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<p>Several players were overlooked by many accolades such as the All State & All WNY teams. These are players that had solid seasons and I feel have earned recognition amongst the committees.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">A two year varsity player, Platt took a big step forward as a sophomore running for 614 yards and 8 TDs while adding 51 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INTs and another score on defense. He is one of the most versatile athletes for the class of 2027 and will be on everybody's radar in his junior season.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">When I first noticed Nucci, he was a run stuffing Middle Linebacker with fantastic instincts. But this season, he proved to be the thunder in the Vikings "Thunder & Lightning" run approach scoring 11 TDs on the ground.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">South Park set all kinds of rushing records in 2024 and at the center of it was Steward; a 300 lb. sophomore that moves extremely well. With two more seasons left to go in his career, sky is the limit for this young athlete.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">One of my favorite breakout candidates for 2024, Donohue did not disappoint. He may have been overlooked because he could play so many positions. At DE, he was solid racking up 30 tackles (12 for loss) and 5 sacks. On offense, he was a Fullback then when injuries hit their OL late in the year, he unselfishly moved to Left Guard. This is a special player that will get recognition as a senior.</p>
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<p class="text-gray-700">Not many freshmen get noticed on varsity right away but Anderson took Class B by storm. In week 1, he ran for 84 yards on 20 carries while snagging 2 INTs on defense. Mason can also be utilized as a WR. Where the future lies is still up in the air but he may emerge as a top Class of '28 prospect.</p>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players to Watch in 2025</h2>
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<p>There were several other players this season that did not have the impact that was foreseen but I expect many of them to reach their potential in 2025.</p>
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<p>Joining Nucci in the Grand Island LB corps is Andrew Kozlowski, who racked up 40 tackles, 2 sacks and a fumble recovery in his varsity debut. His senior year should put him on the map.</p>
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<p>Pioneer is a perennial powerhouse and juniors, [player_tooltip player_id='1566923' first='Jacek' last='Sawicki'] & [player_tooltip player_id='1743076' first='Takota' last='Smith'] had solid seasons. I expect them to be counted on as as seniors in 2025.</p>
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<p>Iroquois may be the team to beat next season with so many returning players. On top of Donohue, OL [player_tooltip player_id='1794281' first='Owen' last='Luders'] and TE/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1345201' first='Timothy' last='Domino Jr'] are expected to have a big impact next year.</p>
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<p>Lackawanna had one big man after another during their dominating 2024 season so OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id='1344712' first='Kurt' last='Stevens'] went unnoticed but his aggressiveness and powerful abilities will shine through.</p>
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<p>Maryvale underperformed this past season, mainly because of injuries. But also, they are a very young team. DBs [player_tooltip player_id='1743157' first='Sadiq' last='Qayel'] [player_tooltip player_id='1814177' first='James' last='Redd Jr'] proved to be quality pass defenders while in the trenches, [player_tooltip player_id='1266848' first='Louis' last='DeSantis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1248840' first='Jayden' last='Cookfair'] will be looking to improve as underclassmen. To top it off, [player_tooltip player_id='1242404' first='Isaiah' last='Hill'] is considered one of the top athletes in WNY but injuries slowed his progress as a junior.</p>
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<p>Depew has a lot of young weapons and WR Aiden Hopwood leads the pack.</p>
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<p>Lake Shore struggled to win last season but OL [player_tooltip player_id='1345221' first='Rey' last='Cruz'] and LB Parker Kepfler are two names to remember in their senior campaigns.</p>
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<p>Other athletes to keep an eye out for are [player_tooltip player_id='806773' first='Julius' last='Jackson'] from South Park and [player_tooltip player_id='1339489' first='Daymario' last='Young'] from Williamsville North.</p>
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Several players were overlooked by many accolades such as the All State & All WNY teams. These are players that had solid seasons and I feel have earned recognition amongst the committees.
HEIGHT
6'2"
WEIGHT
200
POS
ATH
CLASS
2027
State:
New York
School:
Pioneer
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HEIGHT
6'0"
WEIGHT
230
POS
LB
CLASS
2026
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HEIGHT
5'9"
WEIGHT
310
POS
OL
CLASS
2027
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HEIGHT
6'0"
WEIGHT
210
POS
EDGE
CLASS
2026
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HEIGHT
6'0"
WEIGHT
180
POS
ATH
CLASS
2028
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