Garden City Execs Champion NYC High School Football Stars

Eleven outstanding New York City high school football players and one additional player who was named New York City player of the year were honored at last week's 2016 “Elite Eleven” Scholar-Athlete Award Banquet in Manhattan presented by the New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

The Whitmore Group of Garden City and its founder and CEO James C. Metzger sponsored the New York City Player of the Year Award. The event was organized by Marc T. Hudak, a partner and member of the firm’s management committee. Hudak also is the chairman of the New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame.

The Whitmore Group is one of the leading insurance agencies in the New York City area. Metzger is a former star athlete at Half Hollow Hills East High School and Hofstra University, where he is a member of the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame. He supports many youth athletics and education programs in Nassau and Suffolk counties and in New York City. Hudak graduated from Ithaca College, where he was a two-time All-America selection in football and captain of the 1988 National Championship Team. He is a member of the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame.

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Photo: Marc T. Hudak, left, and James C. Metzger of The Whitmore Group at the recent “Elite Eleven” Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet of the New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

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Players And Coach Honored

The honored high school athletes represented public and private high schools – Brooklyn Tech, Cardinal Hayes, Curtis, Fordham Prep, Fort Hamilton, McKee Staten Island Technical, Monsignor Farrell, New Utrecht, Poly Prep Country Day, St. Joseph by the Sea and St. Peter’s. The award criteria calculation is 40 percent on GPA and academic achievement, 40 percent on football ability and achievement, and 20 percent on leadership, school and community involvement.

The organization also honored Peter Gambardella, head football coach of Curtis High School in Staten Island, with its Vincent O’Connor Coach of the Year Award. The award is named for Vincent O’Connor, who finished his career at Saint Francis Preparatory School in Queens as the second-winningest football in New York State high school history with 341 wins over 61 years.

Retired NFL executive Ernie Accorsi received the organization’s Founders Award. He is a founding member of the New York City chapter of the foundation and a current member of the board of directors. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning received the Ernie Accorsi Humanitarian Award. The award is presented to a person who has made significant contributions to the game and the community.

The New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation was founded during 2012. It honors the top high school football players who participate in the five boroughs, recognizing them for their performance on the field, in the classroom and as leaders in the community. The organization also honors outstanding individuals for their contributions to the game.