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FiveBoroSports.com All-Brooklyn football honors
By FiveBoroSports.com December 26, 2008
We’re not sure what’s most impressive: Fort Hamilton’s run to the PSAL City Championship game in what was supposed to be a down year or Xaverian’s resurrection, turning a winless squad last year into a CHSFL Class AAA playoff team in 2008. Boys & Girls has to be mentioned somewhere, too. Coach Barry O’Connor led the Kangaroos, as a No. 10 seed, all the way to the PSAL semifinals.
Brooklyn was also marked this year by some incredible running backs. Kristen Liverpool of Erasmus Hall and Boys’ Khalif Osson are horribly underrated, while Canarsie’s Steven Rene, Grady’s Ikeem Williams and Ayo Isijola of Sheepshead Bay are among the best of the best.
BROOKLYN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Najee Tyler, Xaverian
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Tyler is an athletic freak of nature. In terms of pure physical skill, there might not have been anyone in the city who could match him. Tyler can throw bombs and also run like a deer. He could beat you in every imaginable way.
The senior from Queens led all CHSFL Class AAA quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns and helped Xaverian finished 6-4 after last year’s 0-10 record.
BROOKLYN COACH OF THE YEAR
Vinny Laino, Fort Hamilton
There was little hype surrounding the Fort Hamilton football program in September. Canarsie and Sheepshead Bay were the chic picks. All due respect to Mike Camardese and Fred Snyder, the Tigers had one thing neither of them had – Vinny Laino. He led Fort Ham to its third finals appearance in four years, developing consistency in a team with many question marks.
ALL-BROOKLYN FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB Frank Laino, Fort Hamilton
The coach’s son always wanted to be a part of the Fort Hamilton tradition; it was Frank Laino’s dream since he was a toddler, sitting in on team meetings. He won the starting job last summer and performed past anyone’s expectations, including his father’s, throwing 19 touchdown passes and running for 13 more. He nearly led Fort Hamilton back from a 26-point deficit in the city final, tossing a pair of fourth-quarter scores to sophomore Brandon Reddish. With the diminutive, yet effective 5-foot-7 signal-caller returning, the Tigers could very well be back in the City Championship game next fall.
OL Jamal Wilson, South Shore
The Vikings may have failed to win a game this year, but it wasn’t the fault of Wilson, a stud two-way lineman headed to Rutgers in the fall.
OL Oday Aboushi, Xaverian
The monstrous, 6-foot-6, 310-pound senior recently decommitted from Boston College. Whatever college he turns up at will be getting an absolute monster. The two-way lineman was literally a scary presence rushing the quarterback and rarely did he let his man win a line-of-scrimmage battle on offense.
OL Sal Astuto, Fort Hamilton
The anchor of one of the best offensive lines in the city, Astuto was the Tigers’ left tackle. Fort Hamilton wasn’t blessed with game-breaking running backs – senior Gardner Robinson and sophomore A.J. Richardson were productive if not spectacular – but it was the play of the O-line that, more than any factor, led to the Brooklyn school’s second undefeated regular season in three years. The 6-foot, 255-pound Astuto was in the middle of it all.
RB Kristen Liverpool, Erasmus Hall
If not for injuries, Liverpool might have found himself at the top of this page. The senior was still excellent, though. He rushed for 950 yards and 10 touchdowns and led Erasmus to the PSAL Bowl Division championship game, where it lost to New Dorp.
RB Khalif Osson, Boys & Girls
Osson was easily underestimated – he’s only 5-feet-6 and 178 pounds. But when he hit the hole, forget it. That’s why Boys & Girls’ misdirection running offense was so effective. Osson rushed for 766 yards and six touchdowns.
RB Ikeem Williams, Grady
Williams led the city during the regular season with 1,288 rushing yards and scored 15 TDs, third most in the league. He was the picture of consistency, finding pay dirt at least eight times and running for 1,000 yards each of his three years as Grady’s feature back. His presence alone enabled Grady to make the 16-team city championship playoffs its first year as a Level 5 team.
RB Steven Rene, Canarsie
There was no more explosive back this side of Port Richmond’s Torian Phillips than Rene, a dynamic junior who ran for 1,139 yards, averaged 7.4 yards per carry and scored 17 touchdowns. He was also a factor at defensive back, picking off three passes and making 28 tackles. The Chiefs will be a force to be reckoned with since Rene will be back, almost certainly giving defensive coordinators nightmares.
RB Ayo Isijola, Sheepshead Bay
Isijola just finished his third season of organized football, yet is closing in on a Division I scholarship. He was one of the area’s top home-run threats, a danger to find the end zone any time the football found his hands. Here’s the scary part: Isijola, who was part of the Sharks’ 4 x 100 national champion relay team last spring, is still learning his position. He ran for 13 touchdowns and 1,407 yards nevertheless.
WR Levon Williams, Fort Hamilton
The 6-foot-3 Williams quit football following his freshman year, played basketball as a sophomore and put up sparse numbers when he returned to the gridiron as a junior. He finally put it together as a senior, becoming one of the best deep threats in the city by catching 28 passes for 287 yards and nine scores. More impressive than those numbers, he was the Tigers’ Mr. Clutch, hauling in the game-winning, 6-yard touchdown pass in the semifinal win over Wagner with 24 seconds remaining.
WR Gerald Mistretta, Xaverian
There was like a sixth sense between quarterback Najee Tyler and his favorite target this season. The big QB always put the ball where Mistretta needed it to make a play. The 6-foot, 200-pound senior was also effective in passing coverage on the other side of the ball.
ALL-BROOKLYN FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Andre Civil, Sheepshead Bay
There was little the Rutgers-bound defensive end didn’t do in his career at Sheepshead Bay. Obviously, his senior year didn’t end as hopes – with a city championship – but Civil was the steady, constantly effective lineman coach Fred Snyder had come to expect. He enjoyed yet another sensational season with 72 tackles and six sacks.
DL Jared Andrews, Sheepshead Bay
While Civil was the superstar of the Sharks’ defense, Andrews was the glue guy. A 6-foot-3, 220-pound nose tackle, he occupied two and sometimes three blockers, as responsible as any other defender for Sheepshead Bay’s ability to stop the run. He was also a linchpin on the offensive line, helping to open holes for running backs Ayo Isijola and Devontai Carlie.
DL Winston Hill, Bishop Ford
The first thing you notice about Hill is his size. He’s big. Very, very big. The 6-foot-3, 335-pound senior created a mismatch every time he stepped on the field. Bishop Ford was fourth in CHSFL Class AA-A in defense and Hill was one of the – pardon the pun – biggest reasons why.
LB Jasper Kelly, Grady
Kelly did it all for Grady on both sides of the ball – he was fourth in the city with 84 tackles and ran for 360 yards and four touchdowns.
LB Eric Smith, Canarsie
The four-year starter led the city in tackles with 97 has a knack for making plays. The tough-as-nails, 5-foot-11 middle linebacker is exceptional at reading misdirection and shedding tacklers.
LB Ethan Ostermeyer, Xaverian
The gigantic defensive line got all the hype for Xaverian this season, but when running back and wide receivers got past that initial unit Ostermeyer was more times than not in the right place at the right time. The 6-foot, 220-pound senior could make plays going east-west or north-south.
LB Collin Hannay, Midwood
He was the anchor of the Hornets’ defense, an instinctual middle linebacker while excelling under center at quarterback, as dangerous with his feet as his strong right arm.
DB David Nooks, Boys & Girls
This track star has speed to burn and he can keep up with even the fastest of wide receivers. The 5-foot-10, 188-pound junior, who had two interceptions on the season, is a major part of the Kangaroos’ future.
DB Brandon Reddish, Fort Hamilton
There may not be a better sophomore in the entire city than Reddish. He put together one of the most impressive seasons of any underclassmen, finishing second in the PSAL with seven interceptions and also scoring five touchdowns at wide receiver. Then, he went out and caught two scores in the city final, nearly bringing Fort Hamilton back. His future is obviously bright.
DB: Terrel Price, Fort Hamilton
The leader of the Tigers’ defense, Price will almost certainly find his way to a Division I-AA school of some kind. He anchored the secondary at safety and was a deep threat at wide receiver. Without him, Fort Hamilton wouldn’t have enjoyed such a surprisingly phenomenal year.
DB Steven Austin, Thomas Jefferson
The 6-foot-1 safety carried the Orange Wave to the 16-team city championship playoffs, both as a big-play wide receiver and hard-hitting defensive back.
ALL-BROOKLYN FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
KR Wilbert Lee, Boys & Girls
Lee had a relatively quiet regular season. But when playoff time came, he all but put Boys on his back. He ran for a game-clinching, 70-yard touchdown against Campus Magnet in the first round. Then the following week against Sheepshead Bay, he found two more ways to score: once on an interception return and another off a pass from quarterback Evan Rugel. What makes it most scary: Lee, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound sophomore, was the youngest player on the team.
ALL-BROOKLYN HONORABLE MENTION
OFFENSE
QB Imron Barakat, New Utrecht
OL Obede Celestin, Canarsie
OL Josh Horton, Fort Hamilton
RB Gardner Robinson, Fort Hamilton
RB Kadeem Cousar, Boys & Girls
RB Donovan Edwards, Midwood
RB Jaquan Bethune, Xaverian
WR Chris Lebano, Xaverian
WR Vincenzo Carmona, New Utrecht
DEFENSE
DL Jacques Lynch, Boys & Girls
DL Javon Savage, Thomas Jefferson
LB Rashaun Samuel, Canarsie
DB Mark Taylor, Thomas Jefferson
DB Donny Binckes, Xaverian
FiveBoroSports.com All-City and All-Boro football honorees this week
Wednesday: Bronx/Manhattan
Thursday: Queens
Friday: Brooklyn and Staten Island
Saturday: All-City
*A player cannot be an All-Boro Player of the Year and the All-City Player of the Year
fiveborosports@gmail.com
Brooklyn was also marked this year by some incredible running backs. Kristen Liverpool of Erasmus Hall and Boys’ Khalif Osson are horribly underrated, while Canarsie’s Steven Rene, Grady’s Ikeem Williams and Ayo Isijola of Sheepshead Bay are among the best of the best.
BROOKLYN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Najee Tyler, Xaverian
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Tyler is an athletic freak of nature. In terms of pure physical skill, there might not have been anyone in the city who could match him. Tyler can throw bombs and also run like a deer. He could beat you in every imaginable way.
The senior from Queens led all CHSFL Class AAA quarterbacks in passing yards and passing touchdowns and helped Xaverian finished 6-4 after last year’s 0-10 record.
BROOKLYN COACH OF THE YEAR
Vinny Laino, Fort Hamilton
There was little hype surrounding the Fort Hamilton football program in September. Canarsie and Sheepshead Bay were the chic picks. All due respect to Mike Camardese and Fred Snyder, the Tigers had one thing neither of them had – Vinny Laino. He led Fort Ham to its third finals appearance in four years, developing consistency in a team with many question marks.
ALL-BROOKLYN FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB Frank Laino, Fort Hamilton
The coach’s son always wanted to be a part of the Fort Hamilton tradition; it was Frank Laino’s dream since he was a toddler, sitting in on team meetings. He won the starting job last summer and performed past anyone’s expectations, including his father’s, throwing 19 touchdown passes and running for 13 more. He nearly led Fort Hamilton back from a 26-point deficit in the city final, tossing a pair of fourth-quarter scores to sophomore Brandon Reddish. With the diminutive, yet effective 5-foot-7 signal-caller returning, the Tigers could very well be back in the City Championship game next fall.
OL Jamal Wilson, South Shore
The Vikings may have failed to win a game this year, but it wasn’t the fault of Wilson, a stud two-way lineman headed to Rutgers in the fall.
OL Oday Aboushi, Xaverian
The monstrous, 6-foot-6, 310-pound senior recently decommitted from Boston College. Whatever college he turns up at will be getting an absolute monster. The two-way lineman was literally a scary presence rushing the quarterback and rarely did he let his man win a line-of-scrimmage battle on offense.
OL Sal Astuto, Fort Hamilton
The anchor of one of the best offensive lines in the city, Astuto was the Tigers’ left tackle. Fort Hamilton wasn’t blessed with game-breaking running backs – senior Gardner Robinson and sophomore A.J. Richardson were productive if not spectacular – but it was the play of the O-line that, more than any factor, led to the Brooklyn school’s second undefeated regular season in three years. The 6-foot, 255-pound Astuto was in the middle of it all.
RB Kristen Liverpool, Erasmus Hall
If not for injuries, Liverpool might have found himself at the top of this page. The senior was still excellent, though. He rushed for 950 yards and 10 touchdowns and led Erasmus to the PSAL Bowl Division championship game, where it lost to New Dorp.
RB Khalif Osson, Boys & Girls
Osson was easily underestimated – he’s only 5-feet-6 and 178 pounds. But when he hit the hole, forget it. That’s why Boys & Girls’ misdirection running offense was so effective. Osson rushed for 766 yards and six touchdowns.
RB Ikeem Williams, Grady
Williams led the city during the regular season with 1,288 rushing yards and scored 15 TDs, third most in the league. He was the picture of consistency, finding pay dirt at least eight times and running for 1,000 yards each of his three years as Grady’s feature back. His presence alone enabled Grady to make the 16-team city championship playoffs its first year as a Level 5 team.
RB Steven Rene, Canarsie
There was no more explosive back this side of Port Richmond’s Torian Phillips than Rene, a dynamic junior who ran for 1,139 yards, averaged 7.4 yards per carry and scored 17 touchdowns. He was also a factor at defensive back, picking off three passes and making 28 tackles. The Chiefs will be a force to be reckoned with since Rene will be back, almost certainly giving defensive coordinators nightmares.
RB Ayo Isijola, Sheepshead Bay
Isijola just finished his third season of organized football, yet is closing in on a Division I scholarship. He was one of the area’s top home-run threats, a danger to find the end zone any time the football found his hands. Here’s the scary part: Isijola, who was part of the Sharks’ 4 x 100 national champion relay team last spring, is still learning his position. He ran for 13 touchdowns and 1,407 yards nevertheless.
WR Levon Williams, Fort Hamilton
The 6-foot-3 Williams quit football following his freshman year, played basketball as a sophomore and put up sparse numbers when he returned to the gridiron as a junior. He finally put it together as a senior, becoming one of the best deep threats in the city by catching 28 passes for 287 yards and nine scores. More impressive than those numbers, he was the Tigers’ Mr. Clutch, hauling in the game-winning, 6-yard touchdown pass in the semifinal win over Wagner with 24 seconds remaining.
WR Gerald Mistretta, Xaverian
There was like a sixth sense between quarterback Najee Tyler and his favorite target this season. The big QB always put the ball where Mistretta needed it to make a play. The 6-foot, 200-pound senior was also effective in passing coverage on the other side of the ball.
ALL-BROOKLYN FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Andre Civil, Sheepshead Bay
There was little the Rutgers-bound defensive end didn’t do in his career at Sheepshead Bay. Obviously, his senior year didn’t end as hopes – with a city championship – but Civil was the steady, constantly effective lineman coach Fred Snyder had come to expect. He enjoyed yet another sensational season with 72 tackles and six sacks.
DL Jared Andrews, Sheepshead Bay
While Civil was the superstar of the Sharks’ defense, Andrews was the glue guy. A 6-foot-3, 220-pound nose tackle, he occupied two and sometimes three blockers, as responsible as any other defender for Sheepshead Bay’s ability to stop the run. He was also a linchpin on the offensive line, helping to open holes for running backs Ayo Isijola and Devontai Carlie.
DL Winston Hill, Bishop Ford
The first thing you notice about Hill is his size. He’s big. Very, very big. The 6-foot-3, 335-pound senior created a mismatch every time he stepped on the field. Bishop Ford was fourth in CHSFL Class AA-A in defense and Hill was one of the – pardon the pun – biggest reasons why.
LB Jasper Kelly, Grady
Kelly did it all for Grady on both sides of the ball – he was fourth in the city with 84 tackles and ran for 360 yards and four touchdowns.
LB Eric Smith, Canarsie
The four-year starter led the city in tackles with 97 has a knack for making plays. The tough-as-nails, 5-foot-11 middle linebacker is exceptional at reading misdirection and shedding tacklers.
LB Ethan Ostermeyer, Xaverian
The gigantic defensive line got all the hype for Xaverian this season, but when running back and wide receivers got past that initial unit Ostermeyer was more times than not in the right place at the right time. The 6-foot, 220-pound senior could make plays going east-west or north-south.
LB Collin Hannay, Midwood
He was the anchor of the Hornets’ defense, an instinctual middle linebacker while excelling under center at quarterback, as dangerous with his feet as his strong right arm.
DB David Nooks, Boys & Girls
This track star has speed to burn and he can keep up with even the fastest of wide receivers. The 5-foot-10, 188-pound junior, who had two interceptions on the season, is a major part of the Kangaroos’ future.
DB Brandon Reddish, Fort Hamilton
There may not be a better sophomore in the entire city than Reddish. He put together one of the most impressive seasons of any underclassmen, finishing second in the PSAL with seven interceptions and also scoring five touchdowns at wide receiver. Then, he went out and caught two scores in the city final, nearly bringing Fort Hamilton back. His future is obviously bright.
DB: Terrel Price, Fort Hamilton
The leader of the Tigers’ defense, Price will almost certainly find his way to a Division I-AA school of some kind. He anchored the secondary at safety and was a deep threat at wide receiver. Without him, Fort Hamilton wouldn’t have enjoyed such a surprisingly phenomenal year.
DB Steven Austin, Thomas Jefferson
The 6-foot-1 safety carried the Orange Wave to the 16-team city championship playoffs, both as a big-play wide receiver and hard-hitting defensive back.
ALL-BROOKLYN FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
KR Wilbert Lee, Boys & Girls
Lee had a relatively quiet regular season. But when playoff time came, he all but put Boys on his back. He ran for a game-clinching, 70-yard touchdown against Campus Magnet in the first round. Then the following week against Sheepshead Bay, he found two more ways to score: once on an interception return and another off a pass from quarterback Evan Rugel. What makes it most scary: Lee, a 6-foot-3, 213-pound sophomore, was the youngest player on the team.
ALL-BROOKLYN HONORABLE MENTION
OFFENSE
QB Imron Barakat, New Utrecht
OL Obede Celestin, Canarsie
OL Josh Horton, Fort Hamilton
RB Gardner Robinson, Fort Hamilton
RB Kadeem Cousar, Boys & Girls
RB Donovan Edwards, Midwood
RB Jaquan Bethune, Xaverian
WR Chris Lebano, Xaverian
WR Vincenzo Carmona, New Utrecht
DEFENSE
DL Jacques Lynch, Boys & Girls
DL Javon Savage, Thomas Jefferson
LB Rashaun Samuel, Canarsie
DB Mark Taylor, Thomas Jefferson
DB Donny Binckes, Xaverian
FiveBoroSports.com All-City and All-Boro football honorees this week
Wednesday: Bronx/Manhattan
Thursday: Queens
Friday: Brooklyn and Staten Island
Saturday: All-City
*A player cannot be an All-Boro Player of the Year and the All-City Player of the Year
fiveborosports@gmail.com