SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Whether it be a long kick return or a big boot in the closing moments for a game-winner; names such as Deion Sanders, Gale Sayers, Devin Hester, Brian Mitchell, Adam Vinatieri, Shane Lechler, Jason Elam, Ray Gay, Lou Groza, Sammy Baugh, Justin Tucker, and Harrison Butker are iconic…
An area of the game that garners the least attention; but has every bit as significant an impact on determining the verdict; the ability to dictate starting field position or deliver clutch points at the perfect time is never to be taken for granted…
The unit is called “special” teams because it requires a special kind of person to be entrusted to answer the call to duty when it rings!!
And speaking of “rings”; it is not by mere coincidence that the stellar performances given by two of 2024 selections would be rewarded by the football Gods in the form of earning respective NYCHSFL Championships this fall…
An award that is still in its infancy (2018 being the first year it was handed out); already a rich history has been established as past winners such as Anthony Pecorella (2018; Chaminade), RJ Kocan (2021; St. John the Baptist), and Ellis Robinson IV (2021; Iona Prep) went on to play power-5 football within programs such as West Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia…
Today’s inductees to the “Fellowship of Specialists” consisting of two a pair of “Jacks-of-All-Trades”, as well as a golden-legged P/PK; it is with open arms that we celebrate and welcome— Nico Calandrello (Kennedy Catholic; AA-II), Anthony Lavezzoli (St. Joseph’s by the Sea; AA-1), and Michael Messina (Iona Prep; AAA)!!!
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Calandrello: The epitome of what it means to be a “team captain”, very few, if any other player in the Metro Catholic league was asked to do more this season than the 5’10, 180-pound senior out of Ossining…Fulfilling every major role possible on all special teams’ units; Calandrello returned both kicks and punts, while also being the one doing the booting on behalf of the Gaels…His legs dynamic no matter which particular assignment he was undertaking, the standout in the #4 jersey racked up sums of 310 yards (235 on KR; 75 on PR) as a return man, highlighted by an 85-yard pilgrimage to the promised land in Late-September versus St. Dominics!!!…As a traditional dual-purpose kicker, he would be immensely consistent, converting 4-5 PAT tries while boasting averages of 35 and 27.3 on kickoffs and punts. He’d even create an additional opportunity for the offense when he successfully converted an onside kick…His previously cited body of work already sufficient to warrant a heap of respect and accolades; the truth of the matter, is that the above does not begin to encapsulate the invaluable presence he carried with him in his swan song campaign…Shifting from being the KC’s top receiving threat to their field general midway through the year due to injury, he’d amass 585 yards of total offense, passing for 200 yards and 2 TDs (26-of-27), while also rushing for a Gael-best 245 yards and a touchdown on 54 attempts. Despite only playing half the games as a WR, a testament to his talents is that he still managed to finish 2nd on the squad with 13 grabs (140 yards)…Believe it or not, HE PLAYED DEFENSE TOO, accruing 55 tackles creating multiple turnovers (2 INTs, an induced fumble, and a recovered fumble) from his spot in the defensive backfield…Kennedy Catholic enjoying something of a stranglehold on SPOY distinction, Calandrello is the fourth Gaels since the inception of the award to be named…He joins 2xer, Brendan Lebitsch (2018/2019), and last year’s winner, Israel Centeno-Johnson, in adding to the trophy case!
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Lavezzoli: The first Vikings to take home this award, much like Calandrello, the 6’0, 180-pounder Staten Islander could not be defined and/or fully appreciated for what he did just as a special teamer…An every occasion/every down contributor to SJS’s first title-winning season in history, if not for Lavezzoli’s awareness and quickness, hoisting hardware may not have been in the cards on the night of November 22nd…His team having just scored a TD to trail 7-6, it was be this #4 shirt emerging with the difference-maker when while acting as the holder on the PAT; he jumped up and sprinted across the line for the 2pt conversion for the final points in an 8-7 triumph. The 2-pointer in the title contest was the third of the season for Lavezzoli, who also saw significant time as a both a kick and punt returner for the cohort…An electrifying 103-yard KR for a score against Holy Trinity unfortunately negated by a penalty flag; even if it did not formally count, this sequence displayed just how dangerous he could be with the ball in his arms. He did average 24 yards per PR!!!!…The multi-sport superstar (also tears up the hardwood) was an undeniable asset/force to be reckoned with on both offense and “D”, further bolstering his exploits by finishing as the team’s 2nd leading rusher with just under 500 yards and six scores as a reserve running back; and then having the stamina to be among the Vikings top tacklers (approximately 80 stops) and ball-hawks (registered his second INT of the season in the AA-1 title game)!!!…To try to categorize him by a specific position would be to do him an injustice…When you think “Anthony Lavezzoli”; just proclaim “football player”!
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Messina: The successor to 1st Team All-State pick/2023 NYCHSFL Specialist of the Year, Sam Bisesi; there would not be the slightest drop in effectiveness out of the kicking game for the 2024 Triple-A League and/or NYCHSAA State titlist Gaels thanks to the emergence of the 12th grader hailing from Rye…Ranked 4th in New York State among all FG kickers with 61 cumulative points; the perennial honor roll student-athlete (4.6 unweighted grade point average) connected on 55 of 61 total attempts (52-for-58 on extra pts; 3-for-3 on FG), including a career-best 35-yarder as part of a Mid-October victory over Cardinal Hayes…Absolutely automatic all year with the exception of the NYCHSFL finale (the wind resulted in three PAT misses); Messina more than made up for his lone “off day” when he was “nails” in the State title contest, going 5-for-5 on point after tries…That “sniper rifle” of a leg that he has attached to his torso just as crucial in aiding the “D” as it was a treasured component of the offense; Messina consistently drove the ball down field and buried the opposition deep in their own zone…Racking up an average KO of 49.3 yards (67 attempts), he’d notch a touchback on nine different occasions…His resume as a punter was second to none and potentially may have been the area where he thrived the most; as he recorded an average of 38.3 yard and placed 7 of his 25 total punts inside the enemy 20!!!…This dual ability to both put a plethora of points on the board and flip the field was priceless and put him in a class all of his own in terms of universal merit…Today is just the beginning of the laurels that will be rolling it for #84 in the coming weeks, as we fully anticipate seeing him on the All-State team!