Kenneth Brassfield-Dailey (Sr.); WR/PR – Holy Cross Knights
Making his Player of the Week debut; the Senior out of Jamaica was the catalyst in helping the AA-2 top-seeded Knights cruise through to the semifinals behind a 42-0 shutout over St. Dominic’s!!!
The word “boring” never to be found in his personal dictionary; the 5’11, 155-pounder would be directly responsible for scoring three touchdowns in two different manners to increase his TD total this season to eight!!
Entering last weekend as the program leader in receiving yardage and TD hauls this fall; Brassfield-Dailey did nothing but further solidify his reputation as the consummate deep ball threat within a potent HC aerial attack…
Both of his two receptions (for a sum of 58 yards) would generate scores for the Flushing based school, as he made grabs of 25 and 33 yards to raise his swan song stat line to: 19 catches for 429 yards and six touchdowns…
About as dangerous as they come when the pigskin is in his hands; the #17 jersey also showed himself to be lethal as a specialist when he added a 55-yard punt return to the promise land as part of a 75-yard contribution (2 chances) in this capacity….
The first hurdle on their postseason journey cleared with ease; Holy Cross will now set their sights on reaching championship weekend for a second straight year (lost in the Double-A-2 finale to Xaverian in 2024) when they square off against 4th-seeded Christ the King…
During the previous “Battle for Queens bragging rights” ensued on September 27th, Brassfield-Dailey posted a season-best 4 catches (for 44 yards), including one grab that yielded a TD in the 16-6 triumph!
Luke McKay (Jr.); RB/WR – Fordham Prep Rams
It was upset city this past weekend on the campus of SUNY-Maritime; and the “Mayor” was the 5’7, 155-pounder resident of Rye [McKay]
Living up to the legend of the #22 jersey, the junior hybrid tailback/receiver exploded for 225 yards and two touchdowns of offensive production in inspiring sixth-seeded Fordham Prep’s 27-12 victory over #3 St. Francis Prep!
The victory, which avenged a 24-14 loss in late-September (week #4) put the Rams one win away from heading back to championship weekend for the first time since falling short in the 2017 title game)…
A magician out of the backfield and in the classroom (4.0 GPA); McKay showed why he is garnering immense interest from the Ivy League when on the first possession of the 2nd half (FP leading 13-6); he took a hand-off straight up the gut and raced 47 yards untouched to the promised land to make it a 20-6 affair…
Later in the 3Q (3:20 to go), we’d get to see the other element of the all-purpose weapon’s arsenal when slipped out to open field on a screen pass, side-step multiple Terrier tacklers and then sprint the last 30 yards uninterrupted on his way to a 49-yard touchdown catch that increased the margin to 27-6
Even on marches in which he was not the one who had the privilege of cashing in; McKay’s imprint was emphatically stamped on every point scored….
For example, up 7-6, he posted two massive runs as a precursor to a Ram field goal to make it a 10-6 cushion in the 2nd quarter!
All in all, he was a gift that kept on giving for the full 48 minutes, as he carried the ball 21 times for 147 yards, as well as made three catches for an additional 78 yards to disrupt the proverbial Double-A-1 postseason apple cart!
Because of the “Turkey Bowl Rule” that prevents FP from facing Xavier prior to Thanksgiving; the playoff bracket had to be modified; meaning that now the Rams path to the ‘ship will go through top-seeded St. Joe’s by the Sea…
Limited to just a field goal (25-3 loss) when the two schools mixed it up in week #2; it is a surefire certainly that Coach Deane and staff are counting on encore just as good as the original from their junior stud!
Today marks McKay’s first POTW distinction!
Sebastian Myers (Sr.); DB – Xavier Knights
Steady from the start of the year to the present; it was only a matter of time until the 5’7, 150-pound safety from Brooklyn got his much-deserved kudos!!
Delivering a well-rounded, standout effort for a Xavier defense that bent, but refused to break; Myers was one of the main reasons why the second-seeded Knights were able to punch their ticket to the AA-1 semifinals by denying an upset-minded Kellenberg Memorial squad by a score of 14-7!!
Registering his finest outing of 2025 thus far, the #8 shirt established single-game career highs in tackles (9) and pass break-ups (3) to hold the rivals from Uniondale to just one 2nd quarter touchdown (scoreless streak of 35 minutes)…
His contributions not just plentiful, but also essential; Myers would especially come alive during the 2nd half, as several of his plays would result in changes of possession!
On the ensuing KMHS drive following a Xavier TD that put the Knights up 14-7 midway through the 3rd quarter; he’d apply a ferocious pop in pass coverage on 3rd down to force a punt…
The scoreboard unchanged; it was Myers patrolling center field and knocking down a pass attempt on 4th & long to create a turnover on downs inside his own 44 with a little over 2:00 remaining in the 4th quarter!!
His final act being his most important; Myers would quell a last-ditch attempt at tying the game when on the ultimate snap of regulation, he batted the ball down in the end zone to preserve the “w”!!!
Upping his numbers this season to 40 tackles and 5 PDs, the “Maroon Machine” is going to need their senior leader to stay locked in during the semifinal round as Xavier will now collide with a St. Peter’s foe that scored 29 or more in three of their last five appearances!
Myers was credited with two stops during the regular season meeting on September 13th (24-10 win); but we anticipate a much more substantial body of work with the stakes being as large as they are!
A victory this Saturday will send Knight Nation back to the AA-1 finale for the first time since dropping the 2018 contest (they did win the AA-2 crown in ‘22)!
Isaiah Smith (Jr.); QB/RB/LB – Christ the King Royals
While we’re probably going to purgatory for writing this; in Middle Village, Philippians 4:13 has been replaced in all Holy Bibles by Isaiah 273: 3….”We can do all things through Smith who gives us strength.”!!
Making his FOURTH POTW appearance in his first season as a Royal student-athlete; the combination junior QB/RB from Long Island truly has no limits…
When he ran for 211 yards and 3TDs in week #1, we thought that would be the best version of him…
Then he beat it by rushing for 267 yards (5 touchdowns) four weeks later; and we were confident that would be his finest single outing…
But he topped himself yet again this past weekend, as he chewed up 271 yards on the ground and scored FOUR total touchdowns to almost single-handedly snap Christ the King’s four-year drought (not including the 2020 covid season) without a postseason win!
A rematch of what was likely the “Game of the Year” this season in the NYCHSFL (40-37 CTK win); the sequel did not quite equal the original; but one aspect that stayed constant was that #5 would again be a 48-minute sandman haunting the Gaels of Kennedy Catholic!
That already recognized 267 yard/5 score exhibition having come against this same KC nemesis in week #5; the 6’3, 220-pound should not be expecting any Christmas cards or gifts from anyone in the Somers area next month!
Calling his own number 24 times en route to reestablishing a new single-game best; Smith would be kept out of the end zone for much of the first 36 minutes of play; but a Lion can only be caged and/or lay dormant for so long before he lashes out and pounces…
For Smith, the moment he went from “mortal” to “immortal” came in the last 60 seconds of the 3rd quarter when down 6-0, he took a keeper 12-yards to paydirt and then completed a 2pt conversion pass to transform the deficit into an 8-6 edge…
Once the “beast” awoke; there was no taming him as approximately a half-minute later; he capitalized off of a Kennedy turnover by erupting for a 40-yard run (to the opposing 5); followed by short runs for the TD + 2-pointer to make it a 16-6 affair with a few ticks still remaining in 3Q!
Culminating his third consecutive TD drive and issuing a response to a Gael TD; this time the AA-2 rushing king (is guaranteed to finish the lead atop the leaderboard in yardage and TDs scored) detonated from a distance of 47 yards (+ another 2pt run) to restore the two-score cushion (24-13)!
Labeled as a “Jack of All Trades” by his coaches; Smith was asked to assume a larger role on “D” and he absolutely thrived, as it was a 53-yard pick-6 in the 4th quarter that acted as a “nail in the Gael coffin”, as he rounded out the 32-13 verdict!
The INT return one of a pair of turnovers that he initiated; he’d also create a fumble and was credited with 3 stops while “moonlighting”!
The notion of a 2,00 yard//30 TD resume not completely outrageous (he needs 545 yards and 7 TDs) if the Royals can reach the finale; Smith only had 2 carries for modest yardage when CTK dropped their regular season date with top-seeded Holy Cross…
But you can throw that result out the window; because it goes without saying that he will carry the load (literally) on November 15th!!
Terrence Watson (Sr.); QB – Xaverian Clippers
If Chicago Bears icon, William Perry is the “Refrigerator”; then the Clipper senior QB [Watson] is the “Freezer”….
For two straight years, the returning 3rd-Team All-State field general have been “cool”, “collected”, and unbeatable in the postseason!!!
Extending his playoff win streak to three in a row, the 6’0, 220-pound Brooklynite was nearly flawless as he connected on all but one of his toss attempts to surge Xaverian to a 48-6 quarterfinal win over Cardinal Spellman!
Already regarded as a definitive Offensive Player of the Year candidate among AA-2 personnel; his outing last weekend did nothing to damage his legacy as he’d amass three 1st half touchdowns to help his team establish a 41-0 advantage at the break…
The “emcee” of the “Blue & Gold” attack (averaging just under 25ppg this season) got the party rolling early when he took a 9-yard trip to the end zone to give the #2 seeds the early lead…
Later in the opening stanza, he teamed up with Christian LaRocca on 16-yard strike to double the margin…
The Clippers now up 20-0; the last of his TD trifecta was perhaps the most impressive; as he found Giacomo Tarasco on a 34-yard hook-up!
While seasonal statistics are not currently published online; from the previous game film and reports through which we combed; it would appear that the gem in the #5 jersey has unofficially stockpiled a balanced 23 touchdowns in his swan song campaign (12 rushing, 11 hurling)!
He knows he is going to have to be at his best this coming weekend if he wants to keep the AA-2 repeat bid alive when Xaverian goes toe-to-toe with a very hot Holy Trinity cohort!
Injured and unable to suit up in the 22-0 triumph earned by his “brothers” on September 19th; Watson is going to want to compensate for his absence in week #3!
Now a three-time POTW nominee during his scholastic career; Watson was previously honored during the 2024 semifinals, as well as week #5 of 2025!
Ian Williams (Sr.); QB/DB – Holy Trinity Titans
Playing at such a high and consistent level in his final season as a Titan; Williams has been nominated so regularly by the Holy Trinity coaching staff that we actually had to “86” his week #9 selection just to keep it fair for every other student-athlete in the league…
But alas, as predicted; his hiatus from the POTW pyramid was short-lived as he’d deliver yet another undeniable performance on both sides of the line of scrimmage that his body of work demanded we break our own rule!
The quarterfinal round being his fourth official inclusion on the list; the Queens product would have a share in all four of HT’s touchdowns as the Hicksville based program secured the berth in the AA-2 semifinals behind a 27-13 win at home over Mount St. Michael Academy!
The breakdown of his four-spot an evenly distributed 2 (air) and 2 (land); Williams got Trinity on the board and sparked a streak of 28 straight points when he answered a Mountaineer touchdown by culminating a 50-yard match by hitting Marcus Abellard with a 16-yard bullseye on 3rd & Goal early in the 2nd quarter to square the game at 7 apiece…The clutch throw came after two prior touchdowns on the same drive had been wiped out by penalties!!!
A 23-yard connection to Joseph Henn (3 grabs for 62 yards) complemented by a 30-yard Williams run on the next possession would move the ball inside the MSM 5 and paved the way for a Williams QB keeper to give the host school their first lead of the day, 13-7, with 6:21 remaining before intermission…
Blowing the contest open in the 3rd quarter, the maestro in the #15 shirt chucked a 25-yard dime over the middle into the waiting arms of fab freshman, Ja’Sean Grafton, approximately 5:00 in the stanza to increase the margin to 20-6…
A 22-yard TD run as the clock approached 2:00 to go in the 3rd capped off his impressive afternoon!
Tallying 300+ yards of total offense, Williams ended the day with a stat line that read as follows: 13-for-21 passing (173 yards); 20 carries for 130 yards…
In doing so, he elevated his comprehensive swan song resume to 1,774 (944 passing, 586 rushing; 224 in his short time as a WR) and 17 touchdowns (10 rushing, 7 throwing)!
His defensive prowess every bit as pronounced; he’d notch his 4th and 5th interceptions of the year in the 2nd half to accompany six accrued stops (38 for the year)!
Now one win away from heading back to championship weekend for the first time since 2022 (went back-to-back with AA-2 crown in ‘21 andAA-1 in ‘22); there will be a chip on the shoulders of the HT student-athletes as they go hunting for vengeance after being shutout, 22-0, by Xaverian early in the fall proceedings!