Category: Players of the Week

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

Sean Carnevale (Jr.); QB – Chaminade Flyers Mike Tyson once quipped “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”…. The Flyers junior field general [Carnevale] is definitely a “man with a plan” regardless of circumstances; as it was his poise and coolness under pressure that enabled Chaminade to muster a late rally that sent them to a 21-18 victory over Cardinal Hayes on the campus of Columbia University last Friday night! Watching as a Cardinals’ touchdown with just over 2:00 remaining in the 4th quarter put them in front, 18-14; the 6’0, 190-pounder hailing from Bayville knew that if he wanted to steal the dub, it was now or never!! HE CHOSE NOW, as on the ensuing drive, he’d go a perfect 5-for-5 in the air (60 yards), including a 6-yard dart over the middle to Nick Sweeney for the eventual game-winner in the last 38 ticks

Lake Chiesi (Jr.); WR/CB – Fordham Prep Rams The recipient of the “Rising Star” Award in his rookie season on varsity as a sophomore in 2024; the 6’0, 185-pound Manhattanite was most definitely deserving of the “star” treatment following last Sunday’s 21-18 victory on the road over Holy Trinity! Radiating Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson, and/or Travis Hunter vibes in utterly dominating from his spots at WR and the defensive backfield; among all of this week’s POTW nominees; no one made as big a universal contribution as the #2 jersey! Responsible for collecting all three of the Fordham Prep’s touchdowns on Sunday afternoon; the multi-sport (also competes in Track & Field) honor student-athlete (3.7 GPA) would haul in four catches (3 for TDs) for a sum of 105 yards!!! His impact apparent from the get-go, Chiesi emphatically stamped FP’s opening drive when he caught a short screen pass and then raced

Anthony D’Acunto (Jr.); QB – St. Peter’s Eagles Over the course of the previous six weeks; the NYCHSFL had been the stage for some utterly spectacular displays among the embarrassment of riches we boast at the quarterback position… But, very few, if any of those splendid demonstrations could “hold a candle” to what we witnessed at Coffee Field on the night of Friday, October 10th! Universally supreme with both arm and legs; the 6’0, 185-pound dual-threat standout from Staten Island [D’Acunto} rewrote every page of his individual record book in steering the Eagles to a 42-21 road win over Fordham Prep!! Generating a staggering 413 yards and four touchdowns of total offensive production; D’Acunto went off for 287 in the air, while chewing up an additional 126 (7 carries) as a runner! Hitting on 13-of-20 aerial attempts overall; the 11th grader came out of the gates firing; as on his

Ben Bekiers (Sr.); KR/PR/DB – Chaminade Flyers As a defensive middie for the Flyers’ top-10 nationally ranked lacrosse program; it is not very often that the future Boston University tier is afforded the opportunity to go end-to-end on the hallowed grounds of Ott Field… Therefore, when the opportunity did present itself this past Sunday afternoon on the gridiron; the 5’8, 170-pound Massapequa resident took full advantage and cashed in not one, but TWICE in propelling Chaminade a 45-22 triumph over St. Francis Prep!!! Epitomizing the “special” in special teamer; the first of Bekiers’s aforementioned touchdowns came in direct response to a Terrier touchdown (to make it a 10-7 CHS lead); as on the ensuing kickoff, he’d backpedal slightly to catch the ball on his own 4-yard line; and then after walking a tight rope down the host sideline for a few steps; he’d cut back towards the middle of the

Brendan Barkley (So.); RB/LB – Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds Death, taxes, and Kellenberg siblings dominating on the football field…These are the quintessential guarantees in the game of life!! Whether it be O’Toole, Sluka, DeLucia, the Page twins, Mongelli, and so forth; there is a rich tradition of brotherly excellence that has become the trademark of the Firebird football program… And as of week #4 of the 2025 campaign; we can add the Barkley family name to the history!!! One of only two sophomores to earn the call-up to the big club the year, the 5’10, 185-pound Long Islander [Barkley] has enjoyed an almost seamless learning curve in stepping in to be the successor in the KMHS offensive backfield to older brother, Jack!  The Blue & Gold’s 1-4 record not at all indicative of how much the #22 shirted 10th grader has excelled in his rookie season as a two-way starter; it

Braxton Moye (So.); WR – Monsignor Farrell Lions All in the family!!!!  We’re just four games into the 2025 Metro Catholic season; and already, the dynamic twin-tandem from Staten Island has each made an appearance on the POTW scrolls!!! Following in the footsteps of his field general brother, Bryce (Week #0 honoree); it would be the stud on the back end of those darts commanding the spotlight last weekend, as Braxton turned in a dominant and thorough exhibition in helping the Lions emerge with the decisive 48-13 dub over St. Peter’s in the battle for SI bragging rights!!! Both of his two receptions (for 65 combined yards) on September 19th yielding touchdowns under the Friday night lights; the win over the Eagles marked the first multi-TD snatch performance in the young scholastic career of the 6’2, 210-pound super sophomore!!! Wasting little time in setting the tone; the Moye-to-Moye combo took

 Tyler Buono (Sr.); Wing-Back – Xavier Knights With all respect to the Spanish language; “Good” just does not suffice when it comes to properly recognizing the breadth of impact delivered by the Knight Senior wingback [Buono] in a 24-10 victory over returning AA-1 runners-up, St. Peter’s, last Saturday afternoon!!! An under the radar talent at the start of the fall; the Brooklyn native has made it impossible to overlook him the past two weeks; as he has set and then reset his personal-best for single-game rushing yards in back-to-back outings!!! Accounting for 127 yards of total production and two of his team’s three scores under the 80-degree sun; Buono abilities to function as an All-Purpose weapon was a defining factor in allowing the Blue & Maroon to improve to 3-0 for the first time since their title- winning season of 2015!!! Still riding the momentum of an 84-yard performance (on

Xavier Bala (Jr.); RB – St. Anthony’s Friars It is not by pure coincidence or fluke when a person who holds scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, University of Alabama, Penn State, Syracuse, Nebraska, etc puts on a show and leaves no doubt that he is the best player on the field regardless of the scoreboard!!! Thus far; despite the NYCHSFL returning Triple-A runner-up Friars mustering only a split of their two non-league contests; there is no mystery as it pertains to the supremacy of their 6’1, 215-pound junior stallion, Bala!!!  A season removed from posting a 1,009 yard/8 touchdown campaign on the ground as a 10th grader (5.6/per carry); the Baldwin resident has exploded out of the gates in 2025 and is looking the part of being a serious early contender for Riverso Memorial consideration (Metro Catholic Offensive Player of the Year)!!! Following up a then career-best

Daniel Breton (Sr.); NG – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers An imposing force on the inside of the MSMA defensive line; the 6’0, 230-pound hometown kid could not have picked a better occasion in which to register the finest showing of his scholastic career… Shining under the Friday night lights in the first appearance of his senior season being a memory that will stay with him forever; there would not be many boxes on his personal stat sheet that went unchecked in the Mountaineers’ 30-14 victory on the road against the Gaels of Kennedy Catholic! Atop the totem pole in every category imaginable; Breton would accrue a team-high/personal-best 6 total stops (2 TFLs), including a QB sack early in the 1st quarter that drew first blood and put the Mount up 2-0!!! A consistent and unbridled menace for a D-Unit that collectively racked up three safeties (Kaiden Carmichael & Jomar