Gregory Ajose-Martinez (Sr.); DE/OLB – St. Peter’s Boys Eagles
While the temperature on the evening of September 20th never creeped below 72 degrees; there was a definitive chill in the air thanks to the presence of the 6’1, 180-pound Staten Islander [Ajose-Martinez]…
A bona fide “Stone Called” assassin in the Eagles’ 21-7 triumph over Xaverian, the #26 was so active throughout the 48-minute ordeal, that it would be easier to count the number of defensive snaps where he did not record a hit or stop….
His 15 total tackles this season in the lead-up to week #3 among the tops on the team, the #26 shirt utilized a career night to vault himself to the top of the totem pole, as he’d double up the next highest tackler on the squad (Cosmo D’Amelio), 18-9, to usher in a wave of Blue & Gold defensive dominance…
His epic effort invaluable in holding the Clippers 11 points below their season output average, there was not many boxes that Ajose-Martinez left unchecked on his gridiron bingo card, as he’d complement the massive tackle load by tacking on two TFLs, and a pair of QB bags in never allowing Xaverian to establish any kind of rhythm/flow…
A weapon of turbulence in the blanket applied by the SPB “D”, Ajose-Martinez’s contributions were not just numbers for numbers sake…
On the contrary, while it perhaps went overlooked in the box score and in the postgame summaries, it could be stated that he was front-and-center for the pinnacle sequence of the night, as in the midst of a 7-7 deadlock in the 3rd quarter, he’d chase down the Xaverian field general and punch the ball out, resulting in a scoop and fumble return inside the enemy 7-yard line by D’Amelio (9 stops, 4 TFLs)…
All-Catholic and/or 3rd Team All-State pick, Jeremiah Williams (104 yards and 1 score on 20 carries) capitalized on the induced turnover shortly after later when he cruised to the promised land for what would be the game-winning score!!
Senior dual-threat signal caller, Marco Aruta (2023 All-Catholic; HM All-State), also provided a boost to the offense, as he logged bookend touchdowns, as he had a 2-yard run to account for their points in the 1st half; and then cemented the “w” when he chucked a perfect 38-yard dart over the shoulder of Saloui Diokhate in the 4th to add some insurance!
Off to a 4-0 start for a second straight year, the [Robert] Sica mentored group will put their unblemished status on the line when they take the voyage to Long Island to square off with AAA opponent, Kellenberg Memorial this coming Saturday!!
Week #3 marks Ajose-Martinez’s introduction to Player of the Week distinction!!
Ken-G Burnham (Sr.); WR – Cardinal Hayes Cardinals
In the match-up of respective 2023 Metro Catholic finalists, it was Triple-A league and state champs, Cardinal Hayes, emerging as 34-3 victors on the road over the returning AA-1 runner-up Mavericks of Moore Catholic thanks in large part to the contributions of their stellar senior WR [Burnham]…
Relishing the privilege of an enhanced role in his swan song for the Cardinals (after a 14-grab, 234-yard, 3 TD haul junior campaign), the 5’10, 200-pounder hometown kid [Bronx] began displaying signs of becoming a superstar at the tail end of 2023 (5 grabs + a TD catch in the postseason); and he has ridden that momentum into the present-day as evident by his illustration on September 21st!!
Becoming a much-favorited target of reigning NYCHSFL and NYS Offensive Player of the Year, Rich Belin, Burnham has gone from snatching three combined touchdown balls in his first two years on the varsity to FIVE scoring receptions in a matter of mere weeks as a polished and determined senior!!
Notching his second two-TD performance of the 2024 fall (previously did it during a week #1 win over Massachusetts powerhouse, Catholic Memorial), the standout in the #1 jersey accrued what is believed to be a new career-high of 125 yards as a pass-catcher, as he torched the “Merrill Avenue Mafia” to the degree of an average 30+ yards per grab on his four total receptions!!
The bulk of the damage he inflicted taking place during the first 12 minutes of action, Burham put the exclamation on a lucrative opening drive when on two consecutive snaps, he posted grabs of 25 and 19 yards, with the latter (a WR screen) resulting in “6” to give Hayes the early 7-0 lead 2:30 into 1Q…
A MC field goal on their first series with the ball cutting the edge to 7-3, the B-squared tantum teamed up again on yet another receiver screen, as Burham got the football parallel to his own 26, motored approximately 40 yards down the host sideline and then cut back to the middle where he out-raced all Moore defensive backs to complete a 74-yard TD exchange to make the score 14-3 with 4:30 remaining in opening quarter!
The owners of a 7-game streak dating back to last year versus NYCHSFL; expect for Hayes to lean on/stick with a proven formula when they battle Monsignor Farrell on neutral grounds (Columbia University) this coming Friday!!
Crew Davis (Jr.); RB/WR – Iona Prep Gaels
Made by God in the mold of a Christian McCaffrey type hybrid running back/wide receiver, the 5’11, 205-pound Nutmeg State resident [Davis] possesses such versatility in the manner in which he can hurt you; that it becomes of a requirement of rival defensive coordinators to practically game-plan around the gentleman in the #5 jersey…
Providing a glimpse as a sophomore of his full repertoire (688 yards and eight touchdowns of total production), Davis is well on his way to re-writing all of his prior yearly highs as an upperclassman, as the 112.8 yard/per outing pace he presently finds himself on is a surefire way to keep him in the conversation for not only multiple Player of the Week honors; but much more grandiose distinctions as to boot…
The consummate sparkplug that ignites the offense without needing a multitude of opportunities, in his most recent appearance, the dual-sport specimen (is also a 4-star national prospect by IL as a midfielder on the IP lacrosse team) required just eight total touches to amass 109 yards and three touchdowns as the game-changer in Iona Prep’s sound 42-13 triumph in hostile territory over Archbishop Stepinac in a preview of a potential future Triple-A semifinal match-up…
Posting the third two-touchdown rushing game of his time matriculating on Wilmot Road, Davis concluded the afternoon having a net gain of 49 yards on seven carries (7.0/per), with the most efficacious of his offerings taking the form of a 5-yard sprint around the right corner with 6:08 to go in the opening stanza (to make the score 14-0), as well as six-yarder up the gut in the final 90 seconds of the 1st half (to send the Gaels into the locker room with a substantial 35-6 cushion)…
Sandwiched around the pair of “6’s he earned as a runner would be a perfectly executed shovel pass between Davis and fellow junior, Julian Guzman (8-of-11 in the air for 243 yards, 2 TD throws), that the former was able to take the distance from 60 yards away in direct response to a Crusader touchdown on the previous series (28-8 with 8:20 remaining 2Q)!!!
The three-TD affair was a new single-day individual record for the strapping lad, as he has already generated six touchdowns during the first month of the 2024 year (4 rushing, 2 receiving)….
His current fall ‘24 stat line reading as such: 211 yards on 29 hand-offs; 240 yards on 19 grabs, Davis’s lone reception this past Saturday allowed him to surpass his 2023 volume as a pass-catcher; and his body of work on land leaves him just 250 yards short with the majority of the schedule still in front of him!!
Davis is a first-time POTW recipient!!!!
Franklin Dominguez (Sr.); RB – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers
“A season achieved in a single-afternoon”…That is the best way we can depict the video game numbers compiled by the 5’7, 175-pound four-year varsity starter for the Mountaineers [Dominguez]!!!
Having never rushed for more than 301 yards in a year (sophomore in 2022) or reached the century mark in a game (previous best of 66 as a freshman), the Bronx boy might as well change his name to “TNT” because he was DYNAMITE in MSMA’s 34-6 win on September 21st over the Bay Hawks of St. Dominics!!!
Accounting for no fewer than four 20+ runs (that we saw) throughout the afternoon, Dominguez rang up 228 yards and deuce 6’s on 16 carries to spur the Mountaineer offense to a 34-0 lead before Dom’s was able to prevent the shutout with a late 4th quarter touchdown…
Not even playing in the 4th quarter, both of Dominguez’s aforementioned TDs occurred during the opening 24 minutes as he’d break the ice with a 6-yard inside carry with 2:53 to go in 1Q to make the score 6-0; and then on back-to-back runs of 35 + 20 yards, he jetted to paydirt in the last 3:30 of the half to increase the lead to 18-0!!!
Even when he was not the one crossing that threshold, Dominguez had a hand (or rather two legs) in much of what transpiring, as it was his 23-yard scurry that moved the ball inside the StD 2-yard line as a precursor to Kadane Joseph’s (6-for-13 in the air for 113 yards + 1 TD; 12 yards + 1 additional touchdown on 12 keepers) short sneak earlier in the game (12-0)!
Thru three showings, Dominguez has gross production equaling 286 yards and four scores on 21 attempts (13.6/per) and will not be slowing down anytime soon!!
Now a first-time POTW selection, he becomes the third member of a loaded backfield to garner the credential this fall as teammates— Patrick Curran Jr. (Week #1) and Carl Shaw III (Week #2) preceded him on the list!
Isaiah Gittens (Sr.); Two-Way Lineman – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds
Praised by KMHS Head Coach, Eric Meisse, and his staff as the type of “team-first”, “embrace every assignment given to him” player that is the backbone of any winning formula, the contributions of the 6’1, 255-pounder out of West Hempstead [Gittens] on paper do not even touch of doing him proverbial justice in terms of the impact he made in helping the Uniondale based ‘Birds to their first victory of the season (1-3), 24-14, this past Friday night over Fordham Prep…
The very definition of what it means to be an “Ironman”, the perennial Honor Roll student-athlete was a mainstay on both sides of the line of scrimmage, as he registered 100+ snaps in his first outing as a full-time, two-way beast in the trenches…
Previously spotted on occasion as an OL in certain packages/situations, the three-year varsity starting defender/2024 team captain was so smooth in his transition to an every-down presence as an OG, that it came as no coincidence to the Kellenberg brain trust that his increased role was met/accompanied by the squad’s ability to rack up their first 100+-yard rushing performance of the falls, as the backfield was transformed from a cohort that entered week #3 averaging 77.3 yard per contest with just one ground TD to an unstoppable force that chewed up 159 yards and notched a touchdown on 33 carries versus a reputable Ram D-Unit!!!
His skills as a pass protector would also be showcased, as he was instrumental in keeping senior field general, Jack Durso (9-for-19, 110 yards, 2 TD tosses; 68 yards + 1 score on 11 keepers) upright, thus enabling the latter to register the first multiple-touchdown tossing appearance of his season/career!!!
Gittens’s expanded responsibilities on “O” in no way compromising his talent for/desire to be disruptive in his bread-and-butter defensive capacity, as he’d match his personal-bests in total stops (4) and TFLs (1), while also being credited with the first official sack of his tenure as an imposing incumbent DT/NG…
Commanding attention and/or respect from FP, because the Ram OL had to be so immensely concerned with him; it enabled the Senior linebacking corps comprised of Nicholas Kramer, Vincenzo Cascone, & Cedric Frater, to all enjoy banner days, as they went off for nights producing 6, 5, and 4 tackles apiece!!!
The head-to-head on the road with Fordham Prep deadlocked at 14 all midway through the 2nd quarter, Gittens emerged with his signature sequence of the evening when on 3rd down, he tracked and clobbered reigning NYCHSFL, Jonathan Bailey, while the senior signal caller was scrambling and looking down field to induce a punt…
Collectively growing stronger the deeper into the night they went, the KMHS “D” pitched a shutout for the last 30:33 of duration, as a field goal at the waning moments of the 1st half, complemented by a 15TD run by Durso (7:25 go in the 4th) proved to be the difference-makers as the ‘Berg succeeded in creating some separation…
What began as an enthusiastic smile (Gittens’s reaction to be asked if he was interested in being a starter on both ends) might just be the cause of quite a few opposing frowns in the coming weeks!!
Today marks Gittens’s Player of the Week nomination debut!!
Sean Ibert (Jr.); RB – St. Francis Prep Terriers
Last week, we called it an “embarrassment of riches”; this week, we are just going to refer to the backfield situation in Fresh Meadows as an outright blessing…
We don’t believe God has a favorite team; but if he did, recent evidence suggests that it must be the Queens based Terriers!!
The 5’10, 155-pound 11th grader being the THRID SFP tailback [Ibert] in a matter of four weeks to be named as a Player of the Week honoree, the question must be asked, “is there any limit to the quantity/quality of the depth chart on Francis Lewis Blvd.?
Like a fine wine that grows better with age, the expediated development of Ibert on a week-to-week basis has been so immense and/or pronounced, that by the time the postseason rolls around, we might be looking at a 2024 All-Catholic selection…
Setting, resetting, and then resetting again his personal-highs attempts and yardage in each of his last three outings, the word “vital” does not do him justice when discussing the utter invaluable role he played in precipitating a 12-7 victory on September 21st over the Titans of Holy Trinity at the Mitchel Field Athletic Complex!!
The duality of the threat he poses on full display, his week #3 resume boasted a sum of 99 yards of offensive production, as he’d rush for 79 yards on 9 carries (8.8/per), while also typing for the team lead in receptions with 3 grabs for an additional 20 yards…
The raw data itself quite impressive; adding to the substance of his career-night would be the direct cause-and-effect outcomes yielded by his efforts!!
Tantamount to each of SFP’s two touchdowns, he may not have been the one to officially break the ice on the Terriers’ must possession of the contest; but it was his 43-yard jet sweep on the second snap of regulation that paved the way (moved the ball from his own 35 to the Titan 22) for Junior QB, Jack Leary (11-for-18, 99 yards, 2 TD throws) to connect with Rocco Petronella (3 snatches for 17 yards, 1 score) on a 2-yard hook-up two plays later to give St. Francis Prep the early 6-0 edge 1:17 into the opening quarter…
Fast-forward to the 4th quarter with SFP now trailing 7-6 (2:31 remaining) and down to their last chance at stealing back the dub, it was #22 on the back end of a 2-yard flip on a 3rd & goal situation that delivered when the stakes were highest, as Ibert’s short touchdown reception with just :45 still to go on the clock capped off a 5-snap, 34-yard winning march!!!
The 3-1 start to the fall enabling St. Francis to surpass their win total from all of 2023; something is definitely cooking; as they have not looked this good since the 2021 Covid season (3-0 start; finished 3-1) or the 2013 campaign when they shook off a loss in the season-kickoff by peeling off seven straight victories!!
Gary Merrill (Sr.); QB – St. Anthony’s Friars
As he seems to do on a weekly basis (win or lose), the maestro named Merrill once again showcased why he is a returning All-Catholic and 1st-Team All-State selection, as he put the visiting Friars on his back and propelled them to a 35-27 week #3 victory under the Friday Night Lights in Staten Island over the Lions of Monsignor Farrell…
Avenging one of only four losses (27-21 last October) he has sustained to a fellow NYCHSFL opponent in his two-seasons running the offense for St. Anthony’s, the Bayport resident went the extra mile and then some in the rematch, as he personally accounted for every one of the five touchdowns stockpiled by [Joe] Minucci’s Black & Gold machine…
Concluding the night having accumulated a mind-blowing sum just south of 400 yards (394—226 in the air; 168 on the ground), the senior signal caller connected on 16 of his 24 throws, including a pair of TD hurls, while simultaneously being his school’s most potent producer on land, as three of his 27 carries were capped off with him standing in the end zone!!!
While none of the aforementioned stats represented new career-highs (the five touchdowns did tie his previous best set twice in 2023); you’d be hard pressed to find a better overall and/or more clutch effort out of the #16 shirt since he assumed the reins full-time early in his junior campaign…
A ballgame in which STA trailed for much of the evening, what stood out about the University of North Carolina lacrosse commit’s (#2 overall recruit in the among the 2025 class) effort was that he always seemed to be able to immediately deliver an answer/response to any/every Lions’ score…
Drawing first blood, the future Tar Heel gave the Friars a 7-0 lead when he culminated the opening series of the game by hitting Will Hart with a 19-yard strike over the middle while facing 4th & long…
The visitors from South Huntington now trailing 14-7 with 3:59 remaining in the opening half, Merrill repeatedly came up with big plays in advance of the break, as he’d punctuate the 74-yard march when he punched the ball across the line on a 2-yard keeper with no time showing on the clock to square the contest at 14-14….The short TD sneak was set up by a longer 4th down conversion with his legs, as well as a 23-yard on the money completion to Johnny Russo (on the 2-yard line)…
Farrell jumping back on top, 21-14, less than 3:00 into 3Q, Merrill needed just one snap to again knot up this back-and-forth war, as he’d fake the hand-off and then throw a precision dart to a wide-open Russo for the 60-yard touchdown…
The score sitting at 27-21 in favor of the hosts from Amboy Road [MF], TD #4 of the day for Merrill came courtesy of his toughness and grit, as on his fourth straight keeper attempt (on an original 1st & goal on the 1-yard scenario), he refused to allow the 54-yard drive to be halted by a goal line stand, as he took the snap out of the shotgun and then found a small opening on the left, banging through would-be tacklers to cash in with 1:49 to go in the third quarter to give STA the 28-27 edge…
Ever the nimble speedster, he’d add a 40-yard TD trek (headed up the middle out of the shotgun before cutting right and then making a man miss) with 7:10 remaining in the 4th quarter to round out his brilliance and provide some insurance (35-27)…
Generating 28 TDs during the entirety of his 11th grade campaign (13 passing; 15 with his legs); Merrill is on pace to shatter that mark, as he already has a balanced quantity of 11 (6 via the sky and 5 on grass/turf) through four appearances in 2024!!!
Preceded by a week #1 nomination last fall, Merrill garners his second POTW accolade!
