 |
2023
|
WEEK 1 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
 | Luke Wiedau, Allentown |
The Red Birds' senior quarterback completed 27 of 44 passes for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns against Notre Dame. He also
had 13 carries for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
 | Jack Beachem, Notre Dame |
The senior tackle for the Irish led the way for over 500 yards of offense from his tackle spot and also recorded 4
tackles on defense in Notre Dame's win over Allentown.
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
 | Gavin Lewis, Hopewell Valley |
The Bulldogs' junior defensive tackle had 1 solo tackle, 3 assists, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass deflection in Hopewell
Valley's win over Lawrence.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
 | Remy Feniello, Steinert |
The Spartans' junior linebacker had 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception and 1 sack in
Steinert's win over Ewing.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
 | Grayson Hopkins, Robbinsville |
The Ravens' senior punter, kicker and defensive back blocked a field goal that helped Robbinsville maintain a halftime lead against Mendham. He
also had 4 kickoffs that averaged 50 yards and 2 punts that averaged 45 yards in addition with 2 extra points. Grayson also had a great night
on defense as he forced a fumble that he recovered and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown.
|
|
WEEK 2 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
 | Miles O'Neill, Hun School |
Hun's senior quarteback was 11-of-13 for 295 yards and four touchdowns in the first quarter of the Raiders' 51-8 victory
over Mastery Prep.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
| Grady O'Connor, Allentown |
Allentown's senior right guard played hard and was a key piece in an offense that created 482 yards in the Red Birds' win against Steinert.
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
| Liam Astemborski, Robbinsville |
Robbinsville's junior defensive end had one of the most stellar nights in recent Ravens' history. He recorded 14 total tackles,
8 solo, 4 sacks, and forced a fumble in the win vs. Hightstown.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
 | Zavon Minney, Trenton Central |
Trenton's junior defensive back caught the go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes and then sealed the Tornadoes' 27-21 win with an interception
with 35 seconds left against Hamilton West.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
| Owen Lengle, Hopewell Valley |
Hopewell Valley's kicker and punter went 6-for-6 on extra points, had 1 punt for 35 yards and had great placement on his kickoffs
in the Bulldogs' win vs. Ewing.
|
|
WEEK 3 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
 | Nasir Hennigan, Peddie School |
Peddie's senior running back carried 17 times for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Falcons' 35-2 win vs. Academy of New Church.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
| Nathan Pahanich |
Hun's junior offensive lineman led the way for over 500 yards of offense in the Raiders' 28-7 win vs. Avon Old Farms
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
 | Lewis Cassidy, Nottingham |
Nottingham's senior defensvie end had 6 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 4 sacks as the Northstars edged Trenton, 12-7.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
 | Jordan Klim, Hightstown |
Hightstown's junior defensive back had four tackles and returned an interception 30 yards for a score as the Rams defeated Lawrence, 47-6.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
| Kevin Scarborough, Notre Dame |
The Irish's place kicker was a perfect 7-for-7 on extra points, including a 33-yarder after a penalty, in Notre Dame’s win vs. Ewing.
|
|
WEEK 4 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
 | Ryan Beske, West Windsor-Plainsboro |
The WWP senior running back had 23 carries for 122 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as 2 catches for 21 yards, in WW-P's win over Cherry Hill East.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
| Nate Tewell, Hopewell Valley |
Hopewell Valley's senior right guard led an offensive line for the Bulldog's that accumulated 143 yards rushing and 233 yards passing against Northern Burlington.
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
 | Omir Benning, Ewing |
Ewing's senior defensive end had 7 total tackles (3 solos) and 1 tackle for loss in the Blue Devils' win over Lawrence.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
 | Carmine Carusone, Princeton |
Princeton's sophomore corner back had one pass breakup, 2 tackles and 2 INTs, returning one for a 70-yard touchdown in the Tigers' win over Bishop Eustace. He also went 3 for 3 on PATs, made a 25-yd field goal and had 2 touchbacks.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
 | Alex Lee, Pennington School |
Pennington's senior kicker came off a dislocated elbow, playing with a brace, to score double figures as a kicker. He went 7-for-7 on PATs and made a 24-yard field goal against Bristol for the Red Hawks. A historic performance for a historic program.
|
|
WEEK 5 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
| Keon Kenner, Pennington School |
Pennington's junior running back had 21 rushes for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Red Hawks first win against Tower Hill in
30 years. A dominant performance by a dominant runner.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
 | Jacob Smith, Hamilton West |
Hamilton West's junior offensive lineman led the way for two 100-yard running backs, 286 rushing yards as a team and 355
total yards in the Hornets' win vs. Ewing.
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
| Sebastian Leigh, Robbinsville |
Robbinsville's senior defensive end had a great day with 9 total tackles and 2 sacks in the Ravens' win vs. Steinert.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
| Ellinton Hinds, Princeton |
Princeton's sophomore corner back recorded 2 interceptions, returning one 44 yards for a touchdown (his fourth of the season) and recorded 1
solo tackle as the Tigers shut out Holy Cross.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
| Luke Caldwell, Hopewell Valley |
Hopewell Valley's junior punt returner had 5 punt returns for 106 yards in the Bulldogs' 28-7 win over Nottingham.
|
|
WEEK 6 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
| Luke Hanuscin, Robbinsville |
Robbinsville's senior quarterback had a near perfect game-night passing for the Ravens. He was 14-of-16 for 325 yards and four
touchdowns. It was the second-best passing yardage performance in Robbinsville history as Luke surpassed 3,000 passing yards for his career.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
| Mike Rizzo, Steinert |
Steinert's senior offensive tackle, who also played on defense and special teams, helped pave the way for over 200 rushing yards
in the Spartans's 40-12 win vs. Hightstown.
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
| Owen Wafle, Hun School |
Hun's senior defensive lineman had 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 tackles for loss and 1 safety in the Raiders' shutout win vs. Blair.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
 | Raphael Dunn, Lawrenceville School |
Lawrenceville's senior safety had 13 tackles, 4 assists and 1 sack as the Big Red beat Penn Charter, 13-7. He also had 2 catches
for 82 yards and a touchdown.
|
|
WEEK 7 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
| Ace Lumpris, Lawrenceville School |
Lawrenceville's senior wide receiver had 5 catches for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Big Red's 35-12 win over Peddie.
He also had 3 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass breakup on defense.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
| Hayden Perusich, Robbinsville |
Robbinsville's junior left tackle converted from WR and QB and continued his selfless efforts, changing his number from 7 to 57
to continue his domination on the offensive line in the Ravens' win vs. Ewing.
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
| Evan Pease, Princeton |
Princeton's senior defensvie lineman had 9 tackles and 1 forced fumble in the Tigers' game vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro. He also
had 9 carries for 125 yards and had several big blocks at fullback.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
| Konnor Rosica, Notre Dame |
Notre Dame's senior linebacker once again led the Irish D in its win over Delran. He was instrumental in both stopping the pass
and run. He finished with 12 total tackles, 5 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. His
interception and forced fumble both came while the Irish were backed up on the goal line.
|
|
WEEK 8 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
| Ben DeCore, Hopewell Valley |
Hopewell Valley's junior running back had 40 carries for 297 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 35-34 loss
to Notre Dame.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
| Sean Wilton, Princeton |
Princeton rushed for 200 yards behind its junior left tackle, who did an excellent job on the reach and down
blocks. He gave up zero sacks or hurries in the Tigers' win over Palmyra.
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
| Crayton Laws, Trenton Central |
Trenton's junior defensive tackle had 9 tackles and 1 sack in the Tornadoes' 28-13 win over Ewing.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
| Brayden Bonfig, Pennington School |
Pennington School's freshman defensvie back had 4 tackles and 3 interceptions covering Peddie's top receivers
in the Red Hawks' 28-14 win.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
| Andrew Freeman, Robbinsville |
Robbinsville's 2nd-year senior captain made first ball contact on the game-saving blocked extra point attempt by WWP in the fourth
quarter, which the Ravens won 14-13. Andrew also had 8 tackles on the night playing heavy run support.
|
|
WEEK 9 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
| Leuma Pua'auli, Lawrenceville School |
The Lawrenceville School senior quarterback threw for 236 yards and 1 touchdown, rushed for 43 yards and 2 scores and had a
76-yard touchdown catch in the Big Red's 33-14 win vs Hotchkiss School.
|
Offensive Lineman of the Week
| Eddie Kuczynski, Notre Dame |
Notre Dame's senior center was once again a standout as he was dominant in the pass and run game. Numerous times he picked up a
late blitz to prevent a sack in the Irish's win vs. St. Francis (Md.).
|
Defensive Lineman of the Week
| Joe Lifsted, Pennington School |
Pennington's junior linebacker had a team-leading 8 tackles and 1 interception in the Red Hawks' win over Harriton (Pa.) and leads the
team in tackles for the season. This is not the first time he has been nominated; he is having that kind of season.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
 | Dayne Bates, Lawrence |
Lawrence's junior linebacker had 8 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss in the Cardinals' 19-7 win over Pemberton. He also threw for 100 yards, rushed
for 30 yards and had 2 touchdowns.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
| Liam Thorpe, Hun School |
Hun's junior kick returner took a kickoff 80 yards for a score in the Raiders' 56-13 win over Peddie.
|
WEEK 10 HONOREES . . .
Offensive Back of the Week
| Gabe Winowich, Notre Dame |
Notre Dame's senior running back had an incredible game in the Non-Public A playoffs vs. Paul VI. He led the team in
rushing with 28 carries for 193 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had 3 receptions for 73 yards.
|
Defensive Back of the Week
| Chase Muni, Hamilton West |
Hamilton West's sophomore linebacker had 11 tackles as the Hornets shut out Jackson Liberty, 7-0.
|
Special Teams Player of the Week
| Andrew Wetherill, Hun School |
Hun's junior kicker was a perfect 7-for-7 on PATs as the Raiders finished its season with a 49-0 win over Wyoming Seminary.
|
|
2023 PLAYERS OF THE YEAR . . .
 |
Frank "Mammy" Piscopo Memorial Award - AJ Surace, Notre Dame
The senior quarterback led his team to a 10-1 record and a trip to the Non-Public Group A playoffs to become the sixth
Notre Dame player (and first Irish QB since 2002) to receive the "Mammy". AJ completed 69% of his passes (131-of-189) for 1,879
yards, 26 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions. He was just as lethal as a ball-carrier, rushing 107 times for 909 yards and 15
touchdowns as he accounted for nearly 2,800 yards of offense and 41 scores. The Irish scored 480 points with the Rutgers-bound
Surace under center.
"AJ Surace is a pleasure to coach and he is the hardest working person in our program who never misses a lift, practice,
game, faith formation event, or service project," said Notre Dame head coach Sean Clancy. "AJ leads our team in the offseason
and during the season with a strong team-first attitude. AJ lifts on "rack 10" in the weight room with our strongest and biggest
players, setting the tone for what hard work looks like. In our service projects and faith formation activities, AJ is out front
and is willing to go the extra mile. AJ has been a four-year leader in our Catholic Athletes for Christ program and was instrumental
in raising over $50,000 for the Special Olympics, collecting over 4,000 Diapers for local women's shelters, and raising $4,500 for
the McKenna Foundation. AJ has coached youth camps each of the last four years and participated in the Sacred Heart Parish Thanksgiving
food drive and year-round clothing drive."
|
 |
Charles J. "Fuzzy" Falzone Memorial Award - Gavin Lewis, Hopewell Valley
The junior two-way standout dominated both sides of the line for Hopewell Valley to become the fourth Bulldog lineman in six
seasons to receive the "Fuzzy". With Gavin anchoring the offensive line at left tackle, the Bulldogs used a balanced attack (1,600 passing,
2,100 rushing yards) to average 34 points a game. He was just as impactful as a defender - finishing with 42 tackles, 4 sacks, 8 tackles
for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery while only playing in the fourth quarter of four games.
"Gavin doesn't just like or love football, he lives football," said Bulldogs head coach Dave Caldwell. "He is a relentless
competitor in practices and games, and he lives in the weight room year round (BP290, BSQ445 PC275). His commitment to the game and
his craft is what makes him a twitchy, explosive and productive lineman. Over the past two seasons, we are 18-3 with Gavin starting
as a left tackle and defensive lineman. Gavin protects our quarterback's blind side and we are always confident that we will gain
yardage when running to Gavin's side. Our first team defense allowed 62 points this season and Gavin was a dominant force on the
defensive line. He is explosive, uses his hands, gets off blocks and relentlessly pursues the ball carrier."
|
 |
Prep Player of the Year - Miles O'Neill, Hun School
With Miles under center, Hun had one of the top high school offenses in the country and finished with an 8-1 record and 3rd
consecutive Mid Atlantic Prep League championship. The senior quarterback, who is headed to Texas A&M after collecting 10 Power 5 offers,
had a 72% completion percentage (106-of-147) and passed for 2,151 yards and 20 touchdowns. Miles was also picked to play in the US Army
All American Bowl in December. He is the second straight Raiders QB to win the award, following in footsteps of Marco Lainez (2021 and
2022 recipient).
"A standout quarterback and undeniably one of the best in the country, Miles' game is defined by a combination of a powerful arm,
pinpoint accuracy, and an exceptional ability to navigate the pocket with composure, allowing him to make throws that often seem impossible
to execute," Hun head coach Todd Smith said. "His strength lies not only in his physical abilities, but also in his natural leadership
qualities. A true field general, he inspires and elevates the performance of the players around him. His drive to win and succeed is palpable,
pushing himself and his team to new heights every game. In the high-stakes world of football, Miles O'Neill stands out as a quarterback who not
only possesses exceptional skills but also the intangible qualities of leadership and determination. His ability to make precision throws and
lead with unwavering determination cements his status as a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron."
|
 |
Prep Lineman of the Year - Owen Wafle, Hun School
After a dominant 2022 campaign earned Owen this award as a junior, he was even better in his final season at Hun. Owen's statistics
are hard to believe - in just 9 games he had 78 tackles, 34 for loss, to go along with 31 quarterback hurries, 14 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle, who also was a force at fullback for the Raiders, is committed to play at University of Michigan.
"Owen has become a force to be reckoned with, living in the opponent's backfield and wreaking havoc on offenses throughout the season,"
said Smith. "Owen's combination of size, strength, and speed sets him apart as one of the most challenging players to deal with in the country.
His unrelenting presence on the field makes him virtually unblockable at times, disrupting plays and making life difficult for opposing teams.
Owen's ability to punish ball carriers and quarterbacks alike has earned him a reputation as a defender who leaves an indelible mark on every
game. In a sport where dominance in the trenches is crucial, Owen Wafle's exceptional skills make him a standout defensive tackle, and his
impact on the field is nothing short of awe-inspiring."
|
| | |
