Category: Awards

Richie Aiken (Sr.); RB – Xaverian Clippers Consistent with the sentiments expressed in week #1 when he previously was honored this fall (now a four-time recipient); there is no “good/decent” version of the Rockaway Beach resident! The “Aiken phenomenon” only comes in two modes—Regular season (great) and Postseason (Unstoppable)! And this past weekend, we got to witness the fullest extent of that higher gear as the 5’9, 175-pound senior tailback was his quintessential playoff self in presiding over a 26-21 triumph in a clash of 2025 champions against Xavier! Rushing for a season-best 179 yards (just three short of his career-high) and finding the end zone on two separate occasions; the #7 jersey raised his seasonal stat line to 850 yards and 12 touchdowns; thus matching his output (853 and 12) from a year ago with at least one more (and potentially two) appearance(s) still awaiting him! The first of

Sean Carnevale (Sr.); QB – Chaminade Flyers Demonstrating the leadership qualities and skillset that has made him a rare three-year varsity team member in Mineola; the 6’0, 195-pound field general that calls Bayville home [Carnevale] shined in the final regular season game of his scholastic career in propelling the Flyers to a 28-21 victory on the road over Fordham Prep that snapped a six-game losing streak and created momentum heading into the triple-A playoffs!! Spreading the pigskin out to SIX unique targets under the Friday Night lights on October 30th; Carnevale registered his second multiple-touchdown tossing performance of the season (both in the past three weeks) to the tune of a 21-for-29 performance for 225 yards and a pair of scores! His first act of heroism coming in direct response to a Ram touchdown on their opening possession in an initial 7-0 hole; Carnevale answered back on Chaminade’s first drive

Christopher Biondi (Sr.); OL/DL – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds Playing like he has a NIL deal with Dyno Nobel; the 295-pound Lynbrook resident repeatedly “blew up” anyone in his path on both sides of the ball to help the host Firebirds improve to 6-2 this fall behind a 14-6 toppling of defending AA-1 champs, Xavier! His menacing blocks on offense paving the way for Kellenberg Memorial to rack up a season-best average of 8.3 yards per carry (225 on 27 attempts)… Four different Blue & Gold clad individuals rushed for 40 or more yards (Quinn Saccheri: 86, Brendan Barkley: 56, Brayden Farrelly: 42, and Douglas Cristales: 41)! KMHS enjoying a narrow 7-6 advantage with just over 4:00 remaining in regulation; Big #75 delivered what was perhaps his most essential pancake when in “Michael Oher-esque” fashion from the “Blindside”, he bulldozed a would-be tackler to create a schism in the opposing DL

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

Milan Bennett (Sr.); PK – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers Borrowing and adapting the cliche, “It takes a village to raise a child”… In the Bronx, it takes a “specialist” in order to pitch repeated shutouts! The Mountaineers now unscored upon in their last three trips to the gridiron; a lot of the great deservedly ought to be extended to the formal members of the D-Unit! However, what should not be getting cast aside or undervalued is the unheralded mastery being showcased by MSMA’s senior placekicker [Bennett]!! His booming leg acting as a “12th man”; the 5’9, 160-pound hometown kid has become the consummate dictator of opposing starting field position! A soccer/futbol star by trade who is on loan to the football team; Bennett has taken on wizard like powers in his ability to bury opposing teams by spotting the pigskin inside their own 10-yard line on almost every kickoff

Ryan Kuntz (Sr.); WR/DB – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds Per cliches, “The Lord both giveth and taketh away”!!! These same sentiments could be applied to the comprehensive/Ironman efforts delivered by the Firebirds’ Senior WR/DB [Kuntz] in propelling the Blue & Gold to a hard fought 28-20 road victory under the Friday night lights over Fordham Prep!  The gentleman in the #28 jersey being a gift that gave, gave, and then gave some more throughout the 48-minute showdown on October 2nd; there was no shortage of game-changing plays that revolved around the 6’2, 195-pound resident of Floral Park! Entering week #5 already atop the KMHS totem pole in both total receptions and receiving yards; Kuntz succeeded in further separating himself from his peers when he recorded his second straight century mark outcome (109; seven yards shy of his personal best set in week #4) while posting the first-ever multiple-touchdown (2) performance of

Abdiel Capellan (Jr.); DB – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers Proving an immediate spark for the Mountaineers in their 36-0 win over Cardinal Spellman this past Friday night… It was the 5’8, 145-pound defensive back out of the Bronx [Capellan] picking off a pass on the opposing 20-yard line on just the second snap from scrimmage to set the Mount up with ideal starting field position for their initial drive…. The first INT in the career of the 11th grader; his turnover producing heroism was laid the tracks for Week #3 POTW selection, Victor Declet (68 yards and 1 TD on nine handoffs) to sprint in from 11-yards away shortly after to put MSMA in front, 7-0, less than 2:00 into the opening quarter! Adding three cumulative stops to fall just one short of typing his all-time best (week #2 versus Xavierian); the now first-time Player of the Week honoree

Anthony Branscum (Jr.); RB/LB – St. Dominic’s Bayhawks An individual who has grown accustomed to relishing in his fair share of prosperity; the three-sport student-athlete out of Massapequa was part of a NSCHSAA League and CHSAA State title winning squad on the baseball diamond last spring; and it seems that he has his sights set on trying to lead the Oyster Bay based Bayhawk gentlemen of the gridiron to a banner year in 2026! The most dominant/imposing player on both sides of the line of scrimmage in St. Dominic’s 42-2 win over Nazareth Regional; the 5’11, 190-pound RB/LB stockpiled one highlight after another as he was responsible for logging three cumulative scores (two on offense, one on “D”) while simultaneously stifling the visiting Kingsmen and being front-and-center for three turnover creating scenarios! His explosive display while donning the #32 jersey serving as proper homage to the likes of Marcus Allen,

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

Richie Aiken (Sr.); RB/CB – Xaverian Clippers An individual who has made rising to the occasion in “win or perish” predicaments his calling card for the 2x Defending AA-2 Catholic champs; week #1 of the 2026 campaign marked the first-time in which the 5’9, 175-pound “Jack of All Trades” secured a spot on the POTW list in a non-playoff situation (previously the Offensive MVP of the 2024 title game; as well as the O.W. of the 2025 Double A-2 semis) A playmaker extraordinaire who filled the stat sheet in the Clippers’ 33-20 conquest over 2024 PSAL runners-up, Fort Hamilton; the returning All-Catholic selection from a season ago “thorn who repeatedly drew blood” on both sides of the ball in anchoring Xaverian to some well-deserved Brooklyn bravado!!! Offensively, the Rockaway Beach resident amassed 139 yards (99 rushing and two touchdowns on 13 carries; 4 receptions for 40 yards w/1 TD grab)