Week 3 Connolly Cup Players of the Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Connolly Cup is one of the most prestigious awards among Western New York High School Football, given to the area's best skill player annually at the end of the season. Each week the Connolly Cup committee presents a list of players that showcased excellent athletic ability over the previous weekend. Here are the Week 3 Players of the Game selected by the Conolly Cup committee.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ATH Payton Bradley (Salamanca) - Bradley is having a breakout season as a senior, taking over the QB duties for the reigning Class C champions. It was on the ground, however, that he did the most damage running for 179 yards and 3 TDs on 16 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB DJ Benker (West Seneca East) - West Seneca East is having a Cinderella season as they are currently atop the B1 division. Dual threat QB DJ Benker is the catalyst for the Trojans offense. This week, he threw for 3 TDs while running for another in their 50-6 victory over Lewiston-Porter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1513348' first='Zach' last='Bridenbaker'] (Depew) - Bridenbaker is a name we will hear a lot in the next two seasons. He is without a doubt one of the best athletes in Section VI. In a tight 28-26 win over Olean, Zach had 23 carries for 189 yards and a TD, while registering 8 tackles at LB.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB AJ Cinquino (North Tonawanda) - North Tonawanda has been a struggling program for a few years now so many of their players don't get a lot of the spotlight. The Lumberjacks are off to a stunning 2-1 start after their 42-12 divisional victory over Amherst. In that game, Cinquino went 13/15 for 196 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for 50 yards and scoring 3 more times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LB Luis Diaz (Jamestown) - 8 tackles and a 33 yard pick six in the final minutes of the game that gave Jamestown a huge divisional win over Lancaster. Diaz was a big breakout player as a junior in 2024 and is proving to be a crucial part of their success this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1699781' first='Kolton' last='Fletcher'] (Medina) - 8 receptions for 149 yards and 3 TDs while registering 11 tackles as a DB. Fletcher has extraordinary ball skill and keen football awareness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1650250' first='Christian' last='Fulgham'] (Bishop Timon) - 6 receptions for 112 yards and 3 TDs. 5 tackles and a sack on defense. Another rough start for the Tigers after their starting QB went down for the second straight year but Fulgham has made the most of it being a cornerstone and team leader.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB Philip Gangi (Williamsville South) - A first year starting QB under the tutelage of one of the best QB coaches in WNY, Gangi had a breakout performance going 19/28 for 233 yards and 4 TDs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB Josh Guerin (Cardinal O'Hara) - 14/22 for 171 yards and 3 TDs while running for another score. Guerin is a new name to me as many Cardinal O'Hara players don't get recognition but he has led the Hawks to a stellar 2-1 start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>OL/LB/DL Trent Houser (Chautauqua Lake-Westfield-Brocton) - 11 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery from his DL position. Houser is having a monster year. On top of his Week 3 Connolly Cup nomination, he also received a recommendation in week 1 from the Trench Trophy for his work on the line of scrimmage.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB [player_tooltip player_id='473979' first='Justus' last='Kleitz'] (Iroquois) - 20/29 for 315 yards and 4 TDS. Kleitz already entered the season as Section VI all time passing leader but this put him over the top for the most yards in the air in Western New York history, which includes the Monsignor Martin League. Justus is having an incredible season and is quickly becoming the favorite for the 2025 Connolly Cup recipient.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>OL/DL Zach Markham (Southwestern-Frewsburg) - A monstrous defensive performance, Markham registered 11 tackles, an INT, a sack and recovered two fumbles; returning one for a TD. The Trojans have allowed just 12 points on the season and Zach has been the cornerstone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1371662' first='Isaac' last='Platt'] (Pioneer) - A preseason breakout candidate, Platt made his season debut carrying the ball 27 times for 152 yards and a TD while making 10 stops on defense..</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LB [player_tooltip player_id='1796000' first='Amare' last='Ridgeway'] (Health Sciences) - Made 17 tackles and 4 sacks in a dominant defensive performance while recording a rushing TD. This is the sophomore's first season at Health Sciences and he is making his presence felt immediately.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>QB [player_tooltip player_id='1344791' first='Michael' last='Taylor'] (Niagara Falls) - Niagara Falls is putting Class AA on notice with a 2-1 start to the season. Dual threat QB Taylor has been a breakout star. In their 28-18 win over Niagara Wheatfield, Michael threw for 191 yards while running for another 78 and accounting for 3 TDs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->