Elite NYC H.S. Football Players Honored

Eleven outstanding New York City high school football players representing The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, were honored earlier this week at the sixth annual "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 New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation was founded during 2012. It recognizes 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.

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Photo: The 2017 New York City Player of the Year Award was presented to Matt Valecce from Fordham Preparatory High School in The Bronx by James C. Metzger, founder and CEO of The Whitmore Group. Mike Virgintino photo

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Players Honored

The high school athletes represented public and private high schools:

The Bronx

• Elijah Jones (committed to Boston College) – Cardinal Hayes High School, Coach CJ O’Neil

• Danny Sanchez (committed to Stony Brook University) – Lehman Campus High School, Coach Chris DiTullio

• Joseph Petti (committed to U.S. Naval Academy) – Fordham Preparatory High School, Coach Peter Gorynski

• Matt Valecce (committed to Boston College) – Fordham Preparatory High School, Coach Peter Gorynski

Brooklyn

• Christian Minaya (committed to Southern Connecticut State) – New Utrecht High School, Coach Alan Balkan

Queens

• Joseph Alvarado (school intentions undecided) – John Adams High School, Coach Seth Zuckerman

• Michael Taylor (committed to Villanova University) – Holy Cross High School, Coach Tim Smith

Staten Island

• Quincey Barnes (committed to Western Connecticut State) – Curtis High School, Coach Peter Gambardella

• John Buscini (committed to College of Staten Island) – St. Joseph’s by the Sea High School, Coach Michael Corona

• Shakim Douglas (committed to U.S. Naval Academy) – St. Peter's Boys High School, Coach Mark DeCristoforo

• Nicolas Macri (committed to Binghamton University) – McKee Staten Island Tech High School, Coach Anthony Ciadella

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.

New York City Player of the Year

The “Mr. Football New York City” 2017 New York City Player of the Year Award was presented to Matt Valecce, a quarterback who played for Coach Peter Gorynski at Fordham Preparatory High School in The Bronx. The award was presented by James C. Metzger, founder and CEO of The Whitmore Group of Garden City in Nassau County. The Whitmore Group sponsors the award. The company is one of the leading insurance brokerage firms in the New York City area. The awards banquet was managed 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.

Other Awards

The foundation presented its lifetime achievement award to Coach Al Paturzo of Staten Island’s Susan Wagner High School. The Vincent O’Connor New York City Coach of the Year Award was presented to Peter Gambardella, head football coach at Curtis High School of Staten Island. The award is named for the coach who finished his career at Saint Francis Preparatory School in Queens with the second highest football win total in New York State high school history with 341 wins over 61 years.

General Pete Dawkins, 1958 Heisman Trophy Winner at the U.S. Military Academy and an American military hero, received the Ernie Accorsi Humanitarian Award. The award is presented to a person who has made significant contributions to the game and the community. Accorsi is a retired NFL executive, a founding member of the New York City chapter of the foundation and a current member of the board of directors.

As he accepted the award, General Dawkins indicated that “sports was the window” that gave him the opportunity for adventure and taught him about the “impact and impression that a coach leaves on his players.”