Category: Players of the Week

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)

William Auerbach (Sr.); OLB – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds Playing with added motivation after a knee injury last fall forced the Carle Place native to miss the annual “Marianist Bowl” as a junior classman; the 210-pound OLB more than made up for lost time as his contribution acted as an “X factor” in propelling the visiting Firebirds to a confidence boosting 21-10 triumph on August 29th over returning Metro Catholic AAA semifinalists, the Chaminade Flyers!! The best offense on that Saturday afternoon in Mineola coming in the form of a stout and suffocating defensive showcase; it would be the gentleman donning the white #14 jersey that was front-and-center during the two pinnacle and/or game-changing sequences that enabled Kellenberg Memorial to register their first victory over their rivals/sister school since 2021 (snapped a four-game losing streak)!! The ‘Birds trailing 3-0 early in the 2nd quarter; it was Auerbach responding to a costly

Vincenzo Copolla (Sr.); PK/DB – St. Peter’s Eagles Epitomizing the “Jack of All Trades” mantra; a season ago, all the 5’8, 145-pounder had to concern himself with was handling kicking duties (HM All-State)… Now one year later; the senior from Staten Island could use an extra head to fit all the proverbial hats he has been asked to wear for an Eagle cohort that is looking to get back to the AA-1 title game (lost in the 2024 finals) … His work as a specialist being an essential factor in St. Peter’s 33-13 victory over St. John the Baptist in a preview of this weekend’s quarterfinal match-up; the first-time POTW selection would personally account for a career single-day best of 9 points courtesy of a combined 5-for-6 afternoon (2-for-3 on FGs; 3-for-3 on PATs) with his booming leg… The provider of all points scored by the Blue & Gold during