Week #6 (October 13th-15th, 2023)
Steven Dowdy Jr. (Jr.); WR – Iona Prep Gaels
Already sitting in the driver’s seat be the Gaels’ triple-crown winner in the receiving categories, not to mention the current chart-topper in the entire NYCHSFL with 36 catches heading into week #6, the 11th grader out of the Bronx [Dowdy Jr.] did nothing but further add to the legacy he is establishing in 2023 by emerging with program-highs of 3 hauls for 63 yards, and a pair of TD catches in Iona Prep’s 46-35 victory over Cardinal Hayes on Saturday afternoon!
His immense body of work raising his seasonal totals to 39 snatches for 455 yards, the pair of previously cited TDs (giving him 5 on the year) marked the first multi-touchdown reception game of his varsity career!!
Registering the first of his two touchdown-yielding grabs with host, IP, holding a 10-7 lead, Dowdy Jr. slipped out uncovered and was on the back end of a 26-yard strike, catching the ball with his back to the goal line and then moon-walking his way across to increase the cushion to 17-7 with 5:51 remaining in the 1st half!!!
He’d deliver the quasi nail in the coffin with 4:52 left in the 3rd Quarter when two snaps after the Iona Prep defense induced a punt, he beat his man clean over the middle and caught the ball in stride for the 37-yard pitch-and-catch exchange between him and junior QB, Joseph Gaston (10-for-13, 137 yards, 2 TD passes; 125 yards rushing and two more touchdowns on 11 carries) to create a 38-21 edge!
Not just a gem in the aerial attack, Dowdy Jr. made sure that his impact was all-encompassing, as he’d tack on a pair of runs for 11 and 9 yards respectively (both moving the sticks) to conclude the matinee with 20 yards on two attempts.
Using every ounce of his 175-pound frame, his rush-blocking on the perimeter would also not go unnoticed/under-appreciated as he’d trade finesse for physicality in aiding the school in posting season-bests of 364 yards and four scores on land!!!
The New Rochelle based outfit presently sitting at 4-3 overall (3-2 against league competition) in the standings, Dowdy Jr. will try to prolong ongoing streaks that have seen him bank 3 or more catches in six straight appearances, while also recording one or more touchdown catches in four consecutive weekends, when IP travels to Long Island to go toe-to-toe with Kellenberg Memorial under the Friday Night Lights on the 21st!
Nick Fiorentino (Sr.); QB – St. Joseph’s by the Sea Vikings
Called into action to make his first start of the fall, the 6’1, 170-pound senior signal caller [Fiorentino] showcased why he is the consummate floor leader on the hardwood [basketball] and field general on the gridiron, as he was distributing the ball like a seasoned professional last Saturday afternoon to steer the “Viking ship” to a 28-12 triumph on home soil [Ryan Field] over Holy Cross!!!
Locked in and on the money with just about every aerial attempt he made, Fiorentino teamed up with FIVE different targets throughout the 48-minute affair, but it was his symbiotic partnership with fellow 12th grader, Robert Stefanelli (3 grabs for 97 yards), that ultimately was the most invaluable as the duo paired up on a pair of touchdown tosses to anchor an SJS offense that nearly doubled the 14.5 points they came in averaging this season (had only scored 27 points combined in their previous three outings!
Connecting on 12-of-15 throws for 269 yards and the aforementioned deuces in the TD column, Fiorentino got the Vikings (trailing 6-0 at the time) on the board when hit Stefanelli on a WR screen, where the latter made several guys miss before cruising 76 yards to the promised land to give SJS a 7-6 lead with 7:14 remaining in the opening stanza…
The contest very much a back-and-forth shootout during the 1st half, Fiorentino again rallied the troops from a small deficit (12-7) in the last 60 seconds of the 2nd quarter when he hurled a beautiful 37-yard completion to Damian Aviles (4 grabs for 79 yards) over the middle to advance the ball to the Knight 2-yard line before calling his own number on the keeper on the subsequent snap to restore the edge (14-12) with 38.7 to go prior to the break!
Picking up where he left off, the cushion grew to 21-12 with just under 4:00 showing in the 3rd quarter when after a long hook-up with Aviles and a “Bush Push” to move the chains on a QB sneak, the Fiorentino/Stefanelli combo struck again on a 13-yard screen where the WR shook his defender out of his cleats before walking into the end zone!!!
Taking precision to a whole new level of definition, having succeeded on 19 of his 25 attempts (359 yards, 3 touchdowns) this season, it need not be said that the #13 shirt earned himself another start in week #7 as the Vikings take the short road trip across S.I. to collide with the Eagles of St. Peter’s!!
Sean Kull (Sr.); TB/DB – Xavier Knights
The “Water Bug” giveth in all situations!!!
One of those special student-athletes that is always a pleasure and privilege to spotlight, the 5’7, 155-pounder out of the Queens [Kull] would need three or four heads if he were to try to wear every “hat” that fits the description of his versatility and selflessness!!
A holder on extra points (6-for-7 the past two weekends), an alert special teamer (pounced on two loose balls to maintain possession), a staunch defender (registered a game-saving tackle in the week #5 triumph over St. Joe’s by the Sea), and an electrifying runner (43-yard TD vs. The Vikings), the #15 jersey has no quit and absolutely has no off switch as he is willing and dedicated to undertaking ANY task asked of him by the Knight coaching staff in the name of collective glory!!
And this past week, what was requested of him by Coach Stevens and company was to be the supreme, unstoppable rocket that spearheaded Xavier to a 42-0 win over Cardinal Spellman on October 14th!!
Shifting back to his normal role in the offensive backfield after filling in as a defensive back due to a teammate being sidelined, the past two outings on the gridiron have cases of back-to-back breakout performances!
Having never carried the ball more than seven times in a single game, run for a quantity higher than 52 yards, or scored a touchdown in his varsity tenure up through week #4, Kull been lightning in a bottle during weeks 5 and 6, rushing for 171 yards and four touchdowns on just 14 attempts (12.2/per) to vault his school above the .500 line (4-3) in the 2023 standings!
Carrying the momentum formulated by a 61-yard/1TD (5 hand-off) effort in the win over Joe’s by the Sea two weeks ago, Kull took his skill set to an entirely different level in his most recent day at the office, as he produced new personal-bests across the board on the ground, jetting to the tune of a 9-attempt, 110-yard, 3-touchdown act of grandiose proportions..
His signature moment coming 2:14 into the 2nd quarter when he “shot out of a cannon” and trekked 60 yards to paydirt to make the score 29-0, Kull also had a 1-yard plunge in the 1st quarter (to make the score 7-0) and then added his third and final “6” of the evening on a 6-yard power run off center to the left just prior to the end of the half to send the Knights into the locker room with a commanding 36-0 advantage!
One of three XR ball-carriers that tallied 274 of the squad’s 327 yards and scored all six of their touchdowns, joining Kull in being “invited to the end zone” was Mehdi Merah (91 yards and 2 TDs on 7 carries) & Jerry Kuharski (73 yards + 1 TD on 3 hand-offs)!!
The Knights and their newly discovered land assassin will seek a third dub in a row when they hit the road to Somers to square off with Kennedy Catholic this coming Friday!
Matthias Lighten (Sr.); WR/DB – Moore Catholic Mavericks
If we’ve said it once, we must have screamed it regularly for the better part of the past 3.5 seasons…MATTHIAS LIGHTEN is a game-changer on both sides of the ball!!
Getting the job done (as usual) in all capacities as both the top target in the passing game and as a lockdown defensive back on “D” for the visiting Moore Catholic Mavericks, the returning All-Catholic/All-State selection formally has his revenge, as he replaced memories of the 2021 AA-1 title game loss with a new set of visions following a 20-0 shutout last Sunday afternoon over Chaminade in a NYCHSFL Double-A/Triple-A crossover match-up!!!
Already entering week #6 as the team’s leader in both receptions (20) and yardage (274), the only element missing this season compared to past editions was touchdown grabs (just 1 this fall)!!
Well, the 6’1, 180-pounder hailing from Plainfield, NJ addressed that issue in an emphatic way in the victory over the Flyers, as he turned a 7-0 lead into a 14-0 cushion when on MC’s first series of the 2nd half, he hauled in a gorgeous over-the-shoulder catch (on 3rd & 8) on his own 45-yard line and then raced 55 yards untouched down the Crimson & Gold clad [Chaminade] sideline for the 77-yard touchdown with 6:27 to go in the 3rd quarter!!!
This one massive grab acted as the crux of an overall 2-catch, 82-yard afternoon for the future U.S. Military Academy/Army Black Knight!!
Defensively, as part of a commanding and statement-making universal display at all three levels, Lighten was one of four student-athletes for Moore Catholic that registered interceptions (joined by Billy Cozidente, Glenn Sheppard, and Elijah Jones) as the “No Fly Zone” was so impactful that they limited opposing QB, Tyler Granito, to just 57 yards tossing, forcing him to go a modest 7-for-24 in the air!!
With the visitors from S.I. relishing the 14-0 edge, Lighten produced his second INT of 2023 when on 3rd & 9, he ran step-for-step with Chaminade junior WR, Brendan Park, and then make a leaping snatch on the MC 32 to steal the possession with 1:39 remaining in quarter #3!
As noted above, the winners of three in a row will try to extend their hot streak to four when they host SJS in a week #7 battle for Staten Island supremacy….With the Vikings QB [Fiorentino] fresh off a banner effort and the MC secondary relentless in their ball-hawking duties, this clash could not have materialized at a finer moment!
Lighten has now been named a POTW in three consecutive seasons, debuting in week #7 of the 2021 season and repeating in week #0 of the 2022 campaign!
Nafis Muhammad (Jr.); RB – Monsignor Farrell Lions
Tottenville’s loss is the gain of the Monsignor Farrell Lions as the first-year transfer [Muhammad] jumped levels this past Friday night and transformed from mortal to superhero in propelling the visitors from Staten Island to their first victory (27-21) in over two decades [2000] over a St. Anthony’s squad that entered ranked #1 overall in NYS and sitting atop the Triple-A Metro Catholic standings!
Not only shattering his personal bests, but damn near rewriting the Maroon & Gold single-game rushing record, the 5’5, 160-pound 11th grader registered the highest total of rushing yards by a Farrell ball-carrier since week #1 of the 2017 season [Vin Wagner; 280 yards vs. LaSalle Academy), when he amassed 276 yards and a score while handling the rock on 34 occasions [nearly double his prior high for workload]!!
The first 200+-yard performance during his debut year with MF (had previous century mark showings against Stepinac and St. John the Baptist that witnessed him sprint for 112 and 104 yards respectively), it was apparent from the get-go that #21 was about to terrify and terrorize the host Friars on Friday the 13th
Not yielding any points, but certainly setting the tone, on the first two series of the night for the Lions, Muhammad would record a 40-yard run (moved the ball inside the opposing 25] and then a 51-yard reception [screen pass on 3rd&4; to the STA 16] to put his school in business….
The homerun-hitting plays just kept piling up one after another, as believe it or not, Muhammad proved to be even more explosive during the final 24 minutes of action, as 21 of 34 carries and 190 of yards came in the 3rd and 4th quarters!!!
Finally getting a taste of the end zone with 7:36 remaining in the 3rd quarter (Farrell trailing 7-0), Muhammad evened the contest at 7-7 when on 3rd & Goal, he caught a pass over the middle and then fell across the goal line for the touchdown….The clutch reception came on the heels of several runs of 8-15 yards that set up the successful drive!!
MF now enjoying a 14-7 advantage (Pick-6 by Mikai Gamble), Muhammad took full advantage of a second straight STA turnover, as he exploited the short field (assumed possession at their own 48) by peeling off runs of 10 and 24 yards to put himself and the program on the doorstep…A 1-yard punch-in with 4:07 to go in 3Q culminated the drive and doubled the Lion cushion to 21-7!!!
Even when he was not scoring himself, he was facilitating, as two of his biggest efforts of the evening came in the last 6:00 of regulation when on 2nd & 8, he found a hole and dashed 43-yard into enemy territory (STA 15), and then on 3rd & 5 moved the chains again to put the pigskin on the Friar 6…. All of this work eventually led to senior QB, Cristian Pinto, calling his own number on a 2-yard TD keeper that iced the game (27-14) with just 2:39 left to be spoken for!
By virtue of his legendary display, Muhammad is now boasting a stat line that reads as follows: 674 yards (4 touchdowns) on 121 carries (5.6/per); 5 grabs for 96 yards (1 additional “6”)!!
Victors in two straight (as well as 4 of their past 5 appearances), the studs of Amboy Road will attempt to build even more momentum towards the oncoming postseason when they welcome in the Rams of Fordham Prep on October 20th!
Matt Sweeney (Sr.); WR – St. Peter’s Eagles
The days of being a run-heavy program have seemingly come to an end on Clinton Avenue thanks in large part to the emergence of the 6’1, 190-pounder wide-out in the #1 jersey [Sweeney]
After a five-week span where nearly 80 percent (1,257 of 1,589) of their yards from scrimmage and 86% of their touchdowns (19 of 22) came courtesy of the ground arsenal, the offensive contingent from St. Peters has found a balance that is going to make them an even tougher out once the AA-1 postseason rolls around!!!
Ungrudgingly and enthusiastically serving as a dedicated blocker down field to facilitate teammates—Jeremiah Williams (Week #0 POTW) & Marco Aruta (Week #1 POTW) running wild to the tune of 1,169 yards and 17 touchdowns thru week #4, Sweeney has been afforded the opportunity to showcase the pass-catching component of his skill set during the last two contests, and boy of boy, has he left us immensely impressed!!!
Morphing from a 1 or 2 reception per game (6 snatches for 108 yards, 0 TDs) contributor at the onset of his swan song into a precious commodity that has hauled in 8 passes for 280 yards and three scores in week 5 and 6, now that the “dam has broken”, they may be no stopping the Staten Islander during the rest of the season!!
Eight days removed from a 5-catch, 139-yard, 1TD effort in a hard-fought loss to Moore Catholic, Sweeney was even better this past Sunday, as he’d set new personal-highs in both yardage (141) and TD grasps (2) in the 28-22 road dub versus St. Francis Prep!
The only Eagle student-athlete to log a catch in the game, Sweeney made sure that all three of his receptions counted to the fullest, as each and every snag went for in excess of 32 yards, including the pair of TDs that came on hook-ups of 41 and 68 yards respectively!!
With the “genie out of the bottle”, we cannot wait to see what Sweeney does next as 6-1 STP takes the bus ride to the Bronx to joist with returning AA-2 runners-up, Mt. St. Michael Academy on Saturday the 21st!!