“The thing about special teams, and I think football in general, is sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you.” -John Harbaugh
If the words of the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl winning mentor ring true; then the three gentlemen celebrated this morning won’t need to be dining on bagels, muffins, eggs, etc… Proverbially speaking, their stomachs are full from feasting on Grizzlies, Polars, and Kodiaks!!!
A role that blends the best of offense with the finest of defense; the contributions of kickers/punters/return men often does not garner the respect and spotlight that is warranted…
But alas, it is because of the undeniable excellence delivered by the likes of Antoine Williams (AA-2; Holy Cross), Vincenzo Coppola (AA-1; St. Peter’s), and Justin Jones (AAA; Chaminade) that proper attention was commanded!!
We extend our congratulations to this “Trustworthy Trio” on being the 2025 picks as the preeminent practitioners and/or foremost authorities on the “third-branch” of football’s tripartite!!!
Bestowed with the highest sense of praise from Knights’ Head Coach, Tim Smith, Williams was referenced as “One of the most natural athletes I’ve ever coached.”…And it is quite apparent why the coaching staff feels this strongly about their senior RB/kick returner/PK…The ultimate specialist who performed just about every possible duty that the label encompasses, the 220-pound Hempstead native was masterful in dictating starting field position for both teams every weekend as he boasted just under a 27-yard/per average on KO returns (242 yards on 9 attempts), while also posting 42.6 (32 KOs) and 32.7 (18 punts) standards with his boot…A perfect 4-for-4 on PAT tries this season; as one of the team’s top offensive contributors, Williams especially shined when it came to putting points on the scoreboard…Tied at the top of the leaderboard with 8 total scores (4 rushing, 4 receiving), #22 enjoyed a banner swan song that witnessed him tally 1,141 yards of total damage, highlighted by a career-best of 782 yards on 129 carries….The true value of the individual gifts possessed by Williams most recognizable in how it translated to team glory; as an upperclassman he led the “Green Machine” to the AA-2 finale appearances in back-to-back years(2024, 2025)…Leaving every ounce of himself on the field; today’s award forever solidifies Williams’s legacy as he is the first player in school history to be named as the Most Outstanding specialist!
Receiving Honorable Mention All-State distinction as a junior in the fall of 2024; if there was an accolade given out for “biggest jump in responsibility”; it would no doubt go to the senior out of Staten Island [Coppola]…As reliable as they come with his foot (85 of 91 on career PATs; 9-of-12 on FGs) during his three-year stint as a place-kicker, including hitting on 21-of-23 Point After tries/4-for-4 on field goals (long of 36); what sets Coppola apart from many of his peers would be the intangibles that don’t always show up on the stat sheet…An onside kick threat at all times, the 5’8, 145-pounder allowed the Eagles to play “make it, take it” on multiple occasions!…Furthermore, when he did elect to kick away, the power of his leg was often met by routine touchbacks, thus burying the opponent deep within their own territory…Complementing the merit he delivered week-in and week-out as a specialist would be the ascension as an every down performer on offense and defense…A first-year starter in this traditional capacity; he shined as a WR/CB as displayed via a 28-catch/445 yard receiving resume (2nd on the roster in both categories) on offense; not to mention a 17-tackle, 2-pass break-up, 1-INT vitae along the last line of defense!….A true “Jack of All Trades”, the stud in the #8 shirt joins the company of 2018 honoree, Nick Guglielmo, as only the second St. Peter’s athlete to claim this prize!
The successor to 2022 STPOY selection, Tim Tomlinson, the tradition of extraordinary Flyer specialists was alive and well the past two years thanks to the presence of the 6’2, 180-pounder from Long Island (Cold Spring Harbor)….Entering his final season clad in Crimson & Gold as a returning 5th-Team All-State choice (25 of 25 on PATs; 5-for-6 on FGs; 8 touchbacks on KOs; 6 punts inside the enemy 20); Jones finished a remarkable 2nd on the Chaminade roster in total points scored, as he racked up 55 (7th most in NYS) courtesy of 22 PATs (out of 25 attempts) and 11 field goals (Most in NYS); Plagued by a plethora of blocked kicks (8); his stat line is not indicative how consistent #22 was this fall…The owner of perhaps the most feared leg in the entire Metro Catholic football league; on five unique instances, Jones would hit from a distance 40+ yards, highlighted by a career-long of 49 in a week #1 victory against Phillip Randolph and a 48-yarder in the AAA semifinal loss to Monsignor Farrell….Logging 20 touchbacks while averaging 53.4 and pinning the opposition inside their own 20 in the midst of establishing a 36.5 average on KOs and punts, Jones ranked 2nd and 1st respectively among all Empire State personnel…The “ultimate weapon” to borrow from Coach Thomas Claro; Jones consistency helped the Marianists advance to the triple-A semifinals in each of his two campaigns on the varsity….Jones is now the third Chaminade player to win this award (also Anthony Pecorella in 2018)….As blessed above the shoulders (brain) as he is below (leg); Jones will also be receiving the Monsignor Peters trophy; which is presented annually to the top student-athlete within the NYCHSFL!!
