Richie Aiken (Sr.); RB/CB – Xaverian Clippers
An individual who has made rising to the occasion in “win or perish” predicaments his calling card for the 2x Defending AA-2 Catholic champs; week #1 of the 2026 campaign marked the first-time in which the 5’9, 175-pound “Jack of All Trades” secured a spot on the POTW list in a non-playoff situation (previously the Offensive MVP of the 2024 title game; as well as the O.W. of the 2025 Double A-2 semis)
A playmaker extraordinaire who filled the stat sheet in the Clippers’ 33-20 conquest over 2024 PSAL runners-up, Fort Hamilton; the returning All-Catholic selection from a season ago “thorn who repeatedly drew blood” on both sides of the ball in anchoring Xaverian to some well-deserved Brooklyn bravado!!!
Offensively, the Rockaway Beach resident amassed 139 yards (99 rushing and two touchdowns on 13 carries; 4 receptions for 40 yards w/1 TD grab) while equaling his single-game career high with three cumulative scores!!!
Flipping the script and turning his attention to being a shutdown presence among the “last line of defense”; Aiken was credited with a pair of INTs, a pass break-up, and three stops!
The first of his aforementioned two ground TDs coming in the last 62 ticks of the 1st quarter; the “famed” #7 shirt took the handoff on the opposing 11-yard line and sprinted up the middle to the house to transform a then 8-6 deficit into a 13-8 advantage!
The game now all knotted at 20-20 less than 2:00 into the 4th quarter; the man with the knack for putting his team on his shoulders donned that invisible hero’s cape yet again when he accelerated up the gut, shook off multiple tacklers, and then cut to the outside as part of a 25-yard TD dash for what was the eventual game-winner!
He later delivered the “death blow” when he was on the receiving end of Senior QB, Jake Price’s (8-for-12; 103 yards; 2 TD throws) second touchdown toss of the evening on a 4-yard pitch-and-catch to round out the damage inflicted by the Shore Road brigade!
Through two outings for the 2-0 Clippers in his swan song; Aiken has naturally been the spark, as he raised his seasonal totals to 198 yards and 3 TDs on 30 carries; while tacking on an additional 84 yards (1 TDs) on seven catches!
With Xaverian transitioning up to the AA-1 ranks in ’26; it will his all-purpose consistency that enables that learning curve to be as narrow as possible!
Brandon Glaudin (Sr.); RB – Holy Cross Knights
Trailing 19-6 on the road against Monsignor Martin perennial powerhouse, St. Mary’s (Lancaster) and without the services of All-State HM quarterback, Madden Martinez; the two-time returning AA-2 runners-up from Flushing were in need of a gamechanger; and they found that catalyst in the person of their 220-pound senior tailback [Glaudin]…
Embracing the tedious role of the proverbial workhorse on September 5th; the Glendale raised stud would spearhead a committed and potent ground attack to the tune of a career-best 262 yards and a pair of TDs on 27 carries to propel the guests from Queens to an amazing 46-38 comeback!
Glaudin being the main component in a three-headed ground monster that chewed up close to 400 yards and amassed countless TDs; Holy Cross also were blessed by outstanding performances courtesy of Caleb Rivera (100+ yards rushing) and unsung hero/2nd-string field general, Joseph Alestra (called his own number on three touchdown runs)!
In his third year as an incumbent two-way starter for HC; week #1 of his final season in Green/White marks big #26’s introduction to POTW accolades!
With Martinez’s status still unknown for this weekend’s match-up with St. Francis Prep; the smart money suggests that we should anticipate another heavy dose of Glaudin!
Ace Jernstedt (Sr.); CB/Athlete – Xavier Knights
Presently holding scholarship offers from the likes of Lehigh and Fordham; When your first name is “Ace”, you can consider it a birthright/destiny that prosperity has come your way!
Named to the All-Catholic squad last fall as an 11th grader after racking up 54 tackles, 10 pass break-ups, and an interception during a Double-A-1 championship yielding season for the Knights…
The 6’1, 175-pound Manhattanite seems well on his way to being even more disruptive and impactful in his final year donning the Maroon & Blue #5 jersey!
An undeniable difference-maker from the defensive backfield in last Saturday’s 29-8 triumph over 2025 PSAL semifinalists, Philip Randolph; the timing of Jernstedt’s contributions could not have been any more impeccable as every time the opposing Cougars were mounting a promising drive; it would be the “Ace in the hole” stepping up to create a turnover deep in his own zone!
The flashiest of his signature moments taking the form of a 62-yard fumble recovery (strip by Aiden Valerio) that Jernstedt returned all the way to paydirt…
The “pure athlete” as described by his coaching staff also single-handedly was responsible for facilitating two additional changes of possession, as on two unique occasions, he recorded INTs on the Knight 25 and 14 for his first multi-pick effort of his varsity tenure!
Complementing the “highlight reel” with good old fashion fundamental mastery; not going overlooked would be the 5 total tackles (including one in open space that created 4th down just beyond his own 30-yard line) and the two PDs he registered!
Going one-on-one with Randolph’s top WR; Jernstedt was a human eraser, surrendering only one catch all afternoon!
Today surprisingly being his debut on the Player of the Week scrolls; it is with the utmost certainty that we proclaim that we have not seen the last of him on this list!
Bryce Moye (Jr.); QB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
A three-time Player of the Week honoree last season and a now a five-time selection as a whole (first garnered POTW accolades in week #7 of his freshman year in 2024); the returning 2nd Team All-Stater/All-Catholic field general from Staten Island has picked up exactly where he left off when he led the Lions to the AAA title game before bowing out to Iona Prep!
His creativity and precision passing from under center capturing interest from collegiate programs such as the University at Buffalo, Temple, Duke, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, UConn, URI, etc….
The 6’2, 215-pound 11th grader literally could not have been any more perfect than he was under the September 4th Friday Night Lights in acting as the maestro in Monsignor Farrell’s commanding 38-0 triumph against St. Peter’s in a battle for borough bragging rights!!
Equaling his personal single-game best (done five times previously, including week #0) of three touchdown passes; the gent in the #1 jersey went an immaculate 7-for-7 in the air for a sum of 201 yards to successfully march the Maroon & Gold up and down the gridiron on their first five offensive possessions!
Showcasing both arm and legs on MF’s opening drive of the day; Moye (17-yard carry) combined with reigning POTW, Jayden Burch (146 yards, 2TDs on nine rushes) to parade down the field before completing the drive with a 10-yard strike on the run to diving Joseph Augustine-Martino to give Farrell the early 7-0!
The margin having grown to 14-0 after Burch notched the first of his two ground scores; Moye kept momentum flowing when moments after twin brother, Braxton, applied a lethal hit to force a fumble (recovered by Aaron Malloy); Bryce launched a 49-yard bomb to a wide-open Augustine-Martino for their second TD exchange of the afternoon to create a 21-0 cushion at the onset of the 2nd quarter!
The Moye-to-Moye combo cashed in on the longest TD sequence of the contest when on the Lions’ fourth series with the pigskin; Bryce hurled an “on the money” 75-yard dart over the middle to Braxton with less than 1:00 before the halftime intermission!
The verdict well in hand (28-0) heading into the 3Q; in what was his final pass; Moye’s 36-yard screen pass to fellow junior, Charles Costanzo, moved the ball to midfield to set up Burch’s trek to the promised land on the subsequent snap to further pile on (35-0)!!!
The architect behind his school’s 2-0 start to 2026; Moye heads into the biggest challenge thus far (against 2x Defending NJSIAA Non-Public State titlist, DePaul Catholic) for the Amboy Road machine in week #2 having already tossed for 379 yards and Six Touchdowns courtesy of a 76% accuracy rate (19 of 25)!!!
Trey Newton (Jr.); WR – Iona Prep Gaels
Advertised as the “Game of the Year”; it would be the 2x Defending Triple-A Metro/2x CHSAA State Champion Gaels taking the road trip to Syracuse to halt 3x Defending NYSPHSAA State titlist, Christian Brothers Academy’s streak of consecutive wins at 41 behind a 38-18 triumph last Thursday night!!
Six of Iona Prep’s nine All-State recognized standouts from 2025 having graduated and taken their talents to the collegiate level (including the 2024 and 2025 NYS Offensive Players of the Year—Crew Davis & Julian Guzman); the bulk of the boom on September 3rd was delivered by fresh faces!
And no one “Stole the Show” moreso than the 6’1, 175-pound junior WR making his Maroon & Gold debut [Newton]!!
Imported to the New Rochelle based program as a Keystone State transfer [Delaware Valley]; Newton unequivocally endeared himself to his new fanbase and become a name to watch when he erupted for a 4-grab, 137-yard outing in ensuring that the Empire’s #1 ranked cohort remained atop their thrones!
The target on three of junior signal caller, 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐝𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧’s (16-for-20, 236 yards, 4 TD tosses in his first game as Guzman’s successor) four touchdown passes; it did not take the newest IP household name long to break into the box score!!
With over 5:00 into the 1st quarter of a still scoreless contest; Jackson and Newton hooked up on an 18-yard connection to give Iona Prep the 7-0 lead!
The duo struck gold again approximately 6:30 later, when in the last 3:07 of the opening stanza; it was a 24-yard homerun ball that doubled the margin to 14-0!
The board now reading 21-12 with 1:01 prior to halftime; the All-Junior tandem completed the hat trick when they registered their longest completion on a 71-yard bomb where Newton was able to run undisturbed down the sideline to make it a 28-12 advantage at the end of 24 minutes!!
There being no shortage of decorated Gael wideouts in recent years (ex- Current Denver Bronco, Justin Jolly; Steven Dowdy-2023 3rd Team All-State; Joe Wolf-2025 2nd Team-State); might we be witnessing the NEXT LEGEND!
Jason Maynard (Jr.); RB/DB – Cardinal Spellman Pilots
Getting the job done on both sides of the line of scrimmage and earning his first career POTW distinction would be the 5’8, 150-pound 11th grader hailing from the Bronx [Maynard]!
His value in the Pilots’ convincing 32-0 triumph over Douglas Academy impossible to overlook; the Bronx native would tally one TD run in each of the two halves to account for 40% of the squad’s trips to the end zone….
it was his 3-yard misdirection plunge in the 2Q that doubled a then 6-0 lead to 12-0!!
In the waning moments of the 4th quarter, he’d add one final highlight to the reel when he busted through for a 19-yard trek to the promised land on what proved to be the final snap of the afternoon!
Not forgotten would be the successful 2pt conversation he added after Spellman’s fourth touchdown of the game made it 26-0!
On “D” from his safety spot; he’d spoil two of the Douglas’s most promising drives to more than contribute to the first shutout pitched by his school in over a year (24-0 over Kennedy Catholic on 10/14/24)!!
Both of his marquee plays occurring in the 2nd quarter; he’d sprint in on 4th down to deny the opposing ballcarrier short of the chain to create a turnover on downs right around midfield!!
Later in the 2Q, he parked himself underneath an FDA pass attempt to record an INT inside of his own red zone!!
By virtue of the win on September 5th; the Pilots are off to their first 1-0 start to a season since their repeat title-yielding campaign in 2018!