Public Poll Results: NYCHSFL Preseason Player of the Year
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The NYCHSFL Preseason Player of the Year voted had over 31,000 votes, and it was an amazing battle between 24 talented players across all three divisions. The winner was Deonte Douglas out of Archbishop Stepinac. Checkout who the top 5…
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Continue ReadingThe NYCHSFL Preseason Player of the Year voted had over 31,000 votes, and it was an amazing battle between 24 talented players across all three divisions. The winner was Deonte Douglas out of Archbishop Stepinac. Checkout who the top 5 prospects were from the voting in the breakdowns below!
He earned over 9,000 votes and won the Preseason POTY Poll. Douglas is one of the best all around athletes in the state. He finally earned the recognition he deserved after a fantastic summer. Douglas is a true triple threat for Stepinac as he will make an enormous impact in all three phases of the game at a very high level. On defense he was one of the top DB’s in the catholic league last year. He was one of the hardest hitting safeties in New York and very few players played with the intensity that Douglas had on defense. He had a nose for the ball and delivered some highlight reel hits and interceptions. The Stepinac product also was a monster in the return game. If you kicked it towards him, he had the vision and speed to take it to the house. He also was excellent as a ball carrier and he had a special game against St Anthony’s.
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There is no surprise that Preston Carey Preston Carey 6’5″ | 280 lbs | DL Bradenton IMG Academy | 2026 FL was in the top three in this voting. He ended up finishing second after gaining 6,000+ votes. And after all the attention he’s gotten and an amazing freshman year, Carey is one of the exciting prospects New York has ever had. At 6’5 290, he was a dominant defensive tackle and it was hard to believe he was just a freshman. His get off was incredible, along with his pure strength and body control guided him to a ton of disruption. His measurables are unbelievable and he has offers from almost every major college program in the nation. The top 2026 in our New York rankings will be in for an even bigger sophomore year. Now with a full season under his belt, look for his IQ and athleticism to take the next step. Offensive coordinators will be up all night trying to find a way to slow him down this season.
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The returning receiving yards leader at Farrell landed the number three spot in our vote for preseason player of the year. He was able to get just under 6,000 overall votes. And it makes sense because he is one of the most reliable wide receivers in all of New York. And now gearing up for another season with quarterback Christian Pinto, you can expect a big time year. I’m very high on Monsignor Farrell as a whole, but I’m a big believer that Souffrin will be a reception machine this year. He is a good route runner with a nice first step to help create separation. His hands were great last year and he did an awesome job hauling in passes in traffic. Making plays down the sideline will be a theme for Souffrin as well. I like him to come away with difficult catches and be very productive this season.
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Oh man, “AD” is back for Iona Prep and he’ll be one of the top defensive backs to watch this season. Nartey collected the fourth most amount of votes for the Preseason Player of the Year Poll. Last year Nartey was great and had a game clinching interception against New Jersey power Don Bosco. Now going into his senior year, I think Nartey will be solid again but also do well in big time matchups. This summer he was a beast at the downstate classic. Nartey was neck and neck with some of the states best WR’s and was winning reps all day long in the burning heat. I think he’ll be a playmaking safety this season for a fast and physical Gaels team. Nartey also had a couple of highlight reel strips and he was causing a bunch of turnovers, I’m expecting much of the same from one of the states top DB’s.
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The only “AA” player to crack the top 5 and Michael Wheat Michael Wheat 5’9″ | 185 lbs | ATH St. John The Baptist | 2024 State NY was able to come in 5th place in the voting. The electrifying product from St John ‘s was an entertainer during his junior season and this past summer. During his junior year he was an excellent ball carrier. Wheat has the combination of breakaway speed and extremely tough downhill running. He had plays where he would run over defenders and breakaway for long runs and always got plenty of yards after contact. But where he excels the most is at defensive back. At the Nassau County Showcase, he won almost every 1v1 rep he had. And at 7v7’s with St John’s he was a fast safety, breaking up a lot of passes. Wheat displayed leadership and the right type of “swagger” on the football field to have his team filled with energy.