver in at least the past 20 years (MaxPreps stats)!!!….In fact, his sums are just 5 grabs and 55 yards shy of the NYS record that MaxPreps list!
Strong commenced his three touchdown-grab exhibition when on 3rd & 4, he found space in the middle of the field and hauled in a 25-yard over-the-shoulder toss from senior signal caller, Dante Torres (28-for-38, 530 yards, 4 touchdown passes; 30 yards +3 TDs on the ground via 5 keepers) to square the game at 14 apiece with approximately 9:40 remaining in the 1st half…
A little more than four minutes later (STA against trailing by a touchdown; 21-14), Torres and Strong hooked up again, as the statuesque target used every bit of his lengthy frame to high-point a jump ball for the 7-yard TD snatch that squared the “firefight” at 21 apiece with 5:09 still to go in the 2nd quarter!
The hat trick was finalized during the opening minute of the 4th quarter (game tied at 35-35) as Strong made a leaping catch down the visiting sideline and then took 2-3 more steps into the end zone for a 28-yarder that gave St. Anthony’s their second lead of the day!
Officially classified as another undefendable headache for opposing secondaries, Strong has now registered a TD reception in each of his past three outings….Two weeks ago, while playing on his future college home field (Shi Stadium), he boasted a 4-grab, 160-yard, 3TD vitae in a high-scoring loss to St. Joe’s Regional (NJ)….He then followed it up with a 2-reception, 76-yard, 1TD performance in a win over Monsignor Farrell on September 24th!
Never forgetting his roots, Strong was also responsible for making 8 stops (2 solo, 6 assisted) on the other side of the ball!!!
Writer’s Note: Dante Torres was also nominated for POTW this week; and it need not be said that he was absolutely worthy…However, the decision was based on a desire to shine a spotlight on a fellow 12th grader who had not yet been given the warranted recognition!