Category: News

2023 NYCHSFL AA-1 GOTW #4 Preview

When: Saturday September 30th, 2023 @1:30 pm Where: Aviator Sports Complex (3159 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234) Players to Watch (Xavier) *Mehdi Merah (Sr.; RB/FB)— Fresh off of a 29-carry, 220-yard, 4TD evening that garnered him NYCHSFL POTW honors during week #3, the Rugy player turned football phenom vaulted himself into the team lead for both yardage (386) and TD runs (8)…And the last thing any opponents wanted to see was Merah getting into a groove! *Jeremy Kuharski (Jr.; RB)—Notching century-mark performances in two of his first four games of the 2023 season, if you focus too much on Merah, then Kuharski is more than happy to take his turn beating you….Prior to his teammate’s [Merah] monster effort last week, it had been the 6’1, 185-pounder out of Staten Island that seemed well on his way to a Knight rushing triple crown….He enters this weekend having averaging 94.5 yards per

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2023 NYCHSFL AAA GOTW #4 Preview

When: Friday September 29th, 2023 @7pm Where: Robert K. Kraft Field (Inside Lawrence Inside of Wien Stadium) on the Campus of Columbia University (533 W 218th St, New York, NY 10034) Watch: LocalLive (Stepinac Channel) Players to Watch (Cardinal Hayes) *Rich Belin (Jr.; QB)—The brother of current Duke Quarterback/former All-State selection, Henry Belin, since assuming the reins from his older sibling under center, all the 6’0, 180-pounder resident of Harlem has done is turn himself into one of the most feared dual-threat field generals in the entire Empire State….Holding an offer from Syracuse among others, Belin possess the ability to single-handedly keep the Cardinals in any game!!….While his stats for week #3 are not yet available, through three outings this fall, he has racked up 1,210 yards (851 in the air; 359 on land) and accounted for 12 touchdowns (7 passing, 5 rushing)! *Kenneth Antoine (Sr.; RB)—In his third season

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2023 NYCHSFL POTW #3

Chris DiGiacomo (Sr.); PK/P – Monsignor Farrell Specialists….The undercover, under-appreciated, unsung warriors behind any/every winning football team!   Rarely do they get the opportunity to bask in the spotlight (especially on the high school level); but when that moment does come to fruition, you know it was undoubtedly warranted!! And the Lions of Monsignor Farrell have one of the best in the Empire State in the person of their 5’9, 200-pound place-kicker/punter [DiGiacomo]… Named to the All-State squad (4th team) in 2022, the cannon-legged senior from Staten Island returned to his top form (after beginning the year 0-for-4 on FG attempts) during week #3, as he went a perfect 3-for-3 with the boot (2 FGs, 1 PAT) to account for more than half of Farrell’s 13 points in a 13-10 barn-burning dub over Moore Catholic in a collision for “Island bragging rights”!!!! Demonstrating the “clutch” gene that is God-given and cannot

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2023 NYCHSFL AA-1 GOTW #3 Preview

Fordham Prep (1-2) vs. St. Francis Prep (1-2) When: Saturday September 23, 2023 @7pm Where: Mitchel Field Athletic Complex (1 Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Uniondale, NY 11553)   Players to Watch (Fordham Prep) *Matthew Moorehead (Sr.; QB)—Out of the line-up the past few weekends, we were unable to get an update on the status of the 6’0, 180-pound senior signal caller; however, his absence from the starting-11 would be deeply felt as the rhythm of the Rams aerial attack really hums when #8 is the gentleman running the show….Completing nearly 58% of his throw attempts (119-for-206) for 1,429 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022, Moorehead took the majority of the snaps in FP’s only win of the season thus far, completing 10 of 18 tries for 104 yards in the week #0 triumph over Mt. St. Michael Academy. *Jack McKillop (Jr.; RB/S)—Named as a week #0 POTW recipient following a 14-carry,

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2023 NYCHSFL AAA GOTW #3 Preview

Iona Prep (2-1) vs. St. Anthony’s (2-1) When: Friday September 22, 2023 @7:30 pm Where: Cy Donnelly Field on the St. Anthony’s HS Campus (275 Wolf Hill Rd, Melville, NY 11747) Watch: Varsity Media (Click to View) Players to Watch (St. Anthony’s) *Gary Merrill (Jr.; QB)—After beginning the year as part of a two-man rotation, the junior out of Bayport-Blue Point has cemented himself as the full-time starter following back-to-back efforts in weeks 1 and 2 that witnessed him accumulate 804 yards of total offense (436 in the air, 368 on the ground) and play a role in 9 touchdowns (5 rushing, 4 passing )….With each passing week, Merrill is seems to be getting more and more comfortable serving as an All-Purpose maestro for the explosive Friar attack…He is connecting on nearly 80% of his hurls (31 of 39), while also averaging just below 7-yard per carry (6.9) on 59

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2023 NYCHSFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK #2

Article by Matt Diano  Week #2 (September 14th-16th, 2023) D’Angelo Cabrera (Sr.); FS – Mount St. Michael Academy Mountaineers Proof that the football gods do indeed have a sense of humor; after naming 30 combined student-athletes as focal points in our Double-A game of the week preview, naturally if was an individual overlooked by us that ceremoniously stepped up and emerged as the utmost standout in Mount St. Michael Academy’s 27-13 vengeance victory last Saturday against Xavier in a rematch of the 2022 NYCHSFL AA-2 title contest!! Donning the #2 jersey on September 16th, but leaving no doubt that he was “numero uno” in terms of essential personnel, the 5’8, 150-pound senior from the Bronx [Cabrera] was invaluable in a universal/aggregate exercise courtesy of the entire Mountaineer “D” that held the rival Knights to their lowest scoring output this far in 2023!!! Embracing the adjustment in assignment/responsibility from ball-hawking centerfielder

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2023 NYCHSFL AA GOTW #2 Preview

Mount St. Michael Academy vs. Xavier When: Saturday September 16, 2023 @1:30 pm Where: Rocco B. Commisso Field as part of the Mozilo Sports Complex (4300 Murdock Ave, Bronx, NY 10466) Watch: Youtube/MSMA Page (Click to View)   Players to Watch (Mount St. Michael Academy) *Marc Pearson Jr. (Sr.; QB)—The straw that is going to stir the drink for the Mountaineers yet again in 2023, as a junior, Pearson Jr. Garnered both All-Catholic and All-State (3rd Team) honors after having a hand (or leg) in 1,922 yards and 24 touchdowns (14 in the air, 10 on the ground)….The reigning AA-2 Offensive Player of the Year award recipient, the Bronx boy is just getting started, as he came out of the gate strong during week #0, going 15-for-24 in the air for 197 yards, while rushing for 54 more (1 TD) on 10 attempts! *Tyler Bobe (Sr.; RB)—One of three primary

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2023 NYCHSFL AAA GOTW #2 Preview

Holy Trinity vs. Immaculata When: Saturday September 16, 2023 @2pm Where: Holy Trinity HS (98 Cherry Ln, Hicksville, NY 11801) Watch: Youtube/HTHS Page (Click to View)   Players to Watch (Holy Trinity) *Rocco Rainone (Sr; QB)—-In his third year running the show for the explosive Titan offensive attack, the 5’9, 170-pound senior is a dual-threat standout who can/will beat you with equal efficiency with either of his limbs!!….Totaling 20 touchdowns last fall, he’d connect on 71-of-130 pass attempts for 1,224 yards (16 TDs), while also running for four additional scores…He has struggled a bit with accuracy thus far in 2023 (8-of-27, 164 yards, 2 TD hurls), but if he finds his groove during week #2, he is a game-changer!  *Jameer Reeder (Sr.; RB/LB)—The 2021 NYCHSFL AA-2 Defensive Player of the Year recipient, there is nothing that the 5’10, 190-pound gentleman cannot achieve if he sets his mind to it…A mainstay

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2023 NYCHSFL POTW #1

Week #1 (September 8th-10th, 2023) Marco Aruta (Jr.); QB/RB – St. Peter’s Eagles THE EAGLES ARE FOR REAL!!!  After hailing the game as a match-up that would weed out “contenders” from “pretenders” in our GOTW preview, there is no “ifs”, “and”, or “buts” about the fact that the buzz on Clinton Avenue is legitimate as St. Peter’s defended the home soil last Saturday, knocking off the preseason #3 team in the AA-1 division, St. John the Baptist, 19-14!! Starting the season 2-0 for the first time since 2016, Eagles’ Head Coach, Mark DeCristoforo, showed no hesitation in identifying his junior jack-of-all trades [Aruta] as the main component in his program’s rise from the ranks of “disrespected” to “title sleepers” in a matter of weeks!! Most certainly an individual who would have been a worthy/deserving selection in week #0 when he accumulated 154 yards of total offense (91 on the ground;

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