Richie Aiken (Jr.); RB/S – Xaverian Clippers
5’9, 155-pound, Richie Aiken is hard to stop under normal circumstances…
But if the last two years have taught us anything; it is that when you put the Rockaway resident in a “win or go home”/playoff format; he transforms into a beast of a different breed!!!
Earning his first POTW nomination since being named as the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the AA-2 title game in November 2024; the junior tailback established one new career-high and was probably one additional carry away from rewriting his entire record book in vaulting the second-seeded Clippers back to the ‘ship for a consecutive straight fall courtesy of a 33-20 conquest against the Titans of Holy Trinity during the semifinal round!
Taking three separate trips to the promised land on November 15th; Aiken set a new single-day best for touchdowns as he had previously accounted for two TDs on four different occasions (including the 2024 title contest and the 2025 quarterfinals)…
Issuing a response to a HT touchdown that briefly saw Xaverian fall into a 7-0 hole; the standout donning the #6 jersey cut that deficit to 7-6 when he found a hole and darted 24 yards to paydirt….
It was deja vu in the 2nd quarter, as now trailing 20-13; Aiken exploded for his biggest play of the afternoon when he took the hand-off and raced 56 yards to the house to create a 20-20 deadlock at the intermission….
Feeding off of the momentum of the first 24 minutes of action; the 11th grader wasted little time in delivering what would be the game-winner at the onset of the 3Q when he completed his personal trifecta by way of a 10-yard run to put the reigning kings on top for good, 27-20!!
Ending the day with an incredible offensive stat reading as: 16 hand-offs for 174 yards and the already cited 3 scores; Aiken came just seven yards short of typing the 181 he gained in last year’s semifinal win versus Mount St. Michael Academy….
The team-leader in rushing yards in both his sophomore and junior seasons; the “uncapped Crusader” boosted his 2025 totals on the ground to 721 yards and 11 TDs on 99 carries…
His presence was known on “D” to boot, as he’d collected his third interception of the fall and tacked on 5 total tackles to help Xaverian pitch a 2nd half shutout!!
As the Clippers go in search of a repeat; it need not be said that Aiken himself would love nothing more than to add a second MVP award to his trophy case!
Xaverian did not see their top-seeded rivals from Holy Cross during the regular season; the last vision that the Knights have is of Aiken tormenting them!
Luca Collado (Sr.); DE – Holy Cross Knights
Like the saying goes about the “size of the dog in the fight vs. The fight in the dog; the 200-pound senior defensive end played like he was a combination Rottweiler and Pitbull in sending top-seeded Holy Cross to the AA-2 finale for a second consecutive year!!
Tasked, along with his fellow Knight defenders, with the tall order of trying to slow down the one-man freight train that is Christ the King’s Isaiah Smith (6’3, 225-pounds; the leader in rushing yardage and TD runs this season across the entire NYCHSFL); Collado accepted the challenge and passed the test with “emerald green” colors!!
Limiting Smith to just a single rushing touchdown (he entered with 23) on the afternoon of November 15th; HC would prevail in a defensive stalemate by a score of 14-6, in OT!!
Nicknamed the “Landlord” by us in the semifinal preview article; the hometown hero (Flushing) most certainly lived up to expectations as he did not just surpass his previous career-best for stops in a single game….He obliterated his previous record (7) by racking up 13 total tackles (12 solo), including 3 TFLs and a sack!!
The two negative outcome yielding sequences adding to his team lead in both categories (now has 15 TFLs and 5 sacks); Collado has been credited with 51 cumulative tackles this fall (5th most on the roster)!
His obligations not getting any simply this coming weekend in the title rematch with defending champs, Xaverian; if the Knights have any hopes of avenging their 2024 loss to the Clippers; it is imperative that the man wearing that #68 across his chest dominate his match-up in the trenches as a means of slowing down a two-headed monster (Aiken and QB, Terrence Watson) that have accrued 1,271 yards and 21 touchdowns on land between them!…
His ability to get in the face of Watson on the pass rusher will be every bit as crucial as his run stoppage duties; as the Clipper field signal caller is quite capable with his arm (988 yards and 15 TDs in the air)….
Today being his inaugural inclusion on the POTW list; if HC is able to seize Metro Catholic hardware for the first time since 2004 on Nov 22nd; it would come as no surprise to see Collado carrying some MVP bling in tow!
Peter Heaney (Sr.); QB – Xavier Knights
The specifics on the calendar may change; but “vintage” Peter Heaney is a constant no matter the day, week, or month….
Now officially a three-time Player of the Week honoree; the Knight senior field general has had no “off switch” prior to the AA-1 semifinals; and he sure as heck did not pick last week to “take it easy”….
Already the top-rusher in the division prior to stepping cleat on the Aviator Sports Complex last Saturday afternoon; the 180-pounder hailing from Brooklyn certainly did those local roots proud as he delivered a workhorse-like effort (34 carries) in propelling 2nd seeded Xavier back to Championship weekend for the first time since AA-2 crown in 2022 via a commanding 30-13 triumph over returning runners-up, St. Peter’s!!!
Registering his seventh century-mark performance of his swan song; like a true leader, Heaney put the team on his back to the tune of single-game career-bests of 168 yards and 4(!!!) touchdowns (plus a 2-point hat trick) to upend the visiting Eagles!!
Striking for a pair of TD runs in each of the two halves; the #2 shirt recorded the first of his four-spot when he muscled his way across the goal line from a distance of 4-yards out to answer SP’s TD on their opening drive and make it a 7-6 game with 2:16 to go in the 1Q!
In the final 3:10 before the break; Heaney put his school in front (14-7), when he effectively executed the rare “octopus”; scoring the TD on a QB keeper from the 2-yard line; and then converting the 2-pointer on another short run!
Owning possession for the start of the 2nd half; Heaney was again masterful in serving as the conductor of the “ball control”, “rugged” scheme; as the Knights chewed up all but 2:50 of the 3rd quarter and increased their lead to 22-7 when their star of stars culminated a 70-yard drive by banking another 4-yard touchdown run and 2pt punch-in!
Preceded by a big INT at midfield by Ethan Almonte; the proverbial nail in the coffin came in the final 8:40 of the 4Q as Heaney took the snap out of shotgun and barreled his way up the gut for a 5-yarder (slid into the end zone for his third consecutive 2pt conversion) to create the 30-7 cushion!!!
A perfect 6-for-6 in scoring all of the Knights’ TD thus far this postseason (had both in the quarterfinal win over Kellenberg in the quarterfinals); Heaney has now generated 19 total scores (15 on the ground, 4 in the air)…
As previously noted, with a sum of 1,191 yards (197 carries); no matter what happens in the finale; he is guaranteed to finish as the AA-1 rushing triple-crown winner (attempts, yardage, TDs)…
But individual feats seem empty without the matching team glory…So we anticipate a heavy dose of Heaney this Saturday when Xavier goes hunting for the program’s first Double-A-1 prize since 2015!
Slated to square off with defending champs/top-seeded St. Joe’s by the Sea; the two squads did not meet during the regular season!
Nick Laona (Jr.); DB – St. Joe’s by the Sea Vikings
While some may label him as the “wicked stepfather” for yanking the glass slipper off of the foot of sixth-seeded Fordham Prep; to his Viking teammates, the 5’10, 165-pound junior defensive back was more properly “the Prince of the Secondary” during a 20-6 semifinal victory that put them on the cusp of repeating as AA-1 champs!!!
Garnering POTW prestige for the first time in his scholastic career; everything about the #22 jersey was “lockdown”, as illustrated by the 8 total tackles (5 solo, 3 assisted) that tied his career-best (from one week prior) and the interception (one of three on the day for the SJBS defense) that halted any chance of a FP rally!
Distinguishing himself as an anchor of the no-fly zone, it was Laona’s INT at approximately the halfway mark of the 4th quarter (SJBS up 14-0) that all but guaranteed that the Staten Islanders would be headed back to the money game!!
On fire during the playoffs, 16 of Laona’s 34 total stops this season have come during the postseason..
As he and Viking Nation ready themselves for a slugfest with #2 seeded Xavier; they do so with the knowledge that consistent tackling like Laona has exhibited down the homestretch will be a key in disrupting the heavy power-run tactics of their opponents…
The opportunity will be present for another breakout/banner day as Sea attempts to become the first AA-1 school to repeat since Kellenberg did the deed back in ‘17 and ‘18!
Alex Ustun (Sr.); WR/DB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
Earning the first POTW distinction of his career in the effort that sends the Lions back to Championship weekend for the first-time since 2021 would be the 5’11, 170-pound two-way senior [Ustun]
Stellar on both sides of the ball, the #3 shirt would notch his first two touchdown game of his swan song in the 34-3 semifinal triumph over Chaminade under the Friday night lights!!
Top-seeded Farrell already enjoying a 14-3 edge midway through the 2nd quarter; it was Ustun expanding that lead when on back-to-back snaps, he’d haul in an 11-yard pass to advance the ball to the Flyer 1-yard line before taking an end-around the last few inches into the end zone for his first rushing TD of the fall to make it an 20-3 margin…
Picking up where he left off at the start of the 3Q; Ustun added further insurance when on a similar route (WR screen) to the one that set up his TD run; this time he’d cash-in by parading 15 yards while evading multiple Marianist tacklers to make it a 27-3 differential with 9:05 remaining in the stanza….
Concluding the final-4 round showing with 4 catches for 45 yards; he upped his seasonal stat line to an impressive 29-grabs for 434 yards and 3 touchdowns (2nd across the board on the Maroon & Gold totem pole)…
Not to be overlooked was the selflessness as a willing blocker; as Coach Del Priore praised him for the repeated occasions in which he sacrificed his body to enable the team’s star tailback, Kevin Gumb Jr. to post a career-best 193 yards (25 carries, 1 score) on the ground!
The depths of his immense contributions not limited to just offense; Ustun was a core part of a collective defensive unit that held the visiting Flyers scoreless for the last 34:30 minutes of regulation to keep them their lowest output of 2025!…
His area of expertise, the secondary, especially strong; the three-year varsity starter was credited with 1 tackle and flawless (in the words of his head coach) in coverage to force the NYCHSFL’s top-passer (yardage) into a modest 130-yard/2 INT evening!!
The mission not yet completed; the Lions will now take aim at dethroning the sitting AAA and NYCHSAA State champs king, Iona Prep, this coming Saturday….
Handing the Gaels their lone loss (28-21) of the season on October 17th; Ustun made two snatches for 18 yards; but was especially influential on defense, as he established season-bests of 3 stops and 2 pass break-ups in sending a message during week #7!
Andrew Doyle (Sr.); ILB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
The Lion defense was so universally dominant in their semifinal win
over their Crimson & Gold rivals [Chaminade] that an exception had to
be made to allow a second member of that group to deservedly be
honored as a co-POTW selection!
Like Ustun, Doyle is making his debut as a Player of the Week nominee;
and the senior captain unquestionably was worthy of this
recognition/spotlight…
Illustrating why the “Maroon & Gold Blanket” is surrendering a
Triple-A best 13.7 points per appearance this season; there is no
Achilles heel at any of the three levels…
While Ustun was busy in his role as a shadow to any Flyer receiver; it
would be the 5’10, 200-pound MIKE LB wreaking havoc at the point of
impact as Doyle attacked with the ferocity of a Lion on his way to
establishing career-bests of 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFLs as part of a
larger 5-stop effort under the Friday night lights!!
One of his QB bags directly resulted in a change of possession; as
with Farrell up 20-3 with just over 3:00 to go in the 1st half; he
coupled up with Cole Savino on 3rd down to create a punting
situation…
Raising his seasonal output to 57 stops (2nd on the team), 6.5 (TFLs
(3rd on roster), and 3.5 sacks (3rd on the squad); #17 will be relied
on to stay sharp as the top seeded Cats will tangle with an incendiary
Iona Prep offensive juggernaut…
Doyle collected 5 tackles during the regular season meeting!