Brian Gleason (So.); QB – St. Francis Prep Terriers
Taking the expression, “Next Man up” to a whole new dimension; the 5’11, 165-pound super sophomore from Rockaway Beach did not find out that he’d be getting the promotion to varsity and the start under center until Tuesday for a game schedule for Saturday!
But yet, despite the “short notice”; Gleason proved poised and unshakable in guiding the Terriers to a 10-8 victory over two-time AA-2 runners-up, Holy Cross, in the “Battle of the Boulevard” between Fresh Meadows vs. Flushing!
Hitting on 7 of his 17 pass attempts for 108 yards in his debut; what left the St. Francis Prep coaching staff in awe would be the clutch demeanor he demonstrated when the outcome was still in the balance….
His best series coming at the onset of the 4th quarter with the “dogs” clinging to a 3-0 advantage; it was Gleason repeatedly being on the same page as senior TB, Roderick Fordham Jr., as the tandem hooked up twice to put SFP on the doorstep (6-yard line)…
The “chill as ice” 10th grade field general then emphatically capped off the drive by rolling out and tossing a bullet into the waiting arms of Sal Vakili for what eventually became the deciding factor, as Francis Prep increased their cushion to 10-0 with 5:15 remaining in regulation!
With the long-term status of SFP senior signal caller, Frank Quartarolo, is still to be determined; our feeling is that the fresh-faced 10th grader displayed all of the right intangibles/characteristics for the Terrier coaching staff to feel confident with him running the show for as long as necessary!
September 12th was just a glimpse into what we envision being a bright future for young Mr. Gleason!
Christian LaRocca (Sr.); WR – Xaverian Clippers
One of the most prolific wideouts in all of the Metro Catholic League last year; the returning All-League selection (34 catches for 613 yards, 9 TDs in ’25) has always been comfortable embracing the role of top target in the Clipper aerial attack!
However, what was most impressive and noble about his heroic demonstration in Xaverian’s 35-21 triumph over Mount St. Michael Academy in a Saturday clash of Brooklyn vs. Bronx is that he proved that he is just as lethal even when he is not “feeling his best”!!
Hampered by injuries in advance of the week #2 and then suffering a gash to his ear in the midst of helping his school to a dub; rather than allowing ailment and pain to deter him; LaRocca would instead re-channel his personal agony into one of, if not his finest overall outing during his varsity tenure!
Establishing a new single-game personal-best of 147 receiving yards while coming one grab short (5) of typing his high for total snatches (6 on two different occasions); the man/the myth in the #27 shirt was on the back end of more than 50% of the total (280) production generated via the sky on September 12th!
Setting the table for himself on the first snap from scrimmage; the 210-pounder from Bay Ridge beat his man one-on-man and then hauled in an 82-yarder hook-up from Jake Price (16-for-22, 280 yards), to move the ball inside the Mountaineer 4-yard line and set up the first of three TD runs courtesy of reigning POTW, Richie Aiken (125 yards/3 scores on 11 carries; an additional 57 yards by way of 3 receptions), to give the Clippers the immediate 7-0 lead
The margin sitting at 14-0; LaRocca recorded his lone TD of the day when he made an over-the-shoulder grab on a 19-yard connection for an insurance score (21-0) on his school’s last possession of the 1st half!
After a costly fumble by the Mount halted a viable series; it was Price and LaRocca playing pitch-and-catch one last time in the 3Q as their 36-yard exchange surged the pigskin from the XN 21 to the MSMA 43….Aiken later took a 25-yard pitch to the end zone to create a 28-0 scenario (He had a TD run negated by a penalty moments prior)!
This being the senior’s debut as a POTW honoree; in his three trips to the field in 2026; LaRocca has accrued 10 catches for 255 yards and a pair of TDs to rank 4th (tie), 2nd, and 2nd (tie) in these categories among NYCHSFL Double-A student-athletes!
David Leverock (Sr.); S/RB/Punter – Monsignor Farrell Lions
The stereotypical “Swiss Army knife” that is invaluable to any program with championship ambitions; the 5’10, 195-pounder from Staten Island does not need to bring the “WOW” factor in order to an essential component in the machine!
“Comprehensive” and “dependable” the two terms that instantly come to mind when reflecting upon his three-facet mentality to the sport; the sum of the Lion senior’s diverse contributions equaled, if not surpassed, the value of any skill position player in Farrell’s 21-18 conquering of a DePaul Catholic dynasty that has reached the NJSIAA Non-Public State finals every year since 2019, headlined by crowns in 2019, 2022, 2024, and 2025!
Hit, kick, catch, or run; the person manning the #3 jersey left no stone unturned in aiding the Amboy Road cohort to the win on the afternoon of September 12th!
Identifying the area in which the captain most excelled being a rather daunting task because he was exceptional across the proverbial board; if forced make a choice, we’d opt for his defensive prowess, as Leverock set a new career-best for total stops when he was credited with 11 tackles (7 solo, 4 assisted) to conclude the day as the game-leader!
His most crucial tackle transpired in the last 8:06 of regulation when he turned offense into defense by preventing a pick-6 with a trip up of DC DB, Avery Cano, on the MF 15-yard line…
Offensively, he chipped in 35 yards of all-purpose production (21 rushing, 14 as a receiver); but it was his 14-yard carry in the closing half-minute of the 3rd quarter that ultimately served as the game-winner as he completed the 21-0 second half rally to make it a 21-10 affair in favor of the Maroon/Gold gents!
As a specialist, he’d average 35.3 yards on four punts; including saving his best boot for the ideal moment, as he buried DePaul Catholic inside their own 24 with just 1:25 showing on the clock!
Named as the #1 standout of the week by SILive.com; the “universal weapon” can add first-time POTW selection to the accolades being bestowed upon him!
Nahum Pierre (Jr.); RB – Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders
Some darn fine players have gone their entire scholastic careers without ever having POTW honors bestowed upon them…
But for the 5’11, 210-pounder hailing from Spring Valley; it seems impossible for two weeks in a row to pass without him finding his name on the list of the most heralded!
On the heels of a 103-yard/three score display in his Crusader debut during week #0 win over Fordham Prep; Pierre’s infinite talents were again showcased this past Friday in Stepinac’s 38-16 drubbing on home soil versus 2025 NJSIAA Non-Public Quarterfinalists, Immaculata!
“Dwarfing” being the perfect term to describe his body of work in week #2 when compared to his already cited original Player of the Week bid; the stud in the #8 shirt went off for a new personal-best of 280 yards (previously high of 247 last season while competing for Ramapo) and notched his second three-TD outing of the fall in the cross-state triumph over the visiting Spartans!
The first of his trifecta being the longest of his touchdown treks; in the blink of an eye, Pierre turned a then 8-7 deficit into a 14-8 advantage when HB draw directly up the middle and then darted 80 yards untouched to the house with 2:48 remaining before intermission!!
An Immaculata TD right before halftime restoring a 16-14 edge; Pierre came out of the locker room with a chip on his shoulder as it took him just one carry to answer back when he exploded for a 60-yarder on the second snap of the 3Q to vault the boys from White Plains back on top, 21-16!
Incorporating a nice blend of pass and run on their second drive of the 2nd half; it was Pierre with another culminating sequence when he took the draw to the outside and then muscled his way across the line for the 8-yard cash-in to increase the cushion to 28-16 as the clock dipped below 2:00 to go in quarter #3!!!
Super sophomore, Ronnell Chambers (126 yards on 16 carries), provided quite the second wave of attack on the ground, as he created further separation on a TD run with just under 9:00 to go in duration (to make it a 35-16 affair) before adding several medium gainers down the homestretch to set up a 42-yard FG courtesy of James Lilly to round out the damage for the Crusaders!
On pace to utterly annihilate the 1,500 yards and 21 TDs he compiled as a sophomore in Section I; through just three appearances thus far in 2026; Pierre has racked up 458 yards and six touchdowns on only 39 handoffs (11.7/per)!
Per MaxPreps, he is either tied or holds the outright top spot in both yardage and TD runs this season among all NYCHSFL personnel regardless of division!
Chase Reeves (Jr.); RB – Iona Prep Gaels
Another weekend…Another commanding win…Another coming of age story!
There clearly must be a secret factory on the New Rochelle based campus that operates full-time producing nothing but “next level” football legends!
A week removed from banking his first career century-mark (106) effort in the Gaels’ dub over 3x Defending NYSPHSAA Champs, CBA-Syracuse; the junior tailback out of the Big Apple unveiled a version of himself that send chills down the spines of both the IP faithful (awe) and future opposing coaches (fear)!!!
Shattering his previous credentials in week #2 during Iona Prep’s statement-making clobbering (63-20) of 2025 NJSIAA Non-Public State runners-up, Paramus Catholic, the 200-pound thoroughbred required only 13 carries on September 12th to match his entire TD run total from last year (4), while not finishing too far from his cumulative yardage quantity (286) when he detonated for 231 yards of destruction against the Paladin defense!
Everything turning to (Maroon &) gold for the wearer of the #26; the prime culprit in a collective endeavor that yielded over 400 yards rushing had to wait until the early stages of the 4th quarter to truly relish in that euphoric feeling of taking the pitch, shifting into “ludicrous speed” and finding the promised land, as it would be his 56-yard run to glory (to make it a 49-20 contest) that was the pinnacle sequence on an afternoon where he could do no wrong, but kept getting “cheated” of that one signature moment!
Repeatedly/routinely ripping through the PC defense for monster contributions; it seemed that every time he’d be nearing the end zone, he’d get tripped up and/or dragged down prior to paydirt; thus forcing him to settle for a much shorter scoring play!
The host Gaels already enjoying a 7-0 lead after Antwine Short took the opening kickoff 96 yards all the way; Reeves punched in from 1yrd out for the first of his quartet to double the cushion to 14-0 with just over 4:00 remaining in 1Q!
A mini rally from the Garden Staters cutting that advantage to 21-13; it was Reeves striking from a distance of 10 yards away in the final 1:30 of the 1st half to reestablish the two-score differential (28-13)!
The scoreboard now reading 35-20 early in the 3Q; TD #3 for Reeves was facilitated by a 55-yard INT delivered by Daquan Smith that put IP on the opposing 7-yard line and allowed the vaunted RB to take it the rest of the way on the ensuing snap (42-20)!
Two-for-two now in surpassing 100 yards this fall; Reeves’ historic illustration of speed and power upped his numbers to 337 yards and four TDs on a modest 25 attempts (13.5/per)!
Rebuilding is for other programs; at IP, they prefer to reload; and Reeves is proof that the embarrassment of riches will not experience famine anytime soon!
Today marks his first Player of the Week nod!
Peter Tronolone (Sr.); QB – St. Joseph’s By the Sea Vikings
There is just something about having that “Sr.” Next to his name that has brought out the best in the person of the 6’2, 175-pound field general for the Vikings!
After not hurling for more than 188 yards in any game last season as a first-year varsity starter for Joe’s By the Sea; the strong-armed sniper has already eclipsed 200 yards in the air in two of his three starts thus far during his swan song; and what is scary is that he seems to be getting more and more locked in with each subsequent outing!
His stat line reading like quantum leaps; Tronolone has registered performances of 169 yards (4 TD passes) in week #0 to 278 yards (2 TDs throws) in week #1, and now his most recent body of work in a dominant victory against the Crusaders of Long Island Lutheran this past Saturday!
Establishing a new career-best for passing yards in a single-game for the second straight weekend; the slinger in the #4 shirt boasted 62.5% completion rate, as he connected on 15 of 24 attempts for a mind-blowing 341 yards (2 TDs chucking) in the 35-7 conquest on the road!
Coming out of the gates locked in; Tronolone would convert on 4th & 12 when he threw an on the money 28-yard strike to Arthur McCarthy (4 grabs for 81 yards, 2 TD snatches) during the SJS’s opening series to allow his team to draw first blood (7-0) approximately 4:00 into the afternoon!
The next possession after a defensive stand witnessed him unite with Nicholas Laona (6 receptions for 129 yards) for a 37-yard hook-up that vaulted the pigskin from his own 37 to the opposing 26 before then finding McCarthy on as 12-yard out pattern for the second of their two touchdown exchanges to increase the margin to 14-0 with :50 to go in the 1Q!
The scoreboard now sitting at 21-7, a 46-yard pass to Robert Attanasio (3 catches for 86 yards) as the clock dipped below 4:00 remaining in the 1st half propelled the ball from the SJS 46 to the Crusader 10 to foreshadow Joseph Moran’s (150 yards/2 touchdowns on 14 carries) second TD trek of the contest (28-7 score) with 3:38 to go in 2Q!
For good measure, in the waning moments before halftime, it was a 44-yarder to Laona that moved the ball from midfield to the LUHI 6-yard line to foster an eventual 3-yard keeper from Tronolone a few snaps later to account for Joe’s by the Sea’s final TD of the game in the closing 98 ticks prior to intermission!
And amazingly, Tronolone actually had a TD pass to Attansio negated by a penalty on the team’s third match; so the caliber of his stellar play was even more impressive than the box score indicates!
To the surprise of no one; through three appearances; Tronolone’s 788 yards in the air and eight TDs (40-for-71) rank him 1st in both categories across the entirety of the NYCHSFL!
Week #2 may mark his debut on the POTW list; but there is no doubt we have not seen the last of him on the decorated scrolls!!
Runners-up with Tronolone under center in 2025; if version 2026 continues to do what he has been doing; then there is every reason to foresee SJS hoisting hardware for the second time in the past three falls (champs in ’24)!
Kymonni Valentine (Sr.); RB – Cardinal Hayes Cardinals
Primarily known for his wicked hits from the linebacker position last season; the 250-pound bulldozer showed flashes of brilliance last season out of the offensive backfield when he garnered Turkey Bowl MVP honors following a 100-yard+ performance!!
Now as a senior; it seems apparent that he has ascended into the role of the RB #1 and thus far, he is more than answering the bell in this elevated capacity!
Unstoppable during the full 48 minutes of the Cardinals’ 30-28 triumph under the Friday Night lights against 2x Defending Delaware titlists, Middletown; even when he was not the one punching the ball across the goal line; the “beast” was prominent in every successful drive on September 11th
Amassing an outstanding 195 yards and finding paydirt on two separate occasions in the victory on the Columbia University campus; it was evident from the get-go that it was going to be a special evening for the gentleman donning the #28 jersey!
The bulk of the 56-yard opening series (culminated by a 4-yard TD pass from Johnnye Booker to Justice Baldwin to make it a 6-0 game at the onset), was monopolized by four Valentine runs, as he accounted for 50 of those yards to serve as the catalyst!
A mishap on the snap during Middletown’s punt on their first possession of the twilight putting the Hayesmen immediately on the doorstep; it would be Valentine cashing in for the first of his two aforementioned “6’s” when he powered his way into the end zone from a distance of 10 yards away to make double the cushion to 12-0 with just under half-a-minute remaining in the 1st quarter!
Continuing to ride their stallion for a third straight march; Valentine would register pick-ups of six yards (on 4th & 2) and 23 yards (on the next snap) to advance the pigskin inside the Cavalier 11 as a precursor to Booker’s marvelous 10-yard scramble to the promised land shortly thereafter to increase the margin to 18-0 with 5:52 before the halftime break!
The scoreboard flipped after Middletown peeled off 28 unanswered points (TDs on their last two drives of the 1st half complemented by back-to-back TDs in the 3Q); Hayes was in desperate need of a momentum-swing, and the found it when Valentine made amends for a fumble one series earlier by busting 46-yards to the house to trim the deficit to 28-24 with 2:49 to in the third stanza!
The star of stars sidelined in the waning moments due to injury; his teammates rose to assure that his career-day would not be in vain as Marcus Abellard (transfer from Holy Trinity) emerged with the game-winner on a 9-yard jet sweep in the last 31 ticks of regulation!!
Not overlooked would be the clutch effort of Senior DB, Ethan Waife, who recorded a pair of interceptions (both inside the Cardinals’ red zone) in the 3rd quarter to also be invaluable in the comeback!
Marcello Vitale (Jr.); RB – Xavier Knights
Surpassing the 100-yard milestone on the ground in just his second career varsity appearance for the defending AA-1 champion Knights; the 190-pound Staten Island resident may only be 5’9; but he stood a little taller than the rest of his fellow Xavier ballcarriers in the squad’s convincing 38-6 win last Saturday over Cardinal Spellman!
Stockpiling in excess of 300 yards and tallying five of the program’s six overall touchdowns on September 12th; every member of the “RB by committee” ensemble had a role in the “W”; but it was “lucky #13” that logged a game-high 109 yards (1 TD) on a mere five attempts!!
Contributing double-digit gainers towards XR’s first and third TDs of the day (including an 18-yarder that propelled the ball to inside the CS 10 as a precursor to an eventual touchdown to make it 18-0 late in the 1st quarter)…
It was finally Vitale’s turn to seize the spoils when on consecutive snaps, he registered pick-ups of 56 (from own 25 to the opposing 19) and 19 to turn a 24-0 contest into a 31-0 advantage in the 2nd quarter!
Also finding paydirt on land during week #2 for the Knights would be Joseph Cooper (56 yards/2TDs on four carries), Cole Wallace (34-yard TD run), and Archie Caltabiano!
Reigning POTW, Ace Jernstedt, added another highlight play when he returned a punt 50 yards for the TD!
Vitale’s 189 yards (19 carries) after two outings is tops among the Xavier totem pole!