WEEK #0 (August 30-31st, 2024)
Troy Fason (Jr.); RB/FS – St. Francis Prep Terriers
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”…
For the two-way, dual-sport (also is a baller for the 2024 Diocesan Champs on the hardwood) weapon [Fason], his moments on offense may have been few; but he certainly made them count when it mattered most, as he would be the ultimate catalyst on both sides of the line of scrimmage in vaulting the visiting Terriers to a 21-20 triumph over the defending NYCHSFL AA-1 titlists from West Babylon, St. John the Baptist, on the afternoon of August 31st!!
Prolific in all areas last season as a sophomore, despite entering his 11th grade campaign as the top returning rusher (71 touches for 329 yards on the ground; 16 receptions for an additional 200 yards) on the roster, the decision was made by the SFP coaching staff to allow their superstar to concentrate primary on “D” for the majority of their week #0 battle versus the Cougars…
Waiting until the 4th quarter to be inserted into the line-up on offense; when Fason finally was unleashed, he was sure to make the most of these chances, as he’d chew up 36 yards on just three carries, with the highlight coming in the final 96 seconds of regulation…
Trailing 20-14, it would be the man in the #3 in the jersey coming to the rescue down the home stretch, as he’d take the pitch (a screen pass behind the line) to the left, found space, and bolted16 yards to the promised land for what proved to be the game-changing/outcome altering sequence!!!
His gallant effort during crunch time on “O” likely to be what commands attention; not to be overlooked should be the 48 minutes of consummate playmaking he exhibited from the defensive backfield…
The word “steadfast” so keenly used by the coaching staff to capture the impact he made from the free safety position, Fason was like a bird with radar, repeatedly flying to the ball en route to being credited with a career-best 9 total stops!!
His greatest contributions to the upset bid though took the shape of his turnover-creating tendencies, as he’d personally be responsible for producing not one, but a pair of takeaways!!
Having poked the ball loose (fumble) earlier in the afternoon to thwart one SJB march; as he had done just moments prior on “O”, Fason again put his “hound brethren” on his back, sealing the “W” when he notched an INT on John the Baptist’s last-ditch attempt at a comeback!
In his third year playing on the big club, Fason is now a first-time Player of the Week honoree!!
Tim Murphy (Sr.); QB – Chaminade Flyers
As the saying goes; not all heroes wear capes; but for one particular senior signal caller; the badge of valor came in the form of a heavy tape job on his throwing hand to protect a dislocation of his index finger (suffered in practice two days prior to the season-opener)!!!
His status still labeled as questionable/doubtful on the “injury report” just prior to pregame warm-ups, when push came to shove, the 6’2, 215-pounder hailing from Plandome [Murphy] refused to sit out the rivalry showdown; and first-year HC, Thomas Claro, is darn happy that he did muster that courage, as the dual-threat Murphy was invaluable in leading the Chaminade to a 31-28 victory on the road over the mighty Friars of St. Anthony’s!!
The victory for the Marianist school was just their second in the past 13 meetings (split during the 2020 Covid season) between the two bitter nemeses, as the Crimson & Gold matched their entire win total from 2023 (1-8); and furthermore, established that the Claro era is one focused on resurgence and vengeance!!
Attempting just 10 passes (3-for-10 for 141 yards; 1 TD toss) last fall while serving as the primary back-up under center; now that he has assumed the wheel of the ship, it is quite evident why many Jackson Avenue pundits have been hyping him and singing his praises for the past three years (he propelled the school to the JV finals in 2022)…
Setting the tone for the kind of performances we can expect to see over the course of the next three months, Murphy would generate 175 yards of total offense, as he connected on 14 of 23 aerial tries for 123 yards; while also calling his own number to the tune of 52 yards on eight carries!!
Having a direct hand in 2/3s of the Flyers’ three offensive touchdowns, he’d register one signature moment each with his various limbs…
His squad down 14-10, he’d plunge the ball across the line on 1-yard keeper with 1:14 to go in the 2nd quarter to vault CHS to a 17-14 edge at the break!!
Then, in the last 1:10 of the 3Q (score unchanged at 17-14), he’d roll right on 3rd & 8 and hurl a perfect strike into the back of the end zone to 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙯 on a 10-yard connection!!!
Murphy is the first Chaminade QB to earn POTW recognition since week #6 of the 2022 campaign (Matt Dieguez)!!
Ryan Walsh (Sr.); QB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
True to the adage that the best things in life are worth waiting for; there is little doubt that if the 5’10, 185-pounder 12th grader [Walsh] had the option of dreaming up how his first career varsity start would transpire; his wishes would not differ much from the reality that he delivered during a 34-30 victory during week #0 over perennial Rhode Island powerhouse/18x State Champs, Bishop Hendricken…
Busting out of the shadow cast last season by All-League and/or Honorable Mention All-State selection, Cristian Pinto, Walsh demonstrated that Lions’ fanatics should not fear any kind of drop off from the field general position in 2024!!
A year removed from going 0-for-3 in the air in limited action as a reserve, the Staten Island resident could not have been any more pinpoint accurate/precise in orchestrating five successful marches on home soil!!
Hitting on 11-of-17 throws for 193 yards and 3 Touchdowns, there truly were moments during the afternoon of August 31st where he’d look totally unstoppable with his arm!!
An interception in the red zone on the initial series of the ballgame being the lone blemish on an otherwise brilliant body of work, Walsh showcased the breadth of his grit when on Farrell’s next possession, he’d find fellow senior, Tyler Rivera, on a 56-yard play action hook-up down the host sideline to draw 1st blood (7-0 after the PAT) with 4:53 to go in the opening quarter!!
The pass to Rivera representing the first of a 24-minute TD trifecta he’d register via the sky, Walsh later culminated a 76-yard drive when on 4th down he played pitch-and-catch with his favorite target of the day, Alex Ustun (5 grabs for 90 yards), on a 5-yarder to increase the cushion to 14-0 early in 2Q!!!
The advantage on the scoreboard trimmed to 14-7, he finished off the natural hat trick (touchdown passes on three consecutive trips) in the final minute of the half when he teamed up with fab freshman, Braxton Moye, on a 15-yarder over the middle to send the respective schools to the locker room with MF enjoying the 21-7 edge!!
A strong surge in the 3rd quarter enabling B.H. to draw within 21-20, Walsh added to his already monster/memorable resume when he punched the ball across the line from 1-yard out in the last 3:11 of 3Q to make it a cumulative 4TD display…
WEEK #1 (September 6th-7th, 2024)
Patrick Curran Jr. (Jr.); RB – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers
One’s life is comprised of a multitude/series of “firsts” that no matter how old you grow, the memories are so thick and vivid; they remain with you forever!!
A first kiss…A first car…The birth of your first child…AND ESPECIALLY, the first time you punch that pigskin across the goal line for a touchdown!!!
For the Mountaineer senior tailback [Curran Jr.], his defining moment would come with just over 6:00 remaining in the third quarter of MSMA’s 43-8 triumph at home over Capital Prep Harlem Charter School on the afternoon of September 6th!!!
Summoned into the offensive backfield and asked to assume the workload for the majority of the squad’s opening drive of the 2nd half [the Mount enjoying a 37-8 lead at the time], the gent in the #26 jersey did not squander his first career opportunities to carry the ball….
Doing every bit of his damage during this aforementioned sequence, Curran Jr. peeled off gains of approximately 16, 17, 12, and 30 yards to advance the ball inside the red zone!
Smelling the glory that awaited him, he’d cash in on his fourth hand-off of the march, being met on the doorstep, but barreling over the defender for the 7-yard hammer to close out the Mountaineers’ offensive explosion!!
His 5-carry, 82-yard resume tops among the cohort in both categories, Curran Jr. would be the third of three different Mount St. Michael ball-carriers to notch a TD on the ground, as he was previously beaten to the deed by Carl Shaw (9-yarder in the 1Q), and Franklin Dominguez (24-yarder in 2Q; finished with 51 yards on 2 attempts)!
Angels clearly watching over him; an interesting tidbit is that had teammate, Shamari Ormsby, not had his 79-yard TD trek erased by a penalty on a prior snap; it is possible the 5’9, 160-pounder from Yonkers [Curran Jr.] would have been deprived of his spotlight and O.W. garnering credentials!!
While he was not officially credited in the box score; let it be known that Curran Jr. performed double duty; as he saw action at MLB!
Julian Guzman (Jr.); QB – Iona Prep Gaels
The third starting signal caller in the past three years for the New Rochelle based juggernaut, the 6’0, 185-pound 11th grader [Guzman] has shown through the first two weekends of the 2024 campaign that when it comes to the quarterback position, Iona Prep does not rebuild; they simply reload with a new name/face inflicting pain to the opposition…
The beneficiary of last year’s field general, Joey Gaston’s decision to transfer to the Peddie School, the two-sport standout who is verbally committed to the University of Maryland baseball team as a middle infielder, has already amassed 520 yards (42-for-66; 63.6%) and three touchdown tosses while leading his Gaels to a split of their two outings against upper echelon out-of-state foes…
Quite respectable (227 yards on 25-of-42 passing) in the week #0 loss at the hands of 2023 NJSIAA Non-Public State runner-up, Delbarton, in his first varsity start, Guzman further demonstrated that he is already well ahead of the learning curve (only attempted four passes as a sophomore in a reserve capacity) during his most recent appearance on the gridiron, as he was the unquestionable catalyst in the program’s 44-20 drubbing of Massachusetts’ powerhouse/3x MIAA State Champs from 2018-2021, Springfield Central!
Accounting for four total touchdowns during the September 7th cross-state clash, the perennial Honor Roll student-athlete was an assassin/sniper with his arm, as he’d connect on 17 of 24 hurl tries for 293 yards and a trifecta of TD chucks; while also punching in a single score with his legs!!
In synch all afternoon with targets— Steven Dowdy Jr. (7 grabs for 130 yards, 1 TD) & Crew Davis (7 hauls for 110 yards, 1 TD; not to mention 76 yards + 1 TD on the ground), Guzman wasted absolutely no time at all in “breaking the ice”, as he’d hit the latter [Davis] with a 57-yard strike over the middle on the first snap of the game to immediately propel IP to a 7-0 lead…
After a SC TD cut the edge to 7-6, it would be his 42-yard dime over the shoulder of Dowdy to advance the ball to the host 5-yard-line that set up AJ Zimmerman’s (5 carries for 31 yards) short TD run to make the score 14-6 at the end of the opening 12 minutes…
Displaying his dual-threat capabilities in the 2Q, Guzman banged his way up the gut into the end zone to increase the cushion to 21-6!!!
It would be a charmed second half for the young standout wearing the #15 shirt as well, as he’d tack on TD tosses #2 and #3 of the day (both in the 3rd quarter) in the form of a 41-yard bubble screen (on 3rd &5) to Dowd Jr. to make the score 37-12; and then for good measure found a WIDE OPEN and waiting Joe Wolf (2 grabs for 48 yards) on a 40-yard pitch-and-catch to round out the output for Iona Prep!!
There will be no time for resting on laurels for either Guzman or the Maroon & Gold machine; and they again will continue to challenge themselves to the highest degree when they welcome 20x New Jersey State Kings (3x defending), Bergen Catholic, to Wellington T. Mara Field on September 14th!
Raymond Sierra (Sr.); LB – Holy Cross Knights
Bragging rights belong to the Knights thanks in large part to the senior leadership provided by the 5’11, 175-pound linebacker [Sierra]…
The anchor of a collective effort that surrendered just 6 points all afternoon last Saturday, the Glen Oaks resident would be a human turnover creating machine in vaulting Holy Cross to a 12-6 crosstown triumph over Eagle Academy III in a clash of Francis Lewis vs. Linden Boulevards!!!
Checking off just about every proverbial box imaginable in spearheading the shutdown display by the “Green & Gold defensive blanket”, Sierra would single-handedly halt multiple EA drives when he registered an INT on series; while also forcing a fumble on another!!!
The very definition of “comprehensive” and “impactful” in his 48-minute body of work, while the aforementioned changes of possession he generated certainly stood out; what ought not be overlooked/under-appreciated is the breadth of all the intangibles he brought with him to the field on September 7th!!
“All over the place” as so perfectly expressed by the HC coaching staff, it must have seemed as if there were #28 clones occupying four or five different positions to the opponent, as he’d rack up a double-digit performance in total stops with 12 (10 solo, 2 assisted); took up residency in the opposing backfield to the tune of 3 TFLs; and was a master tormentor to the enemy signal caller, as he complemented his already cited interception by also accounting for a pair of pass break-ups and two QB hurries!!
Today marking the first NYCHSFL POTW recognition bestowed upon him; our gut tells us that he is just getting warmed up; and we will continue to hear about the havoc he wreaks in the coming weeks!!
Dating back to the 2016 season, the Knights have now won their last six games versus non-NYCHSFL adversaries!!!
Luca Smith (Jr.); DE – Chaminade Flyers
After the comprehensive performance delivered by the 6’1, 210-pounder out of Glen Head [Smith], we think that Coach Claro should begin referring to his junior defensive end as “VISA”, because #44 was most assuredly “everywhere you wanted him to be” during a 27-0 week #1 shutout on the road over NYSPHSAA Section 1 member, John Jay!!!
The show-stopper for a “D-Unit” that was responsible for pitching the Flyers’ first shutout since the Fall of 2021 (Three goose-eggs on their way to the NYCHSFL AA-1 crown), Smith performed at such an immensely chaos-creating, terrifying level on the evening of September 7th that even Chuck Norris had nightmares of the carnage left in the wake!!!
Racking up career-bests that are likely to stick among his finest scholastic outings during the next two years, the 5.5 stops and 2.5 sacks in which he was credited would be overshadowed by the fact that had a direct role in creating two separate turnovers, including one that he personally took the distance for the always coveted “Defensive 6”!!
Setting the tone from the initial opposing series, Smith would clobber the signal caller on a lethal pass rush on 3rd & Long to force a punt…His pattern of pressure was relentless every moment thereafter as well!
His school already leading 7-0, Smith would be in the right place at the right time on JJ’s second drive of the day, as he’d slide in to pick off a pass attempt (on a pressure created by Thomas Jemison) to set up the Crimson & Gold offense inside the enemy 25… Peter Gerbasi (59 yards and 2 touchdowns on 11 carries) later cashed in on the excellent starting field position when he scored on a 12-yard run to increase the cushion to 14-0!
The Marianists having since boosted their advantage to 21-0, Smith transformed matters from bad to worse for John Jay when on the fifth snap of the 4th quarter, he thwarted their most promising march and rounded out the accumulation for the Flyers when he scooped up a loose football (jarred on a blitz from William Handley) and jetted 67 yards to paydirt to register the second defensive TD of the game for the visitors (Senior LB, Dean Schmitt, on a 24-yard fumble recovery in 2Q)!!!
The Chaminade “D” surrendered just 132 yards of total offense as the program is off to their first 2-0 start since 2017!!!