Elite NYC H.S. Football Players Honored by National Football Foundation

Eleven outstanding New York City high school football players representing The Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and one additional player from Brooklyn who was named New York City player of the year, recently were honored at the 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 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.

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Photo: From left -- Marc T. Hudak, chairman of the New York City Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, New York City Player of the Year Isaiah Wilson from Poly Prep Country Day School and James C. Metzger, founder and CEO of The Whitmore Group.

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Players And Coach Honored

The high school athletes represented public and private high schools:

The Bronx

• Christian Anderson – Cardinal Hayes High School, Coach C.J. O’Neill

• Matt Conlon – Fordham Prep High School, Coach Peter Gorynski

Brooklyn

• Robert Deleon-Kollmer – Poly Prep Country Day, Coach Kevin Fountaine

• Seba Nekhet – Fort Hamilton High School, Coach Daniel Perez

• Jerell Gray – New Utrecht High School, Coach Alan Balkan

• John Hemminger – Brooklyn Tech High School, Coach Kyle McKenna

Staten Island

• Dominick Anderson – St. Joseph by the Sea High School, Coach Michael Corona

• Damian Ostaszewski – Curtis High School, Coach Peter Gambardella

• A.J. Mistler – St. Peter’s Boys High School, Coach Mark DeCristoforo

• Dustin Rubenstein, McKee Staten Island Technical High School, Coach Anthony Ciadella

• Adley Raboy – Monsignor Farrell High School, Coach Tony Garolfalo

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 New York City Player of the Year Award was presented to Isaiah Wilson, an offensive tackle who played for Coach Kevin Fountaine at Poly Prep Country Day School. Wilson was co-captain of the varsity team and is headed to the University of Georgia.

The Whitmore Group of Garden City in Nassau County, and its founder and CEO James C. Metzger, sponsored the New York City Player of the Year Award. The Whitmore Group is one of the leading insurance brokerage firms in the New York City area. 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.

Other Awards

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.