Patrick Darcy (Sr.); DL – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds
In the words of Sun Tzu, “Invincibility lies in the defense.”….And for the senior DL out of Rockville Centre [Darcy], his performance could not have been any more indomitable in anchoring a Firebirds “D” that was pivotal in handing the visiting Eagles their first blemish of the year (4-1) via a 14-7 victory on September 28th!!
Limiting the usually high-potent attack of St. Peter’s (entered averaging 28.6/per game) to just the aforementioned season-low of 7, the man blessed with the 6’2, 250-pound frame was extremely active in racking up personal-bests on the stat sheet, while simultaneously doing countless things that do not show up on paper in helping to deliver victory to the Uniondale based squad…
His #44 shirt impossible to ignore last Saturday afternoon, Darcy was credited with either tying or recording new single-day career-bests across the board, as he made 8 stops as a whole, generated 2 TFLs, notched a QB bag, and even had a key pass break-up in preventing the visitors from Staten Island from ever establishing a comfort zone with the ball in their possession…
Blessed with a pair of All-State personnel in the bodies of RB Jeremiah Williams & field general, Marco Aruta (Combined sums of 2,403 yards and 29 land TDs in being the #1 and #3 ranked runners in the Metro Catholic AA-1 classification in 2023), it is rare that STP leaves a field at the end of 48 minutes without at least one 100-yard earner…
But this was precisely the situation thanks to Darcy and company, as the duo would unite for just 106 yards against the buttoned up/stifling KMHS defenders…
“Blowing up lead blockers and winning one on one battles”, to quote the description given by HC, Eric Meisse, as to how the affair transpired for his National Honor Society inducted beast, Darcy was so dominant that he practically erased an entire side of the field…
Darcy’s body of work not just the collection of impressive numbers; there would be two separate occasions pinpointed by the Kellenberg coaching staff that hammered home how much of a difference-maker he was…
On a 4th & 6 scenario deep in Firebird territory (22-yard-line), it was Darcy’s sack that yielded a turnover on downs and kept the contest scoreless!!!
In the waning moments/homestretch (all knotted at 7-7), Darcy had a hand in just about every substantial snap of STP’s penultimate offensive series, as he assisted on the first stop; made a tackle for a loss of yards on 2nd down; before finally applying a devastating pass rush on 3rd down that caused Aruta to have to scramble, making it impossible for him to convert…
After a punt gave them a shortened field, the Berg offense was able to capitalize off their ideal starting position, as Jack Durso (82 yards on 13 carries), punched it across the goal line from 14 yards out for the game-winner!!!
His 2024 stat line now sitting at 20 stops, 2 TFLs, and 3 sacks, with just one more tackle during the remainder of the fall, Darcy will equal or surpass his output from all of 2023!!!
One of many blessed student-athletes in his family; if you needed any additional rationale for being in his corner; consider that his older sister, Lilyanne, is a sophomore on the Notre Dame University Women’s Swim Team!!!
Jaire Edwards (So.); DE/NT – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers
After three consecutive weeks of honoring any/all members of the lethal Mountaineer “backfield by committee”, the defense took center stage and demanded their flowers in week #4 following a 35-0 blanking of Christ the King on home turf!!
Edwards, a 6’2, 290-pound human intimidation factor that plugs the middle of the MSMA defensive line has been cited before in the write-ups of teammates; but today represents his first overall Player of the Week accolade while proudly donning the Blue & Gold colors!!
A reclassified sophomore who has been a bedrock/foundational piece of the Mount’s defensive line since his freshman year (27 stops, 2 TFLs in the fall of 2022), what is great about the man in the #58 jersey is that he is so consistent that you “can set your watch” to him in terms of the kind of effort he is going to give on day-in and day-out!!
Comprising a September 28th resume that featured a pair of tackles for negative yardage among his four cumulative stops, Edwards succeeded in already setting a new personal-best for TFLs in a season, as his two last Saturday gave him 3 already in a matter of just four appearances…
His four tackles raising his quantity to 15, he is well on pace to obliterate the previously recognized personal-high of 27 he set as a 9th grader…
A gentleman who puts the “Mountain” in “Mountaineers” for a “D-Unit” that has surrendered just 14 points all season (3.5/per), the goose-egging of the visiting Royals was their second shutout in a span of three weeks; as amassed a six-stop/1 TFL showing in the 49-0 victory over Cardinal Spellman!!
Between the vaunted ground arsenal (responsible for all five of the school’s touchdowns in week #4) and warriors like Edwards on the alternate side of the gridiron; it comes as a shock to no one on Murdock, Avenue that MSMA is off to their first 4-0 start in over 20 years!!!
Will Hart (Sr.); WR – St. Anthony’s Friars
Like Rod Tidwell in the 1996 smash hit, “Jerry Maguire”, the young stud in the #5 jersey for the Friars is very much a “commodity”; and in his particular case; is literally ALL HART!!!
Silencing all doubters who felt that the aerial attack of STA may suffer due to the graduation of a “once-in-a-lifetime” caliber talent such as DJ Duff Jr. (playing at Rutgers), the 5’10, 190-pound wide-out that callings Shoreham his home [Hart] has emerged as a supreme “go to” option during the first five weeks of the NYCHSFL schedule…
Catching at least one touchdown pass in four of five appearances thus far in his swan song, the perennial honor roll student (4.0 GPA) presently is enjoying a monopoly across all receiving categories on the Black & Gold leaderboard, as his 16 grabs for 323 yards (1st among all NYCHSFL players) for 5 touchdowns (1st among all Metro Catholic personnel) ranks him among, if not as the most prolific/dangerous target in 2024!!
Just a week removed from a 6-haul, 105-pound, 1TD effort in a victory over Monsignor Farrell (all of these numbers being personal-bests at the time); Hart rewrote several chapters of his record book last Friday night under the lights of CY Donnelly Field as part of a statement-making 34-6 triumph against Archbishop Stepinac that raised the Friars to 3-2 this fall (2-1 against NYCHSFL opponents) in the win/loss column!!!
Tackled for a 2-yard loss off of a WR screen on the first offensive snap of the evening, this would be the only instance in which the #5 jersey would be/could be contained by the Crusader defense, as he’d shine during the midst of the final 46 minutes of duration, adding three additional snatches for 122 yards and deuce touchdowns to set new single-game highs in each of the latter two pass-catching departments (120 & 2)…
STA out to a 7-0 advantage during the opening minutes of quarter #2, Hart logged the first of his already cited pair of touchdowns when on 2nd & 13, he’d beat his man over the middle on a the RPO from Gary Merrill (11-for-16, 178 yards, 3 TD tosses; 2 TD runs) to be on the back end of a 49-yard exchange that doubled the cushion to 14-0 with 10:10 remaining in the half!!!
Outdoing himself on STA’s next possession, it was “Rinse & Repeat” mode for Hart, as he’d again break over the middle, secure the catch, and then turn on the afterburners before diving into the end zone on the 58-yard completion with 4:51 to go before intermission to make the score, 20-0!!!
The Friars will be counting on another huge outing from their new star WR when they travel to New Rochelle on October 4th for a clash of Titans versus Iona Prep in what could be an offensive shootout given the speed and skill featured by both squads!
Thomas “Shea” Mellody (Sr.); WR – Fordham Prep Rams
Given his age, it is doubtful that the 5’10, 170-pound Manhattanite [Mellody] was a fan of the Righteous Brothers at the beginning of the season…But hopefully he is now since their song has become the theme of his senior year!!
“Unchained” or rather unstoppable most accurately conveys the arrival of Mellody as a premier pass-catcher during this past two-week stretch…
Making just 3 grabs for 111 yards and a single touchdown duration the course of his entire 11th-grade saga, the RB turned Wide Receiver has been riding a wave of prosperity in helping the Rams to a split in weeks 3 and 4…
Getting better with each and every subsequent appearance he makes on the gridiron, #3 in Maroon & White followed up efforts of 2-catch/20 yards & 5-reception/35-yards on September 13th and 20th against Holy Cross (44-12 win) and Kellenberg Memorial (24-14 loss), by putting forth the finest day of his scholastic career thus far in last Friday night’s 13-0 dub on the road over St. Joseph’s by the Sea…
Worthy of garnering some votes for “King” status while spoiling the Vikings’ homecoming festivities, Mellody relished a banner night, as he set personal new records across all receiving categories by “raining on the SJS” parade to the tune of 7 catches for 86 yards and one score!!….
In doing so, he elevated his fall totals to 14 snatches for 141 yards (1 TD)!!!
Praised by the Fordham Prep coaching staff for his ability to not only make signature plays that elicit headlines, but also the under the radar offerings that extend drives, Mellody’s presence was made known on every FP march that culminated with points being put up on the scoreboard…
His 11-yard catch (advanced the ball from the SJS 48 to the 37) on 3rd down laid the tracks for an eventual field goal that gave the Rams a 3-0 advantage 1:40 into the 2nd quarter…
In the last 3:40 before the teams retreated to the locker room for the halftime break, he’d peel off grabs of 10 (+ a 15-yard penalty for targeting), 25, and 7 yards on three straight snaps to move the pigskin from his own 35 to the Viking 9 to set up a Tadgh O’Neill’s second lucrative boot of the day to increase the lead to 6-0 at the midway point!!
His best was saved for last though, as just moments after Rory McGrath notched a key takeaway (INT on the St. Joe’s 44), Mellody iced the “w” when he shot out of the backfield on 4th & long and made an over-the-shoulder seize on the enemy 16 before sprinting the rest of the way to paydirt for a 19-yard touchdown that bumped the insurance level to 19-0 with just 1:22 left in the 4th!!
Aydin Mora (Sr.); RB/KR – Xavier Knights
The “Next Man Up” philosophy is a staple of most NYCHSFL programs; but this especially is the manta of any rough and tough Xavier cohort, as was showcased this past Saturday during a commanding 35-0 Knights’ triumph over Holy Cross that raised their record to .500 (2-2)…
His main contributions through week #3 having come primarily as a kick returner (had an 86-yard TD in a season-opening victory against Xaverian), the 5’6, 170-pound Bronx resident [Mora] confirmed that when afforded the privilege of doing so; he is just as capable of taking over/impacting a game within a traditional offensive role…
An injury to star running back, Jerry Kuharski (245 yards and 2 TDs on 31 carries in 2024; a year removed from accumulating 634 and 6 scores as a junior) forcing the West 16th Street brood to dip into their depth in the backfield; Mora would be the one to assume a leading role in a week #4 explosion that saw Xavier post their 2024-high in points (most since a 42-0 win on October 14th of the ‘23 campaign versus Cardinal Spellman)!!!
Entering the All-Knight clash having been credited with just 8 yards on as many attempts this fall, the #6 jersey emerged as the “rainbow on a stormy day”, as he went off for 117 and a pair of rushing touchdowns (both in the 2nd quarter) to spearhead the incendiary flow of the Xavier running attack (four TDs on the afternoon)…
His school already enjoying a 7-0 lead (on an 80-yard TD keeper by Peter Heaney), Mora would strike for back-to-back “6s” before the end of the 1st half, as he took a misdirection hand-off up the gut for a 45-yard trek with 6:12 remaining to make the score 14-0; and then complemented it with a 75-yard sprint around the edge and down the home sideline with 2:32 go before the break to further add to the cushion (21-0)…
Not finished yet in exhibiting the many ways he can be utilized as a weapon, with the scoreboard now reading 28-0, Mora proved that he has the hands to match the legs, running an out-route from the wing to be on the receiving end of a 9-yard TD toss from Heaney to round out the scoring for Xavier in the last 4:08 of the 3rd quarter!!
Today marking his first POTW debut, Mora is the first Xavier student-athlete to be honored with a nomination this season!
Mamadee Sangaray (So.); DB – Iona Prep Gaels
While the official score of the game may have read as Iona Prep-37, St. John the Baptist-7, you could just as easily list it as Sangaray-12; SJB-7…And he did it without scoring an offensive touchdown!!
The 6’0, 190-pound coveted sophomore is regarded by many pundits as potentially the best overall prospects that IP has had on their roster since the fall of 2021 when current University of Georgia defensive back, Ellis Robinson IV graced the NYCHSFL with his presence before departing for IMG Academy as an upperclassman…And during week #4, he demonstrated just why his coaches boldly stated that he is on his way to developing into a definitive power-5 performer at the next level!!
The consummate hybrid S/LB (Rover) who is equally adept at handling the responsibilities of both positions, the former Harlem Jet product hailing from the Bronx showed this immense versatility in the victory over the Cougars by being an invaluable part of a collective defensive performance that held their opponents to just 55 yards in the air (4-for-12 passing) and under 100 yards (95) on the ground…
His seven total tackles among the highest quantities he has posted at the onset of his budding stardom, where Sangaray would really stand out would be in the ball-hawking duties, as not once, but twice, he’d zone in on an opposing pass and then parade his way to the promised land for a PAIR OF PICK-6s….
The feat of multiple interception returns by a single player in the same contest was something that Head Coach, Joe Spagnolo, said he could not recall ever seeing during his time as a football lifer!
The host Gaels already leading 7-0 following a bomb TD pass from Julian Guzman to Matthew Davitt on the team’s first possession of the afternoon; that lead quickly doubled when on the second snap of the ensuing SJB drive, Sangaray found himself in the right place at the right time, cruising 24 yards to the house to make the score 14-0 just 2:35 into the 1st quarter…
The deja vu effect hit with just over 2:00 remaining in the opening stanza (score now 16-0) when the concentration of the #9 shirt was tested, as he’d maintain his focus and haul in a ball off the fingertips of a Baptist receiver before marching 52 yards down the IP sidelines to create further separation on the scoreboard, 23-0, with 1:53 to go in 1Q!
Not afforded the opportunity to display these facets of his talents last Sunday; Spagnolo was adamant in suggesting that his sophomore sensation [Sangaray] is capable of being every-bit the gamechanger as a wide-out or kick returner if needed!!
The shutout was the first earned by the Iona Prep defense since their 49-0 win over Kellenberg Memorial in October 2022!!
Kahmari Valentine (Sr.); DL – Cardinal Hayes Cardinals
When you have the nickname “Maddog”, there is really no question as to whether or not you need to be ferocious week-in and week-out!!
A four-year varsity contributor for the defending Triple-A League and CHSAA State Champions out of the Bronx, the 6’0, 317-pound behemoth [Valentine] has made his fair share of plays over the years (129 stops, 19 TFLs, 5 sacks from 2021-2023); but we’d be hard pressed to identify a more clutch and complete effort than the one he provided to the Cardinals’ “D” in their 18-12 victory on the campus of Columbia University last Friday night over Monsignor Farrell…
Coming just one stop short (8) of tying all of his prior individual single-outing highs, the “canine) in the #99 shirt played an integral role in commanding a Hayes’ D-Unit that conceded just 215 yards of total offense and held the Lions to their lowest output versus a NYCHSFL opposition since the 2022 Metro Catholic playoffs!!
His size and strength overwhelming in all areas, to go along with his already recognized 8 brutal hits, Valentine added a pair of TFLs and banked a sack as the crux of an individual heroics that accompanied a unified wave that gave up a touchdown and two field goals to Farrell in the 1st half (12-12 deadlock); but then rebounded to pitch the shutout for the remaining 24 minutes of the game!
Reigning NYCHSFL and/or New York State Offensive Player of the Year, Rich Belin, was his usual ”straw stirring the drink” for the ”O”, as he finished the evening with a short TD run and TD passes (17-yarder to Reid Jones in the 2nd quarter; game-winning 9-yard dump off to Week #3 POTW selection, Ken-G Burnham early in the 4th)…
This being the first official POTW nomination for the “Big Dog” (he was named as the Defensive MVP of the 2023 State Title contest in a week where Player of the Week was not penned); his inclusion caps off one heck of a blessed week, as he also received a scholarship offer from Central Connecticut State a short while ago!
Valentine is seeking to repeat as the league’s Lineman of the Year recipient (if not ascend to DPOY distinction)!!!
