PRZNY Team Previews: Moore Catholic Mavericks

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Last Season (7-5)</h2>   <p><br>Moore Catholic wrapped up another successful season but came up just short of that elusive AA championship for a third straight year. The Mavericks had a great regular season, as they finished as the top seed headed into the playoffs. Moore Catholic went toe to toe with AAA squads last year. They only lost by 3 points on the road to Farrell and they had a shutout win over Chaminade. Moore had a ton of young players step up last season and they are looking to guide the Mavs back to a title game.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Prospect </h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">It feels like Pacheco has been in the spotlight forever. The 4 year varsity player is the leader for Moore Catholic and is ranked as the top running back in the state. In his sophomore and junior campaigns, he eclipsed over 1,000 yards rushing both times. He'll be the workhorse once again for the Mavericks and he has the potential for a truly memorable season.  Pacheco is big, physical and fast. He's one of the most complete backs in the class, as Pacheco is a punishing runner but also can make people miss with his athleticism. He's also an excellent blocker and is very reliable in pass protection. Pacheco has several FBS offers and there is more to come.</p>    <p><br></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">X Factors</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Another highly touted player on the Mavericks roster. Vanterpool had an outstanding junior season for Moore Catholic. He registered 90 tackles, including 20 for loss last season. He guided Moore Catholic's defense to a successful year which featured three shutout performances and was overall one of the top units in New York City. Vanterpool has started since his sophomore year and has done a little bit of everything. He can play inside linebacker, outside linebacker or safety. Vanterpool is a big and physical player who can change the course of a game.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">The freshman phenom from last season is back and looking to take the next step. Last year Zeh burst onto the scene with an incredible showing as a freshman. He led the AA-1 in passing with 1,532 yards and 15 touchdowns. Zeh made some spectacular throws last year and played well above his age. He's only getting bigger, stronger and more athletic. The youngster is expected to be a true leader this season and guide this Moore Catholic offense.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Last year was his first season with Moore Catholic and he had a solid season as a sophomore. He currently has offers from Delaware, Wagner and Buffalo. Green is a very fast defensive back and after playing safety last year, he'll transition to his primary position of cornerback. His athleticism is off the charts and he'll be in charge of locking down some of the top receivers in the state this upcoming season. Moore will look to utilize Green's athleticism in a variety of ways, he'll be returning kicks and will also get valuable touches on offense.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Another three year starter for this Moore Catholic defense. Herbert had a monster junior season for the Mavericks. He led the team in tackles with 95 on the season. He was simply all over the field and was extremely crucial to this unit's success. Herbert will be one of the top run stoppers in New York City this upcoming season. Herbert has a true “nose for the ball” and will be a pivotal piece to this Moore Catholic squad. </p>     <p class="text-gray-700">I got to see Mendez over the summer and I was very impressed. Mendez going into his junior year, he has started since his freshman year. He isn't the biggest player but he has a great skill set. Mendez was dominant in 1v1 matchups at showcases and he's provided production in games as well. Last year he had 5 sacks and was one of the teams top lineman. This year he'll be in for a huge junior season.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Breakout Player </h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Last season Melendez was slotted as the #3 receiver behind two FBS caliber players.Melendez showed flashes of what he can do but now he's ready to step into the spotlight and be one of the top targets for this squad. Melendez has put together a great offseason so far. He's been impressive at showcases and at 7v7's I've seen him at. Melendez is a twitchy receiver that creates a ton of separation. He is a surgical route runner and when he has the ball in his hands he is very slippery. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Names To Know</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Year</td><td>Name</td><td>Position</td><td>Notes</td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1257857' first='Julian' last='Albright']</td><td>OL</td><td> Lincoln (NJ) transfer, strong offensive lineman, 6'5 and athletic <br></td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>Caleb Miller</td><td>WR</td><td>Quick slot WR, another breakout candidate <br></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1345151' first='Glenn' last='Sheppard']</td><td>DB</td><td>Lengthy DB, big hitter, 81 tackles last year</td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>Billy Cosidente</td><td>DB</td><td>Led team in INTs last year, All-State </td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='825605' first='Miles' last='Sinclair']</td><td>WR</td><td>Amazing route runner, poised for a huge year at WR</td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='825606' first='James' last='Craig']</td><td>OL</td><td> Intriguing OL prospect started as a sophomore </td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>Michael Cybulski</td><td>OL/DL</td><td>Contributor on the OL/DL, very athletic </td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>[player_tooltip player_id='806628' first='Elijah' last='Jones']</td><td>DE</td><td>Will start at defensive end, potential for a great season</td></tr><tr><td>2028</td><td>Dai'Ryus Cancel</td><td>LB</td><td>Incoming freshman with a ton of potential, big and athletic </td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key losses/commitments </h2>   <p>OL/DL- Aqil Meredith Smith- ECP (PG)</p>   <p>DB- Damon Stewart- Franklin Pierce </p>   <p>ATH- Matthias Lighten- Sacred Heart</p>   <p>WR- Boakai Vekai- ECP (PG)</p>   <p>DL Jason Gutierrez</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Schedule </h2>   <p>https://x.com/moorehsfootball/status/1750357295307878494?s=42&t=neI2HH119zJiS5fvtSnnzA</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Outlook</h2>   <p>Head Coach: Nick Giannatasio</p>   <p>Moore Catholic brings back an exciting group along with some new names to the bunch. They start off their season with a highly anticipated matchup. Moore takes on a public school power from Staten Island. They will play against Curtis who will be fighting for a PSAL 4A title this season. This is the first time in a while that Staten Island's private and public powers will face off. They have a non-conference battle with St Peter's Prep (NJ) but will not face St John The Baptist or St Peter's in the regular season. Moore will go against AAA powers Monsignor Farrell, Cardinal Hayes, and Archbishop Stepinac.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Things Going for the Mavericks </h2>   <p>It's always nice to have your QB1 and RB1 return and Moore will have that luxury at its finest. RJ Pacheco is the states top RB and he's bound for another great season. [player_tooltip player_id='939501' first='Tommy' last='Zeh'] is the future of Moore Catholic and the young QB is poised for another great year. </p>   <p>While they lost Matthias Lighten and Damon Stewart, the Mavericks return three very talented pieces in the secondary. Gerald Green, [player_tooltip player_id='1345151' first='Glenn' last='Sheppard'] and Billy Cosidente were excellent last season. They all were highly productive and will form one of the top secondaries in the catholic league</p>   <p>Moore Catholic is a relatively new program compared to the rest of the catholic league. But the Mavericks keep getting better every single year and they are inching closer to what they want to achieve. They have another strong group and all the progress they've built looks to only increase as we head into this upcoming season.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1 Area of Concern</h2>   <p>Moore Catholic only has 225 boys in their entire school. It's no secret that they will have a smaller roster and less depth than other teams on their schedule. It'll be important for Moore to stay healthy, and physically handle their tough schedule so they can be ready to go in November when it matters most.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Last Word</h2>   <p>We'll talk about the elephant in the room, Moore has been to the 3 straight AA championships and have lost them all. 2022 was a heartbreaker to Holy Trinity and last year they were viewed as the favorites but fell to St John's 28-14. But this group was very young last year. A new page was flipped in 2023 with a bunch of sophomores being impact players. Now they lost a couple of stud seniors, but they bring back an extremely strong core with a ton of varsity production under their belt. They have less questions to answer going into this season compared to last year. The Mavericks have some of the top prospects in the state on their roster. Moore has the tools to complete their story and win that AA championship they've been so close to capturing. </p>