Lake Chiesi (Jr.); WR/CB – Fordham Prep Rams
The recipient of the “Rising Star” Award in his rookie season on varsity as a sophomore in 2024; the 6’0, 185-pound Manhattanite was most definitely deserving of the “star” treatment following last Sunday’s 21-18 victory on the road over Holy Trinity!
Radiating Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson, and/or Travis Hunter vibes in utterly dominating from his spots at WR and the defensive backfield; among all of this week’s POTW nominees; no one made as big a universal contribution as the #2 jersey!
Responsible for collecting all three of the Fordham Prep’s touchdowns on Sunday afternoon; the multi-sport (also competes in Track & Field) honor student-athlete (3.7 GPA) would haul in four catches (3 for TDs) for a sum of 105 yards!!!
His impact apparent from the get-go, Chiesi emphatically stamped FP’s opening drive when he caught a short screen pass and then raced to pay dirt from a distance of 46 yards to hand the Rams the early 7-0 advantage…
The scoreboard now reading 7-6 at the half; for the second time in as many opportunities, it was Chiesi coming out of the locker room on fire; as he’d again strike on an opening drive when he racked 24 yards of YAC en route to a 25-yard TD reception that increased the cushion to 14-6 at the early stages of the 3Q!
An 80-yard QB Keeper from Titans Senior, Ian Williams, cutting the deficit to 14-12 on HT’s first drive of the 2nd half; the [Colin] Ballantyne to Chiesi senior network immediately answered back, when the former found the later wide-open over the middle on a 20-yard dart for what proved to be the game-clincher in the last 5:00 of the 3rd quarter!!!
Defensively, he was credited with four pass break-ups to go along with a tackle in containing a Titan attack that entered having averaged 33ppg in their last three appearances to a modest 18!
In recognition of his gallant demonstration on both sides of the line of scrimmage; Chiesi is now a first-time Player of the Week choice!
Ka’Mauri Guinyard (Sr.); DE/OLB – Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders
After consecutive weeks of the Crusader offense hogging the POTW spotlight, week 7 afforded the “D” the opportunity to regain command of centerstage…
And there was no larger protagonist in Stepinac’s 21-7 triumph over Kellenberg than the 6’2, 230-pounder hailing from Yonkers [Guinyard]….
Living up to his social media handle, “Gator”; the #10 shirt attacked with immense speed and ferocity in a 6-stop (2 TFL), 2-sack, 2-QB hurry effort that agonized the Firebirds for the entirety of Saturday afternoon!
His presence invaluable in keeping KMHS off the scoreboard for the first 42:23 minutes of play; as steady as Guinyard was during the first half; he’d rev up the engine and/or shift to the next gear during the last 24 minutes of play…
The hosts from White Plains leading 21-0 with approximately 5:00 to go in quarter #3; it was Guinyard charging untouched up the middle for the first of his pair of QB bags to create an 8-yard loss and force Kellenberg to punt….
Early in the 4Q (just over 11:00 remaining in regulation); it was the “Chomp Master” rising to the occasion again and creating another change of possession when on 4th down, he spoiled KMHS most promising drive of the day thus far (inside the AS 21) when he fired off the edge and recorded a nearly 20-yard strip sack to induce the T.O.D.!!!
Limited to no fewer than four tackles in a single game this fall; not to mention collecting at least one sack on five of eight weekends; Guinyard is well on his way towards shattering his solid junior stat line (61 stops, 6 TFLs, 5 sacks)….With two regular season contests remaining on the schedule; he presently has accumulated the following: 54 stops (6 TFLs), 6 sacks (#1 in NYCHSFL, and 16 pass rushes (#1 in the NYCHSFL)!!!
October 18th being “Senior Day”; it was fitting that in what might have been his penultimate outing on home soil; Guinyard both started and ended with reason to rejoice and celebrate!
Guinyard is a first-time NYCHSFL POTW nominee!
Jacob Jimenez (So.); QB – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers
Conjuring up memories of the 2022 and 2023 seasons when 3rd-Team All-State selection/NYCHSFL Offensive Player of the Year, Marc Pearson Jr., took the Mountaineers to back-to-back Championship weekends (claiming the AA-2 title in ‘23); no matter how this fall concludes for the Mount; they know the trajectory of the program is on an upswing thanks to the presence of their breakout sophomore field general [Jimenez]
Entrusted by Coach Holt and his staff to “air it out”; the 5’8, 145-pound Bronx resident had shown flashes of brilliance at various times throughout the previous seven weeks; but last Saturday in the squad’s 28-6 win over St. Dominics; those in attendance witnessed a coming of age and/or the birth of a budding superstar!!!
Succeeding in either tying or establishing new single-game highs across the board in all passing categories; Jimenez connected on 10-of-17 attempts for 298 yards and FOUR TOUCHDOWNS to raise MSMA’s record to 3-4!!!
The yardage quantity was the most amassed by a Mount QB since the aforementioned Pearson Jr. Hurled for 311 yards in a 54-48 shootout win over St. Francis Prep during week #2 of the ‘22 campaign; while the “aerial tetrad” (4TD tosses) is the highest sum recorded by a MSMA field general in at least the past two decades (since MaxPreps began tracking statistics)!!!
All of Mount St. Michael’s points coming during the 1st half; Jimenez’s “career day” got off to the ideal start when on the initial possession of the afternoon, he teamed-up with Ryan Reid (3 grabs for 158 yards) on the first of their trio of touchdown exchanges on a 10-yard completion with 5:05 to go in the opening corner to put MSMA up 6-0!……
Prior to the dump off for the TD, he had a 35-yarder to Ryan Urena (3 receptions for 63 yards) to move the ball inside the Dom’s 25-yard line!
After a 59-yard TD pass on the subsequent series by the Bayhawks evened the game at 6-6; Jimenez prevailed in the proverbial game of “anything you do; I can do better” when his response took the form of a 65-yard bomb to Reid (+ a 2pt conversion pass to Drew Diaz) to regain the lead, 14-6, with 3:39 before the end of the 1st quarter…
An INT deep in his own zone (MSMA 15) by Al-Amin Shobayo thwarting a promising drive from St. Dom’s late in the 2nd quarter; Jimenez and Reid put the exclamation on the natural hat trick when on the first snap after the induced turnover; they transformed a simple slant into an 85-yard house call (defender gambled by going for the interception) to make it a 20-6 margin with 2:20 before halftime!!
After a forced punt gave him one more try at adding points before the break; Jimenez executed a 40-yard deep ball to Jon-Marc Elliott to move the ball to the 2-yard line; and then beat the buzzer with a 2-yard mini-dump to Junior TE, Ralphael Almanzar, for the TD; but a penalty flag negated the score….
Denied his “four-spot” in the waning moments of the 1st half; the three-sport student-athlete (also a key member of the track and baseball teams) made sure he got the job done at the onset of the 2nd half, as he’d put the pigskin on the money for an 11-yard slant to Diaz (2 grabs for 30 yards, 1TD) on 3rd & 10 to culminate a 60-yard, 8:30 minute march that made the score 28-6 (2pt conversion run by Victor Declet)!
By virtue of his monster matinee; Jimenez upped his seasonal totals to 965 yards and 9 TD (49-of-107) and now ranks second in both categories among AA-2 personnel!
This being his POTW debut; with two-plus years still ahead of him; there is little doubt that he is destined to command more positive press and/or accolades!
Bryce Moye (So.); QB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
Billed as a “Battle for the top-seed” in the NYCHSFL Triple-A playoffs; when Monsignor Farrell took the road trip to New Rochelle to square off with previously unbeaten Iona Prep; the fans knew in advance that they would be treated to a dynamic performance from a future 2025 1st-team All-State signal caller….
What the pundits may have gotten wrong though is which of the specific talented field generals that would be the one to stand out under the Friday Night Lights of October 17th!
Opposed by the Gaels’ returning All-State QB, Julian Guzman; it was the super sophomore [Moye], not the sensational Senior [Guzman] that delivered an evening to remember in leading the Lions to a 28-21 victory!
The win snapping IP’s 13-game winning streak against Metro Catholic foes; when they inevitably see their name on the top line of the playoff bracket; the Farrell coaching staff will have their 6’2, 200-pound gunslinger to thank for the feat!!
Demonstrating the maturity and poise necessary to topple a sitting giant (IP entered as both the defending CHSAA Champs, as well as the current #1 ranked team in NYS); it would be the clutch effort of the #1 jersey in the send half that vaulted the Amboy Road cohort to what was perhaps the program’s biggest win in a quarter of a century (2000 title win over St. Anthony’s)….
The contest all deadlocked at 7 apiece at the break; Moye’s ability to keep snaps alive by scrambling and buying time until something could open up downfield proved invaluable throughout the final 24 minutes of action; as he’d be either directly responsible or a catalyst in accounting for all 21 of the points scored by MF in the final 16:00 of regulation….
Two of the squad’s three 2nd half touchdowns coming on TD tosses by Moye; he’d give the Lions a 14-7 advantage with 3:56 remaining in the 3Q when he rolled left, dodged a defender, and then cut back to the right before lofting a perfectly-placed 15-yard toss into the waiting arms of twin brother, Braxton (8 receptions for 112 yards, 1TD grab)!!!
Earlier in this drive, it was his 25-yard screen pass to Kevin Gumb (101 yards and 1 TD rushing on 16 carries; 3 catches for 45 yards) that moved the pigskin beyond midfield to the IP 36!
On the next series, the Moye duo hooked up on a 35-yard bubble screen to set up Gumb’s 33-yard TD run two snaps later to make it a 21-7 affair with just over half-a-minute to go in the third stanza!
His calmness and creativity being a saving grace; there would be no bigger sequence for Moye then when on 4&2 on his own 41-yard line in the final 9:00 of the 4Q, he’d fake a keeper and then pull back to hit his brother on a 45-yard connection that set up Farrell at the IP 14…
Two snaps later, it was a 6-yard slant to Ryan Tait in the end zone that provided the insurance (28-7 with 7:38 on the clock)!
Concluding the night with a stat line of 14-for-20 in the air for 229 yards (3TDs); Moye drew first blood when he found Gianni Pasqualone on a 51-yard homerun call early in the 2nd quarter to give MF the initial 7-0 edge!
Having now posted 200-yard+/3TD throwing efforts (253 yards on 11-of-12 vs. Fordham Prep in week #6) in back-to-back appearances; Moye raised his seasonal totals aerially to an impressive 1,2067 yards and 13 TD passes while sporting a 74.5% success rate (76-of-102)….He has also called his own number on an additional five rushing scores!!
Honored for the second time this season (previously in week #0) and the third time in his young career; the “young gun” has been exceptional all fall; but has taken it to the next level with the postseason looming!