Xavier Bala (So.); RB – St. Anthony’s Friars
Regarded by many pundits as an individual with the potential to be the finest Friar tailback since Matt Hahn (graduated in 2003 and took his talents to Penn State University), the 6’0, 210-pounder [Bala] was a rare call-up to the varsity as a freshman in 2023; but it has been his sophomore season where his budding stardom has especially begun to become evident…
Already holding scholarship offers from the likes of Syracuse, Rutgers, Buffalo, Stony Brook, and Bowling Green, the super sophomore out of Baldwin has a VERY realistic chance of reaching the 1,000 milestone this winter should the Black & Gold enjoy an extended postseason run…
His seasonal stat line reading as 653 yards and five touchdowns on 126 attempts (5.2/per), Bala is going to carry significant momentum within him into the Triple-A postseason as he is fresh off of a career-best 128 yards on 28 tries in a 42-34 victory over defending League and State champs, Cardinal Hayes, last Saturday afternoon that clinched the #2 seed for the South Huntington based program!!
Week #9 witnessing the third century-mark performance of the season for the Long Islander (ran for 111 yards vs. Chaminade in the season opener; ran for 109 in week #7 vs. St. John the Baptist), Bala is as much substance as he is style, as he selflessly sacrificed his body and served as the lead blocker on all three of senior QB, Gary Merrill’s, TD keepers (2-yarder in the 2nd quarter that squared the game at 14-14; 36-yarder around the corner in the 4th that increased the Friars’ cushion to 35-21; 4-yard game-winner with :25 remaining in regulation)!!
In the middle of “tossing around his weight” and being an unsung hero, Bala relished in the privilege of cashing in for “6”, when he punctuated the first offensive series of the 2nd half for STA by punching the pigskin across the line from 1-yard out to answer a Hayes’ TD and bring his school within 21-20 with 3:55 to go in the 3Q!
St. Anthony’s will begin their quest for their 16th NYCHSFL crown this coming weekend when they host Archbishop Stepinac….When the two juggernauts collided in week #4, Bala was held to 19 yards on seven carries (35-6 STA victory); but we are predicting a much different outcome in the rematch!
A first-time Player of the Week nominee in the regular season finale; look for Bala to become a week-by-week candidate during his upperclassman years as the focus of the offensive with shift to the #8 shirt once Merrill (current Triple-A leader in rushing yards; tops among all Metro Catholic ball-carriers for ground touchdowns) graduates!
Peter Gerbasi (Sr.); RB – Chaminade Flyers
The ground game being the constant in the Crimson & Gold attack on offensive this fall; now both members of the 1-2 punch in the Flyer backfield have garnered POTW acclaim!!
Joining his senior QB, Timothy Murphy (Week #0 recipient), in going bookends during the regular season among the annals of the heralded, the 5’10, 180-pounder out of Rockville Centre [Gerbasi] could have easily been featured multiple-time during the past 10 weeks; but we are pleased to see him get his long-overdue spotlight in Chaminade’s 20-7 triumph on the road over a very rugged Xavier squad…
Never a pretty moment when you play a gritty foe like the Knights; the match-up is the perfect barometer of a person’s toughness and determination…And in this regard, the Lehigh University lacrosse commit went unmatched!!
Emerging with at least the fourth 100+-yard outing of the year (stats for weeks 8 and 9 were not available at the time of publication), Gerbasi would accrue 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 15 attempts (7.1/per)…
November 1st marking the second two-TD display of both the season and his two-year varsity tenure (also pounded his way to a pair of 6’s in a 27-0 shutout versus John Jay in #1) for the gentleman in the #5 jersey, the future Mountain Hawk pole was the “terminator” during the opening 24 minutes of action at the Aviator Sports Complex under the lights…
Responsible for both of CHS’s two touchdowns in the 1st half, Gerbasi drew initial blood on the team’s first possession when he powered his way up the gut from 5-yards out to give the Mineola based school the 6-0 advantage with 5:34 remaining in 1Q!!…
In the last 2:00 of the second quarter (1:50 to go before halftime), Gerbasi made certain to send his “boys” into the break with a lead, as he culminated 15-play, 65-yard drive when he turned the corner and made a slight cutback to strike on a 10-yard run to turn a then 7-6 deficit into a 13-7 advantage at the midway point of the contest!!
Hailed as one of the sparkplugs for an institution that transformed from a 1-8 team in 2023 to a 7-3 cohort that enters the postseason as the #5 seed in the Triple-A bracket, it need not be stated that Gerbasi will be leaned on heavily to control possession and clock when the Flyers hit the road to Staten Island for a quarterfinal affair with Monsignor Farrell this coming Friday (Nov. 8th)!!!
Matthew Herlick (Sr.); WR – Fordham Prep Rams
The next member in the tradition of loaded Wide Receiving corps on East Fordham Road, the 6’2, 183-pound Manhattanite is the second Ram WR this winter to receive POTW distinction [Thomas Mellody in week #4)…
A three-sport athlete who is pursuing opportunities on the baseball diamond at the next level; if Herlick continues to turn out performances on the gridiron the way he has been doing down the homestretch (18 catches for 298 yards, and 4 TD grabs during weeks #7-9) of the 2024 campaign; then he might just find that his collegiate future involves pads instead of bats!!
Currently in triple crown position in all pass-catching categories on the FP roster with 30 grabs for 581 yards and 6 scores, he ranks second across the board in the Double-A-1 division behind only St. Francis Prep’s Rocco Petronella (Week #6 POTW)…
“Heating up”, as noted above, for what hopefully will be a promising postseason crusade, if it was Herlick’s intention to ride a wave of momentum into the playoffs; then he most certainly thrived in this regard, as he’d set new personal-best for receiving yards (158) and touchdown snatches (3) last Saturday in the program’s 28-13 triumph on the road over defending AA-2 titlists, Mount St. Michael Academy!!
The target on all three of Senior field general, Jonathan Bailey’s (9-for-16, 194 yards, 3 TD tosses) scoring trifecta in the air, Herlick would haul in touchdown throws from distances of 72, 40, and 35 yards as he never gave the opposition a reason to feel optimistic about their chances at a comeback!!
Causing us to ask ourselves if the #25 jersey is the missing link to FP football prosperity?; What is most remarkable about his accolades in 2024 is that this is Herlick’s first season playing football on behalf of Ram Nation!!
His “rookie fortunes” invaluable in propelling the Maroon & White to the #4 seed in the bracket; one of the stories of the quarterfinal round will be the clash of prolific receivers as he will have the chance to steal the shine from the man he is chasing [the already cited Petronella] when FP welcomes the Terriers to Coffey Field for a Friday Night tussle!!
Anthony Lavezzoli (Sr.); RB/DB – St. Joseph’s By the Sea Vikings
Earning the moniker “Swiss Army Knife” in celebration and recognition of the impact he brings to the field on both sides of the ball on a weekly basis; the 6’0, 180-pound Staten Islander has not had a single “Off Day” since the first whistle of his final year as a Viking…
So when SJS Head Coach, Tressor Baptiste, called this the “finest game of his career” in reference to Joe’s by Sea’s 38-31 shootout dub last Sunday over their hosts from Hicksville [Holy Trinity], we applied tremendous weight behind such high praise!!
And in watching the game-film, we saw that it was not just lip service, as the 3.8 GPA, dual-sport (hoops in the winter) student-athlete was every bit as impressive as his mentor suggested!!!
Directly culpable in producing more than 50 percent (20 of 38) of the Vikings cumulative output on the scoreboard in week #9, Lavezzoli posted a career-high of three touchdowns (plus a successful 2-point conversion) during his 48-minute demonstration of well-rounded dominance….
His damage coming in the form of two TDs via legs and another by hands, the senior captain racked up a sum of 96 yards (69 on the ground on 10 carries; 1 grab for 27 yards) in helping SJS lock up the top overall seed in the AA-1 playoffs!!!
Setting up the first touchdowns of the afternoon for the Vikings, the #4 jersey advanced the ball from the HT 32 to the 8 on back-to-back carries as a precursor to teammate Thomas DiGregorio (139 yards + 2 scores on 21 tries) punching it in on 4th & goal from the 4-yard line to turn a 3-0 deficit into a 7-3 lead a little less than nine minutes into the opening stanza…
The margin having increased to 9-3 following an induced safety on a blocked punt, Lavezzoli found the promised land for the first of his “Devilish” hat trick, as he went lined up in the slot, broke over the middle, and hauled in a 27-year connection from sophomore QB, Christian Carter (7-for-10, 126 yards, 1 TD hurl), to make the score 16-3 with 2:31 prior to the intermission…The touchdown snatch was the first in the career of this universal weapon…
The showdown evolving into a back-and-forth (six lead changes) exchange of firepower, with SJS now trailing 17-16, it was Lavezzoli answering back when he lowered his shoulder and bulldozed into the end zone from a distance of 6 yards away to restore the upper hand, 23-17, with just under 8:00 to go in 3Q!
Another trade-off of touchdowns from the respective schools making the score 29-24, the. Joe’s by the Sea coaching staff pulled out the trickery on the PAT attempt, as Lavezzoli would pop up on the fake kick and then sprint in for the 2-pointer to establish a full TD cushion (31-24) 2:30 into the final quarter!!…
A defensive stop finally achieved, Lavezzoli tacked on the much-needed insurance in the last 4:30 of regulation when he took a HB draw up the middle for the 10-yard nail in the coffin (38-24)…
Already the top Viking tackler this fall, he’d continue to pile up strong numbers on “D”, as he posted an 8-stop, 1-sack, 1-TFL effort to the cause!!!
Accustomed to being towards the top of all team leaderboards regardless of which side of the gridiron he is operating (was the #1 rusher as a junior with 262 yards on 49 carries; #2 tackler with 39 stops), the first-time POTW pick has left his previous body of work in the dust, as he heads into the postseason with a stat line that reads as follows: 360 yards and six rushing TDs on offense; 70 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 sack on “D”….
Week #9 serving as a preview of a NYCHSFL quarterfinal match-up, the only thing that will differ this weekend will be the location as Joe’s by the Sea will enjoy the home field boost!!!…
Seeking their first Metro Catholic title in history (“A” runners-up in 2000, 2001, and 2003; “AA” bridesmaids in 2019), if Lavezzoli plays even a fraction as well in the rematch with the Titans as he did during the original meeting; then there is every reason to believe that Coach Baptiste and company will move one step closer to the objective!!
Donovan O’Toole (Sr.); WR/KR – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds
That consummate teammate who plays for a purpose bigger than himself; the only number you NEED to consider when accessing the volume of “class” possessed by the 5’8, 155-pound student-athlete out of Long Beach is the #28!!
Donning this number on his jersey in tribute/honor of former teammate, Chris Battaglia, who ascended to the Kingdom of God last January, O’Toole represents everything that we aspire to in terms of the Christian values imparted by playing NYCHSFL football!!!
A two-year multi-sport star for the Firebird varsity on both the gridiron and the lacrosse field, while today marks his official POTW debut; O’Toole has been a mainstay/focal point of the KMHS passing attack since the get-go of the 2023 fall Campaign!!
Having surpassed all of his statistical contributions from a year ago (17 grabs for 165 yards in ‘23) prior to even stepping foot on the field for the ‘Berg’s 35-21 victory over St. Francis Prep in the regular season finale, O’Toole made sure to further add to his banner swan song when he accrued single-game career bests for receptions (7) and receiving yards (80), while hauling in only the second TD reception of his tenure wearing the Blue & Gold!!
His breakout afternoon on November 2nd raised his 2024 totals to squad-leading sums of 30 snatches for 298 yards!!
With Kellenberg enjoying a 21-13 edge in the 3Q, O’Toole emerged with perhaps the most substantial of his aforementioned collection of catches when on 4th & 3, he beat his man over the middle and made an over-the-shoulder for a 32-yard TD reception that created a two-score margin (28-13)…
Hailed by Head Coach, Eric Meisse, as a “universal weapon that makes things happen in all aspects of the game”; earlier on Saturday, O’Toole was afforded the opportunity to showcase his skills as special teamer/kick returner, as he’d respond to a game-tying Terrier TD with 1:15 remaining in the first half by fielding the ensuing kickoff on his own 15 and chugging 60 yards to the opposing 25…Per MaxPreps, his 536 yards in this capacity currently ranks 1st in all of New York State!!!
Shortly after, he advanced the ball to the SFP 10 when he was on the back-end of a 14-yard completion to further facilitate a 10-yard fade route hook-up between Jack Durso (18-for-24 in the air for 186 yards, 2 TD passes; 75 yards and two additional 6’s on 13 carries) and Jack Geoghan (4 catches for 35 yards, 1 TD) that send the Marianist inspired program into the break up 14-7!!
As KMHS readies themselves for a quarterfinal showdown with defending Metro League and CHSAA State Champion, Cardinal Hayes, this weekend; they do so with a knowledge of explosive the Cardinals’ offense can be…Thus, it will be up to O’Toole and company to turn in monster efforts should a shootout materialize!
Adam Jerome (Sr.); RB – St. Dominic’s Bayhawks
A moment 40 years in the making came to fruition on night of November 1st, as the Bayhawks would achieve their first winning season in four decades behind a 22-16 victory over Christ the King…
And the man at the center of it all would be St. Dom’s would be their towering 6’5 tailback hailing from St. Albans [Jerome]…
His exploits more pronounced on the hardwood [All-League basketball player] than on the gridiron; the gent in the #3 jersey picked a perfect occasion to channel his inner-Saquon Barkley, as he’d directly deliver 20 of the team’s 22 total points under the Friday night lights…
Credited with 57 yards and three touchdowns on the evening, when the stakes were the highest, Jerome would be the one that the coaching staff put their full trust within…
The contest all deadlocked at 16 apiece, Jerome completed the hat trick when he took the hand-off wide around the corner and jetted 14 yards into the end zone for the game-winner with a little over 4:00 remaining in regulation…
After a scoreless opening 12 minutes, Jerome would also be the one to draw first blood as he took the carry slightly off-center to the left punched his way across the line from 2-yards out to give the Oyster Bay based program the initial 8-0 advantage (2pt conversion by Matt De Franza)!!
Sandwiched in-between the two bookend scores would be a “full service” effort by honorable roll student-athlete, as he’d both strike for a 3-yard TD run and then tack on the successful 2-pointer with 5:45 remaining in 3Q to put the ‘hawks back on top, 16-8!!
Closing out the 2024 fall campaign as the winners of three in a row (and five of their last seven appearances), the victory over the Royals raised St. Dom’s status to 5-4!..
Jerome could have just as easily been recognized during week #8 as he racked up 125 yards of offensive production (55 on the ground, 70 as a pass-catcher), highlighted by a 60-yard reception in a 39-0 blanking of St. Luke’s (CT)!
