Xavier Bala (Jr.); RB – St. Anthony’s Friars
It is not by pure coincidence or fluke when a person who holds scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, University of Alabama, Penn State, Syracuse, Nebraska, etc puts on a show and leaves no doubt that he is the best player on the field regardless of the scoreboard!!!
Thus far; despite the NYCHSFL returning Triple-A runner-up Friars mustering only a split of their two non-league contests; there is no mystery as it pertains to the supremacy of their 6’1, 215-pound junior stallion, Bala!!!
A season removed from posting a 1,009 yard/8 touchdown campaign on the ground as a 10th grader (5.6/per carry); the Baldwin resident has exploded out of the gates in 2025 and is looking the part of being a serious early contender for Riverso Memorial consideration (Metro Catholic Offensive Player of the Year)!!!
Following up a then career-best 166 yard/3 TD affair in a hard-fought week #0 loss to McDonogh; the consensus #2 overall in-state recruit in the class of 2027 was just a tad bit more productive in reestablish his personal-high for single-game yardage, as Bala went off for 170 yards and three additional scores (29 carries) to propel STA to a 35-20 triumph in a clash of Long Island vs. Rochester over University Prep on September 6th!
The “straw that stirs the drink” for a Black & Gold offense that seemingly has not skipped a beat after the graduation of NYCHSFL and/or Gatorade NYS Offensive Player of the Year, Gary Merrill; Bala drew first blood for STA when on the squad’s opening drive, he was able to power his way across the goalline from a distance of 4 yards to give his school the initial 7-0 lead!
The margin now sitting at 14-7 in the 2nd quarter (Kevin Moore had an 80-yard Pick-6 to make it 14-0 earlier in the day); Bala found the end zone for the second time when he lined up under center plunged 1-yard on the direct snap to restore the multi-TD cushion (21-7)!
The boys from South Huntington enjoying a 21-13 cushion in the 4th; #14 iced the victory when after prior runs of 21 and 19 yards during the series put STA on the cusp; Bala cashed in on a 3-yarder in the last 6:00 of regulation!!
His effort quite marvelous even without the “woulda, coulda, shouldas”; not overlooked was the 45-yard TD trek that was negated due to a penalty in the 2nd quarter that would have further bolstered his massive contribution!
Today marks Bala’s second POTW distinction; as he previously had the honor bestowed upon him in the regular season finale (week #9) last year!
Richie DeMarco (Sr.); WR – Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders
We don’t know what the 5’9, 155-pounder hailing from Harrison has for breakfast the morning of September 6th; but we want extra helpings of it after watching him absolutely slay to the tune of 12-grab, 223-yard, 2 touchdown vitae in the Crusaders’ 23-20 win over renowned Massachusetts dynasty, Central Catholic!
Collecting 19 receptions for 196 yards and three TDs during the entirety of his 11th grade year in 2024; the odds are favorable that the honor-roll student-athlete (3.8 GPA) will surpass those quantities by the time the sun sets on week #2 of the NYCHSFL season!!!
By far one of the most statistically dominant displays by a Stepinac WR in over 20 years (per MaxPreps; the yardage is a program-best going back to 2005; total grabs is tied for 2nd during this time period); DeMarco did not just stockpile catches for the sake of padding; his output was essential in emerging with the “w” for the White Plains based cohort!!
The Crusaders trailing 20-16 as the clock dipped below 2:00 remaining in the 4th quarter; DeMarco was at the forefront of the pinnacle moment of the afternoon; as he’d answer a go-ahead TD from CC seconds earlier when on the first snap of Stepinac’s ensuing possession; he made a shoe-string catch around his own 37 and then evaded a plethora of Central Catholic tacklers to parade 70 yards to the promised land for what was the game-winner (23-20; 1:35 before the end of regulation)!!!
The gallant 11th hour sequence representing the second “6” of the 4Q for DeMarco; he’d also be the one to issue a retort to CC’s TD late in the 3rd Quarter (to create a 13-10 deficit) when Jordyn Eaton found him uncovered on a 48-yard double-pass that put Stepinac back on top, 16-13, with 11:31 left to be contested!!!
Fittingly; in a week where his abundance of receptions was paramount; he is now on the receiving end of POTW status for the 1st time!
Eric Drobnak Jr. (Jr.); WR – Cardinal Hayes Cardinals
Lucas Nunez (2016), Jalen Smith (2018, 2019), Kuno Mendez (2019), Aramis Irizarry (2021), Cleveland Charlton (2023), Eli Garcia (2023), Ken-G Burnham (2024), Reid Jones (2024)…
A fraternity like no other in the Downstate Catholic football league; for the part better of the past decade, the Cardinals of Cardinal Hayes have been blessed to feature at least one dynamic/game-changing pass-catcher that garnered All-State recognition…
And thanks to the 6’1, 170-pound 11th grader [Drobnak]; it seems that the tradition will live on for at least two more years!!!!
Invaluable on the JV level for a squad that went on to hoist hardware; the jump up in competition did not phase Drobnak in the least as he was the star of the show in just his second varsity appearance!!!
Vaulting the “Bronx Bombers” to a 28-14 victory over perennial Monsignor Martin contender, St. Joe’s Collegiate, in the second game of the 2025 Heroes Bowl Triple-Header, the gent donning the #17 jersey put forth a 6-snatch, 146-yard, 2TD haul afternoon on the campus of Christian Brothers Academy last Saturday afternoon!!!
His impact felt from the get-go; it took Drobnak less than 3:00 to get himself in the box score, as he made a leaping 7-yard grab in the back of the end zone with 9:16 remaining in the opening quarter to give CH the immediate 6-0 lead!!!
An individual who most definitely possesses that flair/pizzazz as it pertains to his playmaking abilities; as impressive as the aforementioned TD reception was; it would be the sequel that commanded the headlines….
The Cardinals now up 12-6 at the onset the 3rd Quarter; it was the tandem of field general, Johnnye Booker, and his partner in crime [Drobnak] hooking up yet again when on 3rd & Impossible (26); the latter was able to make a jumping, mid-air adjustment to come down with the pigskin before darting the rest of the way to paydirt to polish off a 97-yard connection that increased the lead to 20-7 swung momentum right back in the corner of the “Birds” (direct response to the Marauders returning the KO to commence the 2nd Half)!!!….Drobnak was also on the back end of the successful 2pt conversion!!
Still in the infancy of what is already showing glimpses of a decorated varsity career; this is of course Drobnak’s introduction to POTW accolades!!!
He is the first Hayes wide-out to receive a nomination since Burnham was celebrated during week #3 of the ‘24 season!
Kevin Gumb Jr. (Sr.); RB/LB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
Referenced one week ago as part of teammate, Bryce Moye’s, POTW profile; the 5’11, 185-pound, three-way phenomenon commanded top billing in wk #1 in recognition of his utterly comprehensive exhibition of superb play in all facets of the game this Saturday….
Squaring off against 2024 NYSPHSAA State runners-up, Christian Brothers Academy (Albany) in a collision of the #10 and #7 ranked programs in the Evil Empire; the man wearing the #0 jersey was a contradiction to the concept of “nothingness”, as he was the facilitator/linchpin on both sides of the line of scrimmage in orchestrating an authoritative 35-12 victory on the road!!!
Offensively, Gumb Jr. continued to raise the bar for himself; as for the second consecutive week (120 yards, 2TD in a week #0 win over South Shore) he re-authored his personal record book by way of a 135yrd/3 TD performance on 17 carries!!
All three of his trips to paydirt occurring in the midst of the 1st quarter; he drew 1st blood with a little over 8:00 remaining when took the handoff to the left, cut back towards the middle, and then shed multiple defenders to gut his way for the 11-yard run that put the Lions up 7-0!
Farrell now up 14-6, Gumb sprinted went untouched in sprinting up for the middle for a 12-yard cruise that made it a 21-6 margin with 3:33 to go in the stanza….
His third and final “6” was his most impressive, and he took a 29-yard voyage to the house with under 60 ticks on the clock to provide additional insurance (28-6)!!
His exploits as a ball-carrier alone undeniably sufficient in securing his spot on the POTW scrolls; the “Iron Lion” had something to say on both defense and special teams to boot!!!
Credited with two stops, including a QB bag; Gumb set the tone for a “D” that succeeded in limiting the lethal Brothers’ attack (led by Sports Illustrated Player of the Year, Archie Jones) to their lowest point total since 2021!
As a specialist, he utilized his “mitts” on two different occasions, blocking both a PAT and a punt!!!
His universal significance across the board enabling him to be a threat week-in and week-out; this may be Gumb’s debut as a POTW; but our instincts tell us we will be seeing his name in print repeatedly in his swan song era!!
Peter Heaney (Sr.); QB – Xavier Knights
“Change does not wait for readiness; it simply unfolds, teaching us the power of adaptation.”—- Aloo Denish Obiero (Kenyan biochemist, poet, author, and scientific researcher)!
Fresh off of a junior season that witnessed the dual-threat signal caller produce 1,069 yards of total offense (488 in the air, 581 on the ground); the conditioning on the morning of September 7th could not be any less conducive to an effective passing game….
But, like the true leader he is; the 6’0, 180-pound incumbent starter under center for the Knights would simply improvise/modify the game-plan to the tune of a 28-7 victory over a Kellenberg Memorial nemesis that had defeated Xavier in the last six renditions of the rivalry (dating back to 2017)!!
Rendered completion-less (0-5) with his arm; Heaney instead would rely on that old school Knight toughness; pounding and willing his way to new personal-bests for single-game carries (23) and rushing TDs registered (3), while also netting the third century mark performance of his scholastic tenure (103; had games of 151 and 113 in 2024)!!!!
The centerpiece/main component of a four-cylinder machine (along with fellow seniors—Tyler Buono, Riley McLaughlin, & Elijah Stewart) that united to accumulate 302 yards and four scores on land; Heaney broke through with the first of his trifecta when he culminated an 8:00 opening series by calling his own number on a 1-yard keeper with exactly 4:00 remaining in the 1st quarter…
Precisely 12 minutes later (4:00 to go in the 1st half); Heaney doubled the lead to 14-0; as on the ensuing snap following an ill-timed Firebird fumble deep in their own zone; he barreled his way to the house from 2-yards away!
Aided by Buono’s 55-yard end-around that moved the move to the KMHS 11; Heaney posted consecutive carries of 5 and 6-yards apiece to finish off a “natural hatter” that made the score 21-7 in the last 2:11 of 3Q….
A first-time Player of the Week nominee; Heaney has Xavier off to their first 2-0 start since 2019!!!
Isaiah Smith (Jr.); RB – Christ the King Royals
If you are looking for proof that not all heroes wear capes; sometimes they don jerseys…
Then you need to search no further than the person of the Royals’ junior tailback, Smith!!!
Suiting up for his first varsity game in Maroon & Gold after transferring in from Malverne; the 6’3, 220-pounder from “Strong Island” erased 2.5 years of frustration and heartache in a span of 48 minutes on the afternoon of September 6th….
Proverbially putting the Middle Village based program on his back; Smith was the consummate “alpha” in compelling CTK to their first win since October 8th, 2022 by way of a 38-16 dub against Mount St. Michael Academy.…
Single-handedly accounting for 211 of the team’s 245 yards on the ground; Smith would not only rack up three TDs rushing; he’d also punctuate four of CTK’s five successful marches by being the one to convert on the bonus 2pter to conclude his afternoon having outscored the rival Mountaineers, 26-16!!!
Limitless in the spark he brings to this Royals’ attack; while it was likely the famed basketball program which was the attraction that predicated the move to Queens for the two-sport sensation (All-Conference on the hardwood as a sophomore); Head Coach, Benjamin Krauz, and his staff are more than happy to enjoy the benefits nonetheless!!
Well on his way towards ascending from “Mule” [Malverne] to GOAT status; it need not be said that Smith is on pace to shatter the 841 yards and 5 touchdowns in which he was credited during the ‘24 campaign!
If bursts of 37 and 51 yards (the distances on 2/3s of his TDs) become the norm for Smith; then smart money suggests that the Royals might just be on the verge of the ultimate redemption/rise from the ashes tale!
Joe Wolf (Sr.); WR – Iona Prep Gaels
If you had told us in advance of the Gaels’ clash with three-time NYSPHSAA State titlist, Somers, that it would be a senior target that stood taller than the rest; we would have emphatically agreed; but still been incorrect…
The inclination being that University of North Carolina bound Crew Davis (2025 NYSSWA Co-Offensive State POY; MVP of both the NYCHSFL and CHSAA State title contests) would be the one we were writing about this week; a true testament to the depth and combustion possessed by the Iona Prep offensive unit was the stellar play of the 6’3, 185-pound wide-out [Wolf]
One of the most underrated student-athletes on the roster of the reigning Triple-A Metro Catholic champs despite registering a 26-catch, 440-yard, 4TD effort as a junior; the resident of Rye came out of the shadows in a monstrous way during the night cap of the Heroes Bowl last Saturday to surge the New Rochelle juggernaut to a statement-making 37-7 triumph in the All-Westchester affair versus the Tuskers!!!
Setting a new personal-best for catches in a single-outing (5 for 57 yards), the three-year mainstay on the Maroon & Gold varsity was the most dangerous individual on the gridiron during the opening 24 minute of play, as he’d be on the back-end of not ONE, not TWO, but THREE different TD passes from IP QB, Julian Guzman (15-for-22; 223 yards, 4 TD hauls), in triggering a 28-0 cushion at the break!!
The first Gael WR to record a three-touchdown reception performance since Ethan Acevedo did the deed in ‘22 win over St. Anthony’s); Wolf transformed a then 7-0 lead into a 14-0 margin when he executed an flag-pattern to perfection on a 14-yard exchange between him and his Maryland bound field general [Guzman] with 3:23 to go in 1Q!!
It was deja vu with just under 6:30 remaining in the 2nd quarter, as the margin grew to 21-0 when Wolf again cut to the pylon and hauled in an 11-yard strike for TD #2!!!
The triad was fulfilled in the final 2:36 of the 2Q as he cut across the middle of the end zone and secured the 12-yard missile from Guzman to provide further separation on the scoreboard (28-0)!!!
A gentleman to the definition of the term; what makes Wolf so easy to endorse and/or applaud is the knowledge that away from the field/wood (also a three-year starter for the Hoops squad), he is also exceptional, as illustrated by his straight-A grade-point-average!!!
His #11 may be half of the #22 worn by his more famed teammate [Davis]; but on September 6th; he left no doubt that he is capable of being a #1 option when necessary!
This is Wolf’s inaugural POTW selection!