PRZNY Team Previews: Kellenberg Firebirds

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Last Season (3-7)</h2>   <p><br>The Firebirds had a young team last year and showed flashes but ultimately finished with a record of  3-7. After losing two non-conference games, Kellenberg dominated in three straight contests against AA teams. Kellenberg had some injury trouble at the QB position and after graduating a ton of seniors (class of 2023), the Firebirds did not win a AAA game and fell to Iona Prep in the first round of the playoffs. Kellenberg's junior class was very impressive despite their record, and now will be a strong senior group headed into this fall.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Prospect </h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">After transferring in from Baldwin last year, DaCosta proved he could produce against the top competition in the state. He was the #1 cornerback for the Firebirds last season and he performed well against extremely talented receivers. In the second half of the season he started at receiver as well and showed flashes of how dangerous he could be. This season he'll be relied on to thrive in those difficult matchups as a corner. And on offense he'll be the leader of a very strong receiving corps for the Firebirds.</p>    <p><br></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">X Factors</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">He wasn't the most flashy player last season, but Gittens was great as a junior and will be counted on during his senior campaign. Last year he saw a lot of time at nose and was able to eat double teams and clog up the middle. Gittens showed his run stopping ability and how effective he could be in that realm. He's listed at 6 '2 and 240 pounds, he's one of the most athletic lineman for Kellenberg. He is currently projected to start on the offensive line as well this season.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">One of the best pure athletes that more people need to know about. Geoghan is a rare 3 sport athlete at Kellenberg, he plays football, basketball and lacrosse for the Firebirds. After covering him in both football and lacrosse, I can definitely say that he can play both at the next level. Geoghan is an elite competitor who will start at both wide receiver and safety this season. He has great instincts and was excellent in jump ball situations last year. He recorded 28 catches, 361 yards, 5 touchdowns and 37 tackles as a junior.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">One of the most exciting lineman on this team and one of the leaders of this strong defensive line unit. Darcy is listed at 6'2 and 250 pounds and he had a solid junior year at defensive end. He has good size and he moves well. He showed his power and quickness during his junior season and now he has the potential to take the next step and have an excellent senior season. He has garnered attention from several FCS schools so far in his recruiting process.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Last season Cascone put together a breakout campaign and was one of those juniors who really impressed. He was the leading tackler for the Firebirds last season. He's a very tough inside linebacker that comes away with a ton of tackles and does a great job wrapping up the ball carrier. This offseason he has improved his pass coverage skills. With a year of AAA ball under his belt, he'll make some big strides this year as a senior leader.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Last season Gala led the Firebirds in receiving. He was one of the top athletes on the team during his junior year. Gala hauled in some big receptions downfield last season. He was able to make some contested catches aganst great coverage. But one thing with Gala's game that will be intriguing is his speed. He racked up a ton of yards after the catch and when the Firebirds got him into space he made plays. Look out for him to be one of the top targets again in an offense that's projected to have a more productive year <br></p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Breakout Player</h2>    <p>Chernaski is a wrestling standout at Kellenberg, and I think he could have a huge senior year on the gridiron. He's 6'2 and around 200 pounds, Chernaski will be lined up as an outside receiver and will play some tight end. He is going to be a force in the middle of the field and yet again another target for this Kellenberg offense. He'll also be effective as a blocker in the run game. Chernaski might see some time on defense as well. With his athleticism, he could be getting reps at an OLB/Safety spot.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Names To Know</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Name</td><td>Year</td><td>Position </td><td>Notes</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='735863' first='Donovan' last='O'Toole']</td><td>2025</td><td>WR</td><td>Slot WR, very shifty, dangerous in the open field </td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='735856' first='Luke' last='Fifield'] </td><td>2025</td><td>OL</td><td>Leader of OL, picked up an offer from Endicott</td></tr><tr><td>Nick Kramer </td><td>2025</td><td>LB</td><td>Athletic LB, versatile and an important piece to this defense</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='735855' first='Jack' last='Durso']</td><td>2025</td><td>ATH</td><td>Miami Baseball commit, returning to football, great athlete </td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='818621' first='Kareem' last='Holland']</td><td>2025</td><td>OL</td><td>Slated to start on the offensive line, another senior leader</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='973888' first='Jack' last='Barkley']</td><td>2025</td><td>RB</td><td>Returning rushing leader, expected to take the next step this year</td></tr><tr><td>Daniel Licari</td><td>2026</td><td>QB</td><td>Transfer from Hills East, smooth passer, expected to make an impact</td></tr><tr><td>Luke Russell</td><td>2027</td><td>LB</td><td>Very athletic, lot of potential, could get pulled up to varsity as a sophomore</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key losses/commitments </h2>   <p>QB- Kenny Noe (Monmouth Baseball)</p>   <p>OL- Andrew Kaiser- Wesleyan </p>   <p>ATH- Luke Lang- USMMA</p>   <p>DB- Jake Grimm (Salve Regina Lacrosse)</p>   <p>QB Jimmy Ernst (LIU Baseball)</p>   <p>DB Kevin Mcgory </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/KMHSFootball/status/1750136862717444342 </div></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Outlook</h2>   <p>Kellenberg is in the AAA division once again and they open up with 3 out of state opponents to set the tone for a hard schedule. They have a couple of AA games on their schedule, but they have one of the hardest October runs in the state. The Firebirds will run through the gauntlet, as they play against Cardinal Hayes, Chaminade, Iona Prep, and St Anthony's in four straight weeks. <br></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Things going for the Firebirds</h2>   <p>Kellenberg has a strong defensive line unit for this season. [player_tooltip player_id='820140' first='Patrick' last='Darcy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='735859' first='Isaiah' last='Gittens'] lead the d line and the Firebirds have some depth alongside those X factors.</p>   <p>Kellenberg was very young and inexperienced last year. But now they bring back all those juniors who are ready to learn this upcoming fall. 5 of those seniors will all be capable targets in the passing game, giving the Firebirds a strong receiving corps.  </p>   <p>A big question for the Firebirds was the quarterback spot but they just got their answers. Daniel Licari from Hills East has officially transferred in and he's looked great in the 7v7's I've seen him at. [player_tooltip player_id='735855' first='Jack' last='Durso'] (Miami Baseball commit) is also returning to football, he was an excellent quarterback in 2022 on the Kellenberg JV squad. With new quarterback play and all these great receivers, Kellenberg could be a real threat.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1 Area of Concern</h2>   <p><br>Getting over the AAA hump: Since 2017, Kellenberg has been more than dominant against AA competition. But against AAA teams they haven't quite been able to get the amount of wins they would like. And of course this year the top 5 teams in the AAA are loaded so a big challenge is ahead for the Firebirds. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Last Word</h2>   <p>Last season Kellenberg went winless in the AAA, but they bring back a ton of talent from a season ago. The bottom line is that this senior class can lead the Firebirds to new heights. No AAA team can take them lightly, the Firebirds have dangerous receivers and are expected to have better QB play. If you pair that with an experienced defense and great coaching staff, don't be surprised if Kellenberg makes noise this year. </p>