Mass. Destruction: Waller-Reitano dominates fan voting

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Linemen rarely get the recognition they deserve, but there are exceptions. Prep Redzone recently asked fans to identify the best player (MIAA) in Massachusetts for the upcoming season, and a lineman came out on top. Fans were asked to vote for one of 15 players listed in the poll or write in a candidate who wasn't listed, and Central Catholic tackle [player_tooltip player_id='943065' first='Brian' last='Waller-Reitano'] received more than half the votes. The five players who received the most votes are listed below:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["943065"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a87a305aa802"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Waller-Reitano, who anchors Central Catholic's offensive line at left tackle, received 54.7 percent of the votes in the poll. He's committed to the Naval Academy, and is a dominant wrestler as well. Waller-Reitano posted a 59-3 record last season and helped the Raiders win the state wrestling championship. He's also an excellent student, and had the opportunity to play football at Brown, Fordham, Army and Air Force before selecting Navy. He'll be a handful for offensive linemen when he lines up on defense as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1542880"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a87a305aa907"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Thomas was the clear second choice in the poll with 38.4 percent of the votes. He caught 22 passes for 511 yards and seven touchdowns last season, when Catholic Memorial won its second consecutive Division II championship. He also carried the ball 21 times for 150 yards and a TD during his sophomore year. Thomas committed to Boston College, but re-opened his recruitment in June. He currently holds offers from Rutgers, Syracuse, Maryland, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["400828"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a87a305aa9e7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Vargas, one of the top recruits nationally in the Class of 2028, made headlines when he committed to Ohio State earlier this month. Ohio State was among his 20 offers. Known for his accuracy, Vargas completed 117 of 156 passes for 1,857 yards and 24 TDs with three interceptions last season, when St. John's Prep was the runner-up in Division I. Despite his high profile, Vargas finished a distant third in the voting. He passed for 1,311 yards and 17 touchdowns with three interceptions as a freshman. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2111605"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a87a305aaac5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rivera, who was fourth in the voting, was among those who made the MHSFCA Division I All-State Team following the 2025 season. He's a wide receiver/running back who rushed for 277 yards and had 123 receiving yards and four TD catches last season, but made his biggest impact on defense. He completed his junior season with 32 tackles and led the state with eight interceptions. Although defensive back is his primary position, he'll likely have his role on offense increase significantly in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1530024"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a87a305aaba8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Simmons, who placed fifth in the voting, is an explosive playmaker who can be used as a running back or a receiver. He rushed for 574 yards on 56 carries and scored 18 touchdowns last season, when he helped Catholic Memorial win its second straight Division II championship. Simmons ran for three touchdowns when Catholic Memorial beat Bishop Feehan 41-14 in the 2025 championship game. He currently has scholarship offers from Vanderbilt, Connecticut and Boston College. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->