Xavier Bala (Sr.); RB – St. Anthony’s Friars
Demonstrating why he is regarded as the #3 overall 2027 prospect in the entire Empire State (per 247 Sports); the Boston College bound, 230-pound, “Baldwin Beast” was truly at his best this past Friday night in propelling the Friars to the 49-48 comeback victory over their archnemesis Flyers of Chaminade!!
Officially credited with four touchdowns (3 rushing, 1 receiving), but having a say in several of the other St. Anthony’s scores; the returning All-Catholic and/or 2nd-Team All-State selection from a season ago was pretty much a “runaway train” for the full 48 minutes of play, as he amassed a mind-blowing sum of 282 yards of total offense!
Surpassing the 200-yard mark for the second time in his swan song campaign; Bala would carry the pigskin on 17 occasions for a cumulative gain of 212 yards (just weeks removed from racking up a career-high 298 in a win over Xavier); While also displaying the all-purpose aspect of his skillset by hauling in a pair of passes for an additional 73 yards!!
The consummate “retaliation” man on October 16th; it seemed that every time the visitors from Mineola scored a touchdown or began to create distance on the scoreboard; there was an immediate response from the standout donning the #0 jersey!
The Black & Gold trailing 6-0; Bala peeled off a run of 45 yards to the opposing 24-yard line before later punching in from a distance of 12 away for the first of his aforementioned four TDs to hand STA a 7-6 advantage with 5:55 remaining in the opening quarter!
The bulk of his influence transpiring after the halftime break…
Bala trimmed a 27-14 deficit at intermission to 27-21 when he exploded for a 46-yard house call with 6:46 remaining in the 3Q!
It was his 21-yard pick-up on the next series that moved the ball inside the Crimson & Gold 29 as a precursor to a 21-yard TD exchange in the air between Anthony Diieso and Rory McDermott that vaulted STA back on top for the first time all evening!
Capitalizing off of Brayden Wood’s interception that restored possession at right around the Flyer 40; Bala emerged with perhaps his most spectacular sequence of the game when he grabbed a batted ball out of mid-air, ran and turned the far corner and then marched 38-yards to the CH 1-yard line….He’d line up in wildcat formation to power his way over the line on the ensuing snap to complete the hat trick on the ground and make it a 35-27 affair in the closing :20 of the third stanza!
After Chaminade scored and converted the 2-pointer to square the contest at 35-35; the future Eagle soared one final time when just moments removed from breaking off a 30-yard run to the opposing 34; he then took a screen pass from Diieso and willed his way to paydirt with 8:36 to go in regulation to again put the Friars in the lead, 42-35!!
His monster day putting Bala over 1,000 yards for a third straight year; he also now has the distinction of having banked a POTW honor for the third year in a row, as he previously was recognized in Week #9 of 2024 and Week #1 of 2025)!
Joseph DeSocio (Jr.); RB/LB – Kennedy Catholic Gaels
The owner of the perfect football name; the 205-pound resident of LaGrangeville’s cognomen begins “D” and ends with “O”, and he exhibited his ability to make an impact on both ends in spearheading a 31-0 shutout victory on the road against Cardinal Spellman!
Responsible for collecting the first three touchdowns of the game for the Gaels; DeSocio drew first blood when after the offense stalled inside Pilots’ red zone; he’d take matters into his own hands when on 3rd & 15, he parked himself underneath a Spellman pass attempt, match the grab, kept his balance, and then sprinted 42 yards to the promised land for a pick-6 that handed the “boys of Somers” the early 8-0 cushion approximately 6:30 into the 1st quarter!
Those reliable mitts coming in handy yet again on the initial snap of the 2Q; the #5 shirt shifted from the backfield to out wide; cleanly beating his defender on a 41-yard haul down the visiting sideline for the touchdown to double the margin to 16-0!
His Saturday afternoon getting better by the minute; DeSocio notched his third (and final) touchdown in a span of less than 10 minutes when he again was in the right place at the right time; when a deflection on a CS aerial attempt found him like a magnet on the enemy 30; from which he’d march the full distance (also was on the back end of the success 2pt conversion pass) to create a 22-0 differential with 9:22 to go before halftime!!
The trio dynamic and highlight reel caliber scoring plays alone certainly resume enough for the 11th grader to warrant POTW accolades for the first time in his scholastic career…
DeSosio was quite impressive in undertaking the “non-glamorous” aspects of the victory to boot; as he concluded the contest having amassed 100 yards on just 13 handoffs (7.7/per); and tacked on six total stops on defense to round out a very comprehensive weekend!
John Kournidakis (Sr.); Two-Way Lineman – St. Joseph’s By the Sea Vikings
Taking the idiom, “hold the line” to a new meaning/level last Saturday in the Vikings’ 27-14 victory over defending AA-1 champs, Xavier, in the rematch of the 2025 title game and a preview of the potential 2026 finale…
The 6’1, 240-pound Staten Islander’s toughness in the trenches was undeniable on both sides of the ball as he succeeded in both the creation of gaps and the plugging of holes to be a universal anchor!
Offensively, his elite blocking paved the way for Joe’s by the Sea to once again chew up massive quantities of yardage in all areas, as between Peter Tronolone’s (14-for-18; 1 TD pass; added 44 yards and two more scores with his legs) 231 yards in the air and Joseph Moran’s 144 yards and one TD on 22 carries (tacked on 8 receptions for 167 yards), the school concluded the evening with a sum of 404 yards of production!
This stellar and balanced output becoming ritualistic on the Hylan Blvd; October 17th marked the sixth time in eight outings this fall in which the Vikings accrued 400 or more yards offensively!
To date, their 31.4 points per game is tops among AA-1 division schools (2nd in the entire NYCHSFL behind only Iona Prep) as they have amassed 3,313 yards (2,044 by sky; 1,269 on land) thanks to the selfless but necessary efforts of individuals such as Kournidakis!
The only thing more impressive than his valor on offense would be the heroics he displayed on “D”, as he’d be transformed from a gentleman who had never collected more than 3 stops in a single game to an unblockable menace that racked up 9 total tackles (2 for negative yardage) to contain a Knight running attack that had posted performances of 320, 275, and 289 yards in previous weeks to a modest 186 (their second lowest total aside from the180 registered versus Monsignor Farrell during week #6)!
Compiling just 11 stops and 4 TFLs during the entirety of his junior campaign; to almost equal those numbers in a single day speaks volumes of his ability to elevate at the biggest moments!
A first-time POTW nomination today; should a rematch for the hardware come to fruition next month; there is little doubt that he will again be a key asset in SJS’s pursuit of a second crown in the past three years!
Angelo Santamaria (Sr.); MLB – Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders
Playing with the kind of motor you’d find in a Lexus; the question this season is no longer, will he reach double-digit tackles? but rather, how many tackles can one man stockpile in a single outing?
The clubhouse leader for stops (88) in the entire NYCHSFL, as well as ranked 3rd in all of New York State; the 6’1, 210-poind Mike linebacker hailing from Valhalla truly has been something to watch this fall; as his five solo/five assisted vitae in a 38-14 win over St. Peter’s now gave him 10 or more tackles in seven of his eight appearances in 2026!
Conjuring up visions/memories of former Detroit Lion/NFL Hall-of-Famer, Dick LeBeau, with the tenacity in which he pursues ball carriers…
Santamaria was not hitting for hitting’s sake this past Saturday; as the “bad intentions” nature of the “hats laid” resulted in multiple turnovers being induced!
His ability to be a disrupt presence especially showing up during the first two offensive series of the day for the visiting Eagles…
On the opening drive of the game for STP, he’d apply a knockout blow with the ball at midfield that resulted in a forced fumble that teammate Evan Mirabel was able to scoop up and return to the STP 10-yard line!!!…Nahum Pierre (169 yards and three TDs on eight carries) would punch in from a 1-yard away shortly after to capitalize off of the optimum starting field position and hand the Stepinac the early 7-0 lead!
Just minutes later; deja vu struck against when he jarred the pigskin loose from the hands of rival signal caller, Anthony D’Acunto, on a strip sack to instantly regain possession on the STP 30….And just like the first occasion; Pierre did not squander the gift, as back-to-back runs landed him in the end zone to double the margin to 14-0 less than 4:00 into the 1st quarter!
Both of St. Peter’s 4th quarter touchdowns coming after Stepinac had begun to swap in their bench personnel; with Santamaria setting the tone; the starting-11 were utterly dominant as we do not recall the Eagles crossing the 50 during any of their drives through 36 minutes of action!!
His aforementioned 88 cumulative tackles surpassing the 47 stops with which he was credited during all of his junior season; Santamaria has pretty much rewritten his personal record book against the board, as his sack in week #7 was his second of the year (recorded only 1 in 2025); and those two induced fumbles represented the first traditional turnovers he has created!
Well on his way to all kinds of individual awards (All-Catholic, All-State); his collection of praise commences with his POTW debut this week!
Angelo Stallone (Sr.); LB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
Already boasting the formal title of “Class Vice President”; the 5’10, 200-pound senior LB earned himself the unofficial monitor of “Secretary of Defense” last Friday in helping Monsignor Farrell emerge with a 28-0 shutout against Cardinal Hayes on the campus of Columbia University!!
Flying from sideline to sideline with silky smooth fluidity in the victory over the Cardinals; Stallone further added to what has been a breakout final year donning the Maroon & Gold, as his game-high 8 total stops raised his sum this fall to 53 (+20 from all of last year); which ranks him second on the roster behind only returning All-Catholic/All-Stater, Charles Costanzo!
His signature contribution occurring in the last 4:00 of the 1st half with the returning AAA runner-up Lions enjoying a 21-0 cushion; The stud in the #13 created a turnover on downs when on a botched punt attempt from Hayes; he’d sprint across the field to make a hit just shy of the chains to give control of the pigskin back to the Lions at exactly the home 30-yard line!!!
The goose-egg yielding effort being the second of the fall for the Amboy Road mafia (previously blanked St. Peters (38-0 in week #1); the now 7-1 Lions are presently ranked in points per game surrendered (10.75) thanks to the tireless and passionate energy that the likes of Stallone have tapped into during 2026!
Not far removed (September 29th) from receiving his first college scholarship offer (Hamilton College); the good news for the “Italian Stallion” has continued to pour in like a fountain; as his now also a first-time POTW selection!
Anthony Trapani (Sr.); RB/LB – Chaminade Flyers
While wins may not be coming easy for the “Mineola Marianists” this season; that does not mean there has been a shortage of exceptional effort from several of the individuals wearing “Flyers” across their helmets!
And no one personifies that fighting spirit more than the three-year varsity starter out of North Bellmore [Trapani]!!!
The first honoree this season off of a team that failed to record the dub; just like his opposing counterpart [Bala]; we simply could not deny either tailback their “flowers” in what was perhaps the showdown of the season (49-48 STA win)!
Establishing a new single-outing best of 212 yards while tying his high of three rushing touchdowns (previously set in a Wk #4 win over St. Francis Prep); the workhorse (31 carries) in the #22 shirt was invaluable in darn-near spearheading what would have been a significant upset in hostile territory over their hosts from South Huntington!
His efficiency and productivity consistent throughout all four quarters; it did not take the returning All-Catholic/All-State (2nd Team Defense) selection long to get the tone; as he’d register gains of 20, 9, and 6 yards on the first three snaps from scrimmage to advance the ball to STA 44 as a catalyst to Giuseppe DeVita’s 1-yard TD trek that gave Chaminade the initial 6-0 lead!
After St. Anthony’s answered a TD of their own to go up 7-6; it was Trapani scoring the first of what would be a natural “mad hatter” (three TD in a row by the same player) with under 1:00 to go in the opening quarter when after moving the chains on 4th &1 via a 4-yard run earlier; he punctuated the series on another 4-yard gainer to flip the board to read as 14-7 in favor of his school!
The melee tied again at 14-14; the Williams College pledge followed up a 15-yard hand-off to the STA 9 by then taking then scoring again shortly thereafter (9-yarder) to account for the final touchdown of the opening half (21-14 Chaminade)!
Picking up where he left off; after a clutch defensive stand inside their own red zone enabled Chaminade to maintain their one-score edge; it was Trapani cruising for a 32-yard pick up to the STA 9 before then polishing off the possession with a 1-yard TD scamper to increase the margin to 27-14 approximately 4:15 into the 3Q!!
His team now trailing 42-35 in the back-and-forth, down-to-the-wire war; the senior captain contributed runs of 19 (to the STA 43) and 33 (to the Friar 1) to set up the short dump off TD pass from Sean Carnevale to Michael Gowen that drew the two rivals even at 42-42!
Delivering an “Energizer Bunny” body of work where he refused to be off the field as more than necessary; Trapani complemented his finest scholastic performance on offense (also had 5-receptions for 15 yards) by racking up 7.5 total stops (1 TFL) from his spot among the linebacking corps!!
Named as a Player of the Week twice in 2025; today marks his third overall appearance on the list!
Dylan Turenne (Jr.); ATHLETE – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers
His role within the Mountaineer ground attack escalated without notice when MSMA leading rushing, Victor Declet, was sidelined due to injury during the opening quarter…
The 6’1, 165-pound White Plains native [Turenne] did not hesitate in making the most of his “pinch hitting” duties in the backfield; as he’d shine in this increased capacity to the tune of his first 100-yard (101) and multi-TD (2) performance in surging “The Mount” to a 28-22 triumph over 2x AA-2 runners-up, Holy Cross, in what many pundits believed to be a preview of an anticipated championship Saturday match-up next month!
The first of his two cited trips to the end zone coming in the 2nd quarter; Turenne broke a 7-7 deadlock with the TD run!
But alas, it would be that voyage to the promised land that proved even more valuable as trailing 22-20 to the Knights in the 3rd Quarter; the “Athlete” in the #4 jersey found his lane and darted 18 yards to the house for what ultimately was the game-winner!
Week #7 being his “coming out party” in terms of large-scale acknowledgement; the truth of the matter is that Turenne had been showing glimpses/asserting himself as a game-changer during parts of the prior three weeks as his knack for TD runs were evident by the fact that he entered October 17th having scored in all recent outings!
Upping his junior stat line to 268 yards and six touchdowns (2nd to only Declet on the MSMA roster) on just 36 handoffs (7.4/per); he left no doubt that even if Declet’s ailment keeps him off the gridiron indefinitely; the Mount St. Michael Academy land raid is in good hands and will continue to pile up points (averaging 37.2 ppg in the midst of a five-game winning streak)!
Not lost or underappreciated on a day where his value to the offense was confirmed would be the shutdown job he undertook on “D” in blanketing HC’s top receiver/returning All-League, Caleb Rivera (tops in all receiving categories on the squad), to just two receptions for 8 yards (lowest output of 2026)!
Turenne is making his Metro Catholic Player of the Week debut today!