Awards – Page 8 – NYCHSFL

2019 NYCHSFL Communion Breakfast Awards Summary

December 8, 2019

By Matt Diano: Reflecting upon and celebrating the achievement, glory, and blessings of their biggest, brightest, and most treasured competitors, the NYCHSFL community gathered together on Sunday December 8th for the annual ritual of sharing a meal at the 2019 Communion Awards Breakfast. Hosted once again on the campus of Kellenberg Memorial High school, the festivities commenced with Fr. Albert Bertoni of the Society of Mary providing the congregation with a lesson about preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ this Advent Season. Then the time arrived to hand out some hardware… Headlining our collection of 2019 award winners would be Chaminade senior lineman, Liam Brown, who took home the Monsignor Peter’s Memorial Trophy, in recognition of being named the top Scholar-Athlete in the NYCHSFL…A young gentleman who carries himself as a living example of all the characteristics and values that we as Christians are called to embody, Brown has selflessly

Thanksgiving Day Players of the Week

December 3, 2019

By Matt Diano: Matthew Geruso (Sr.); RB/Punter – Xavier Knights Donning the Maroon & Blue one final time, the 5’10, 195-pounder out of Hoboken put forth a performance that would have made Frank Sinatra proud as he most certainly did it “HIS WAY” in leading the Knights to a 40-14 triumph over Fordham Prep in the 97th rendition of the prestigious Turkey Bowl. The victory for Xavier, their 41st in the history of the rivalry (52-41-4 now in favor of FP) snapped a three-year skid. The 40 points recorded by the Knights represented the highest output by the school on Turkey Day since 1976 when they prevailed 40-30. Holding absolutely nothing back and leaving every bit of blood, sweat, and tears on the gridiron, Geruso played some of his finest football in the last 24 minutes of his scholastic career, running to pay dirt on three separate occasions and adding

Applauding the Championship Weekend MVP’s

November 21, 2019

By Matt Diano: AAA Champions – Cardinal Hayes Henry Belin (So; QB; Offensive MVP)—There is a saying in high school and college sports that “no one is a rookie anymore when the postseason rolls around.” In the case of the Cardinals’ 6’3, 200-pound sophomore field general, no truer words could be spoken as it pertains to the way he has taken his game to the next level during the course of the past three weeks in propelling Cardinal Hayes to their first triple-A title since 2016. Not named to the POTW list at any point during the regular season, Belin has now been selected twice (also selected following the quarterfinals) during the playoffs and in all fairness, probably had a compelling argument to be nominated for all three of his performances. Completing 28 of 38 pass attempts for 452 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing for 56 yards and an

Semi-Final Players of the Week Announced

November 14, 2019

By Matt Diano: Damon Barnes (Sr.); WR/DB – Cardinal Hayes Cardinals If you want to know what makes the postseason extra special, it is those moments when a senior, staring the end of his scholastic career dead in the eyes, goes out and puts forth a career-day so as to earn the right to wear his school colors a few more additional times. Described by Cardinals’ legendary Head Coach, CJ O’Neil, as a “Tremendous human being,” the 5’10, 185-pounder from the Bronx [Barnes] was nothing if not tremendous in propelling fourth-seeded Hayes to their second straight [third in the past four years] championship weekend berth behind an avenging 45-34 victory over previously unbeaten/top-seeded Iona Prep in the AAA semifinals on November 9th. Flying to the ball with passion and determination, the overall performance of Barnes proved to be the ultimate catalyst as to why the Cardinals were successful in turning

Playoff Round 1 Players of the Week

November 6, 2019

By Matt Diano Ethan Ortiz (Sr.); RB/LB – Cardinal Spellman Pilots When it comes to the 6’0, 177-pound, ironman out of Mount Vernon, the Pilots’ coaching staff must wish that every game could be a playoff contest, because that is when #7 in Scarlet & White truly is at his best. A Player of the Week selection for the second straight year following a semifinal victory (40 yards + 1 TD rushing; 20 tackles + a safety in a 23-0 win over St. Dominick’s in 2018), Ortiz also earned Defensive Most Valuable Player honors in last season’s Single-A title contest (18 stops in a 19-12 win over Kennedy Catholic). This past Saturday, in Spellman’s hard fought 22-20 win over Nazareth Regional, he authored yet another chapter in his chronicles of postseason excellence, rushing for 152 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, while also tallying five total tackles (3 solo,

Week 8 Player’s of the Week

October 30, 2019

By Matt Diano: Justin McDuffie (Sr.); RB/S – Nazareth Regional Kingsmen The first and only student-athlete from a losing team to be named to the POTW list in 2019, even if the Kingsmen fell slightly short (33-20) against Kennedy Catholic last Friday night, it in no way negates or detracts from the absolutely staggering, career night for the 5’9, 181-pound 12th grader. Suiting up for the last time in front of the home crowd, neither McDuffie nor any of the Naz faithful will soon forget the magic they witnessed on Senior Night at Tilden HS. The self-proclaimed “Just a kid from Brooklyn trying to make it,” certainly MADE quite a few dazzling plays and turned more than a few heads in the last regular season game of his two-year scholastic career. Taking the hand-off a season-high 15 times, the three-sport athlete (baseball and track) completely shattered his previous personal best

Week 7 Players of the Week

October 23, 2019

By Matt Diano: Emilio Ramirez (Sr.); QB – Holy Trinity Titans On an afternoon when the school honored one of the best teams in program history (the 2009 AAA Regula Season Champions & Playoff Runners-up), it was the 5’7, 165-pound, junior field general that truly owned the day in shepherding the Green & White to a 40-14 victory over visiting Kennedy Catholic, in a A/AA crossover on October 20th. Putting his dual-threat capabilities on full display in helping HT to their second win of the 2019 season, Ramirez accumulated 155 yards of comprehensive contribution, rushing for 104 yards on eight carries, and throwing for an additional 55 yards on 3-for-6 passing. The East Meadow resident’s multi-tasking prowess would translate directly into three scores for Holy Trinity, as he utilized his legs to explode for a 67-yard TD run and showed excellent precision with his arm in enemy territory, connecting on

Week 6 Players of the Week

October 17, 2019

Nicholas DeStefano (Jr.); RB – St. Francis Prep Terriers Having rushed for 109 yards through the first five weeks of the season, it is doubtful that those in attendance this past Saturday were expecting the 5’8, 161-pound, 11th grader [DeStefano] to have the kind of breakout performance that he did in the Terriers’ 35-14 road victory over St. Peter’s… Treating the SFP faithful to a demonstration of offensive explosion, the Middle Village resident was the first student-athlete this season for Head Coach, Rich Carroll, to surpass the 100+ milestone, gaining 155 and scoring three touchdowns on 10 carries to single-handedly account for more than half of the school’s point total. The aforementioned three scores, all of which occurred during the second half, were highlighted by a remarkable 43-yard dart to the house. In crossing the goal line on three separate occasions, DeStefano is believed to be the first St. Francis

Week 5 Players of the Week

October 9, 2019

By Matt Diano: Aidan Bernal (Sr.); Two-Way Lineman – Kennedy Catholic Gaels In his 2010 song, “Timing is Everything”, Country singer/actor Garrett Hedlund proclaimed, “When the stars line up and you catch a break, people think you’re lucky, but you know its grace.”…For the Gaels in their 28-12 regular season title clinching win over Cardinal Spellman last Friday, it was a case of creating their own fortune and it all started with a game-changing play from their senior captain [Bernal]. Trailing 6-0 in the first quarter and in danger of falling into a deeper hole, the 5’11, 205-pound senior knocked the pigskin loose right before a Pilot runner could break the threshold. In doing so, he created a 12-point swing in momentum (KC scored on the ensuing possession) and the Dom Tassone mentored program was never looked on their way to clinching the top seed in the “A” playoffs for

Week 4 Players of the Week

October 2, 2019

By Matt Diano: Daniel Settino (Sr.); QB – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds Any rumors of Firebird domination at the signal caller position being over (following the graduation of 2x All-State selection, Matt Sluka) have been greatly exaggerated; and this past weekend, the 5’10, 178-pound senior [Settino] more than proved it in leading KMHS to their 24th straight win over a double-A opponent, 30-7, against Xavier. Displaying sharpshooter-like precision all afternoon, Settino successfully connected on 19 of his 24 attempts (79%) for 290 yards and three touchdowns in the air…In addition to being personal-bests, his completion and yardage totals also happened to be the finest posted by a Kellenberg quarterback since Joe Grimm tossed for 449 yards in week 3 of the 2016 season and then hit on 21 of 33 two weeks later…The three TD hurls matched Sluka’s performance in last year’s AA title game against this same Knight foe. Adding

Category: Awards