Mid-Season Update: NYCHSFL AAA

<p>The AAA division of the New York Catholic High School Football League has been nothing short of entertaining. It's the toughest league in the state and it displays some of New York's best players. Read about how each team is performing below.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Top Team</h2>   <p><strong>Iona Prep- </strong> Right now the Gaels are on top of the AAA division. Iona Prep just defeated Cardinal Hayes 34-27 in a thrilling come-from-behind victory. Iona has been led by emerging quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='735876' first='Julian' last='Guzman'] who has been great so far. Multi-sport star [player_tooltip player_id='1001144' first='Crew' last='Davis'] has been dominant as a runner and a receiver this season. Davis' strength and speed have been something special to watch as he is succeeding at a high level behind a very good offensive line. On defense, sophomore sensation [player_tooltip player_id='741078' first='Mamadee' last='Sangaray'] has proven to be one of the state's top DBs. Despite all the injuries and adversity, Iona Prep has delivered and is currently unbeaten in league play.<br></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Defending Champions </h2>   <p><strong>Cardinal Hayes-</strong> The Cardinals suffered their first league loss last week against Iona but they have had a solid start to the season. But Hayes has impressive wins over Catholic Memorial (MA), Monsignor Farrell, and other quality teams in the league. On offense, the trio of [player_tooltip player_id='606298' first='Rich' last='Belin'], [player_tooltip player_id='814928' first='Reid' last='Jones'], and [player_tooltip player_id='820131' first='Ken-G' last='Burnham'] have been difference-makers and [player_tooltip player_id='788857' first='Jayden' last='Mann'] leads a solid offensive line. The Cardinals' defense has put together some great showings in the early going. [player_tooltip player_id='434415' first='Blake' last='Belin'], [player_tooltip player_id='434414' first='Kahmari' last='Valentine'], [player_tooltip player_id='1235840' first='Tyrone' last='Smith'], and Ayden Smart are four of the best playmakers in the state on that side of the ball. And if you know catholic school ball, Hayes plays their best football in November when the lights are the brightest. They have the talent and have shown they will be in the running to repeat as state champs.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Biggest Surprise </h2>   <p><strong>Chaminade-</strong> Wow. That's the word many people will use after seeing what Chaminade has done this season. After winning just one game last year, coach Tom Claro has turned it around and the potential of this 2025 class is being displayed to all of New York. They completed a Long Island sweep taking down the four other top catholic schools. Those wins included a road victory over St Anthony's and a blowout win against Kellenberg. The Flyers offense is guided by tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1236578' first='Peter' last='Gerbasi'] running behind a big offensive line that has controlled the line of scrimmage. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1105267' first='Tim' last='Murphy'] has spread the ball out and the Flyers' balanced offense has had a ton of success. Chaminade is led by an incredible defense. Defensive stars Louis D'Agostino, [player_tooltip player_id='1068356' first='Dean' last='Schmitt'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1236580' first='Will' last='Handley'] have proven to be some of the state's top players.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rest Of The AAA</h2>   <p><br><strong>St Anthony's</strong>- It's been a roller-coaster season for the Friars. They have picked up some great wins which included road victories over UPrep and Monsignor Farrell, but also lost heartbreakers to Chaminade and Iona Prep. St Anthony's has been led by [player_tooltip player_id='1205418' first='Gary' last='Merrill'] aka “Gary Goat”, one of the most electric players in the tri-state area. Merrill is coming off of back-to-back 200+ yard rushing performances in games against Iona Prep and Xavier. Comeback player of the year candidate [player_tooltip player_id='612739' first='Will' last='Hart'] has been excellent and the rest of the Friars receivers including James Taylor Jr and [player_tooltip player_id='1223002' first='Johnny' last='Russo'] have shown their big play ability. Defensively the Friars are led by stud ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1208765' first='Kevin' last='Moore']. St Anthony's will look to get more stops down the line in order to collect wins against the top competition in the league. </p>   <p><strong>Kellenberg-</strong> After some tough non-league games, Kellenberg captured wins against two of the top teams in the AA-1 division. Kellenberg is led by a great senior class that has taken a massive jump this season. Miami baseball commit [player_tooltip player_id='735855' first='Jack' last='Durso'] has been a good dual-threat quarterback this season. He's accompanied by playmakers [player_tooltip player_id='735857' first='Brendan' last='Galla'], [player_tooltip player_id='973888' first='Jack' last='Barkley'], [player_tooltip player_id='735863' first='Donovan' last='O'Toole'], and [player_tooltip player_id='735858' first='Jack' last='Geoghan']. On defense, they are also senior-heavy. [player_tooltip player_id='820140' first='Patrick' last='Darcy'], Nick Kramer, and [player_tooltip player_id='806593' first='Christian' last='DaCosta'] have proven to be great players and helped Kellenberg shut down a talented St Peter's offense. Despite their tough loss to Chaminade, the Firebirds have the potential to secure a 5 or 6 seed and cannot be overlooked in the playoffs.</p>   <p><strong>Monsignor Farrell-</strong> Another team that's had an interesting season so far. After a couple of non-league losses, Farrell went toe to toe with St Anthony's and Cardinal Hayes losing by just one possession in both games. Farrell just defeated St Peter's and Fordham Prep to get back on track. The Lions are led by the senior duo of QB [player_tooltip player_id='805695' first='Ryan' last='Walsh'] and RB [player_tooltip player_id='805689' first='Nafis' last='Muhammad']. Muhammad has been one of the most consistent and productive backs in the league. Freshman phenom [player_tooltip player_id='1278754' first='Braxton' last='Moye'] has 452 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns and is up there with the top 2028 prospects in New York. After a shaky start, the Lions defense has found a groove. They have only allowed around 12 PPG in their last three games which featured 3 talented offenses (Cardinal Hayes, St Peter's, and Fordham Prep). Farrell is filled with high-energy players which has led to some great production. [player_tooltip player_id='805692' first='Gerard' last='Sheehan'], [player_tooltip player_id='1236512' first='Rocco' last='Del Giorno'], [player_tooltip player_id='805722' first='Kevin' last='Gumb'], Joe Giovanelli, and [player_tooltip player_id='402247' first='Will' last='Andrade'] are all key factors to the resurgence of this Lions defense. </p>   <p><strong>Archbishop Stepinac- </strong>It's been a down year for Archbishop Stepinac after their recent success. The Crusaders graduated one of the largest and best senior classes in New York last season and also had one of the most challenging schedules we've seen in the state. As a result, they are still looking for their first win. They have shown some flashes on offense this year. [player_tooltip player_id='505387' first='Zaire' last='Spellman'] is one of the most entertaining players in the state, as he's made a ton of noise. The great thing for Stepinac is that everyone makes the playoffs. The Crusaders have been improving, have a great coaching staff and have gotten closer to capturing their first win. It will be interesting to see how they stack up in November.</p>

The AAA division of the New York Catholic High School Football League has been nothing short of entertaining. It's the toughest league in the state and it displays some of New York's best players. Read about how each team is performing below.