PRZNY Team Previews: Iona Prep Gaels

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Last Season (8-4)</h2>   <p>They started the season 3-2, then rattled off five decisive victories, including a 46-35 win over Cardinal Hayes. However, they lost in the NYCHSFL Championship game to Cardinal Hayes 30-29. </p>   <p>Overall, the 2023 season was not only riddled with injuries to some of the Gaels' top players, but it, as expected, took some time for the offense to get rolling after the graduation of QB Ajani Sheppard, RB Colin O'Garro, and OL Jorge Ruiz. [player_tooltip player_id='735877' first='Joey' last='Gaston'], who transferred in from St. Joe's Regional in New Jersey, not only threw for 2,000+ yards but also led Iona Prep in rushing with 739 yards on the ground.</p>   <p>The emergence of [player_tooltip player_id='1001144' first='Crew' last='Davis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1333952' first='Kadin' last='Huling'] in the backfield made Iona Prep one of the deepest backfields in the state last season, and [player_tooltip player_id='648834' first='Steven' last='Dowdy Jr'] had a breakout year as a true #1 WR option. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Prospect</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Every coach in New York wants to have the offensive line group that Iona Prep has. That group is led by the #1 overall prospect in the state and Clemson commit, [player_tooltip player_id='286675' first='Rowan' last='Byrne']. </p>   <p>Byrne's size and athleticism made him one of the most sought-after OL prospects in the northeast. Byrne missed some of last season due to injury, which hurt the Iona Prep offense. This year, he leads the top returning OL group in the state. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Five X-Factors</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Lozin is a player in his first season on varsity for Iona Prep and was one of the better interior DL prospects. Lozin returns as a player who can be the difference maker on the Iona Prep defense as a Junior. His raw strength, upfield burst, and quickness from the DT position are FBS caliber, and he is one of the critical factors in how successful Iona Prep will be in replacing Jaylin Hicks and Zakar Morris. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Johnson returns as the top DB prospect in New York. Playing most of his varsity career at CB, Johnson has elite track speed and good length for the position. I think Johnson shows some traits that could translate to safety, but there is no doubt he gives Iona Prep the best chance in man coverage against some of the elite WRs they will face this season. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">George is the most physically imposing defender Iona Prep has, with a 6'5 frame. The Navy football commit had a dominant spring season with tons of offers and interest. In his Junior tape, he showed flashes of using his power and natural strength to impact the line of scrimmage, but I think there still is another gear to his game, especially as a pass rusher.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Dowdy Jr is the top returning WR in the CHSFL regarding yards, and he will run it back as the WR1 for Iona Prep. Dowdy Jr is a true three-level WR prospect who shows on tape that he can run a full route tree and be dangerous after the catch. Dowdy Jr comes off a spring where he picked up his first D1 offer, and with more eyes on him this fall, he could be one of the top offensive playmakers in all of New York. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Gaston is a unique evaluation because there is an argument that he can be listed as QB and even play at the next level. However, I think his overall athleticism trumps any single position he could be listed at. The Iona Prep QB was effective as a pass and runner last year, and his ability to escape and extend plays with his arm or legs makes playing against Iona Prep so hard. I don't often use the word elite, but Gaston has elite twitch and quickness. He can make guys miss and has the vision to navigate traffic as a runner. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Breakout Player</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">There is a lot of chatter around Sangaray, and for a good reason. His athleticism is off the charts, and with some varsity experience as a freshman and a couple of secondary spots opening up for Iona Prep, Sangaray could make his proper every-down introduction into the CHSFL.</p>   <p>This breakout choice is not based on evaluation but on the overall chatter on Sangaray as a prospect, which is strong in NYC area. Why do I think he will break out? Iona Prep consistently has been churning out D1 defensive backs in New York, and Sangaray has the athleticism that projects to the next level and shows it as just a freshman. </p>   <p class="text-gray-700"></p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Names To Know</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table is-style-regular"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><thead><tr><th>Name</th><th>Year</th><th>Position</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='505382' first='Jayden' last='Nicolau']</td><td>2025</td><td>Offensive Line</td><td>Huge OL prospect and shows good strength. Flashes strong D1 potential</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='452167' first='Matt' last='Davitt']</td><td>2025</td><td>Defensive Back</td><td>Safety with great ball skills + instincts</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1235804' first='Anthony' last='D'Abbraccio']</td><td>2025</td><td>Offensive Line</td><td>Filled in at OT last year, high quality tape</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1283583' first='Jayleel' last='Stewart']</td><td>2025</td><td>Linebacker</td><td>Athletic LB prospect, + COD and Burst</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='735880' first='Nate' last='Shillingford']</td><td>2025</td><td>Tight End</td><td>TE/WR prospect, an opportunity for more targets</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='735879' first='Micah' last='Hunter']</td><td>2025</td><td>Defensive Line</td><td>Elite in the weight room, + Strength and plays with Leverage</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='735878' first='Jamir' last='Cooper']</td><td>2025</td><td>Linebacker</td><td>Athletic LB prospect</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='243060' first='Geoffrey' last='Galloway']</td><td>2025</td><td>Defensive Back</td><td>Strong camp performances this spring</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='806363' first='Justin' last='Seidman']</td><td>2025</td><td>Defensive Line</td><td>High Academic DL + Solid film, increased role as Senior</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='402255' first='Carlos' last='Malespin']</td><td>2026</td><td>Offensive Line</td><td>Former PrepRedzone Camp MVP</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1001144' first='Crew' last='Davis']</td><td>2026</td><td>Running Back/Athlete</td><td>Versatile RB/ATH, Strong Year 1 on Varsity</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1333952' first='Kadin' last='Huling']</td><td>2026</td><td>Running Back</td><td>Big RB with power and burst, quality SOPH varsity tape</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='212407' first='Brennen' last='Pressley']</td><td>2026</td><td>Linebacker</td><td>Two years of varsity experience, will lead the LB group</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='402261' first='Eric' last='Pirrello']</td><td>2026</td><td>Wide Receiver/Athlete</td><td>WR MVP at most recent PrepRedzone NY/NJ camp</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='535645' first='Orion' last='Trujillo']</td><td>2026</td><td>Outside Linebacker/EDGE</td><td>Two years of varsity experience, will lead the LB group</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1339555' first='Landon' last='Wiley']</td><td>2026</td><td>Wide Receiver/Returner</td><td>One of the top returners in the CHSFL + potential bigger role </td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='819992' first='Frank' last='Dellarosa']</td><td>2026</td><td>Linebacker</td><td>Saw at Downstate classic, solid LB prospect</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='741079' first='Ghael' last='Cassamajor']</td><td>2027</td><td>Offensive Line/Defensive Line</td><td>Intriguing Young LB/EDGE prospect - trending towards D1 size</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='939436' first='Eric' last='Camacho Jr']</td><td>2027</td><td>Linebacker</td><td>Intriguing Young LB/EDGE prospect</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='741080' first='Austin' last='Farrell']</td><td>2027</td><td>Defensive Line</td><td>Intriguing Young DE prospect</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Losses/Commitments</h2>   <p>DL Jaylin Hicks - Minnesota</p>   <p>DL Zakar Morris - Albany</p>   <p>WR Dylan Iorgoveanu - Stony Brook</p>   <p>K/P Sam Bisesi - TCU</p>   <p>LB Declan McCauley - Marist</p>   <p>OL Dan Pauletti - Ithaca</p>   <p>RB Kyseem Springer - Brockport</p>   <p>LB Frankie Micelli - Utica</p>   <p>LB Alex Truelsen - St. John Fisher</p>   <p>SAF Adande Nartey - Suffield Academy (PG)</p>   <p>CB Jaden Codrington - Undecided</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Schedule</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ionafootball/status/1747437739509764479 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Outlook</h2>   <p><strong>Current Head Coach:</strong> Joe Spagnolo (Entering 8th Year)</p>   <p>The bottom line is that Iona Prep returns much more than it seems when you look at its key losses. The offense should remain fully intact as they lose a couple of playmakers and their starting center, but year over year, they have quality prospects waiting in the wings to take a step forward. The Gaels also have what looks to be easily the top returning OL group in the NYCHSFL, and I would go as far as saying that they are in the entire state when you consider their experience and watch the tape. The key to the 2024 season will replace the critical losses on the defensive side of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='734365' first='Gabriel' last='George'] and [player_tooltip player_id='600090' first='Dalton' last='Lozin'] help minimize the losses of Zakar Morris and Jaylin Hicks, but the depth of the defensive line will be tested, while there is a real opportunity for some LB prospects to step up this season. [player_tooltip player_id='452167' first='Matt' last='Davitt'] and [player_tooltip player_id='505380' first='Terron' last='Johnson'] are a solid defensive backfield duo but will be joined by some inexperienced DBs. </p>   <p><strong>Three Things They Have Going For Them</strong></p>   <p>Offensive Production Remains with QB1, RB1, RB2, WR1 all returning.</p>   <p>4/5 Starting Offensive Linemen are back.</p>   <p>Multiple '27 prospects have the potential to step up and play as sophomores.</p>   <p><strong>One Area to be concerned</strong></p>   <p>They lose a lot in the front 7, with 2 FBS DL commits and 3 LB commits graduating.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Last Word</h2>   <p>Iona Prep has a real chance at a championship this year, just like they did last. Last year's injuries hurt them, losing some of their best players for a good chunk of the season down the stretch. [player_tooltip player_id='735877' first='Joey' last='Gaston'] will have to take a step forward with fewer turnovers and more efficiency, as the team's overall success was often tied to his success throwing the ball. Gaston clearly has the ability, and on tape, he is an exceptional athlete; on the ground, not many teams can do what Iona will be able to do, but throwing the ball at a high level with consistency will help their offense continue to evolve. If [player_tooltip player_id='741078' first='Mamadee' last='Sangaray'] plays like I think he will or even comes close to that Iona Prep can add another playmaker to their defensive secondary. A demanding non-conference schedule means there is no easing into league play. If I am circling any games, it is the September 14th Bergen Catholic game at home, where Iona Prep looks to show a better performance than last year's 38-7 defeat. The October 12th game against Cardinal Hayes is a rematch of last year's close championship game and could be the first of two meetings between these teams next season.</p>