Vote: Who should be High School on SI's New York Football Player of the Week? (10/16/2024)

We’ve selected 10 candidates to choose from this past week’s games

Iona defeated Saint AnthonyÕs 48-40 during football action at Iona Prep in New Rochelle Oct. 4, 2024. / Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New York high school football is back and so begins our Player of the Week polls for the state. Teams showcased more of what they’ve got heading into Week 8 of the regular season.

As such, we have 10 athletes nominated this week for the SBLive’s New York Football Player of the Week award from October 7-12, and we ask you, the fans, to help decide who should indeed be the top athlete selected.

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SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. - SBLive Sports

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20th. The winner will be announced in the following week's poll. Here are this week's nominees:

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Gary Merrill, St. Anthony's

Merrill was a menace throwing and running the rock in St. Anthony's 42-26 win over Xavier, totaling 429 all-purpose yards and a total of six touchdowns.

Jack Leary, St. Francis Prep

The junior signal caller was terrific in St. Francis Prep's 42-12 victory over Christ The King, with Leary completing all nine of his passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Kaden Gonzalez, Yorktown

The senior quarterback completed 14-of-24 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns in Yorktown's 42-7 victory over Mahopac.

Elijah Kimble, Canisius

Kimble has been playing as one of the state’s top running backs and rushed for 148 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Bishop Timon-St. Jude.

Tim Murphy, Chaminade

The senior quarterback was efficient in the team’s 42-21 victory over Kellenburg Memorial, with Murphy accounting for 100 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns.

Ryan Walsh, Monsignor Farrell

Walsh had a big night in Monsignor Farrell's 28-14 victory over Fordham Prep last week, accounting for 194 yards and three total touchdowns.

Caelan Porter, Gloversville

The senior quarterback finished last week's 46-22 win over Beaver River, as Porter completed 12-of-15 passes for 226 yards and five touchdowns.

Julian Guzman, Iona Prep

One of the top quarterback performances came from Guzman as the junior completed 16-of-26 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown in a 34-27 win over Cardinal Hayes. Guzman also rushed for 66 yards and a score.

Israel Wilson, St. Mary's

The junior defensive back was a ball hawk in St. Mary's 34-22 win over Cattaraugus-Little Valley, making four tackles and picking off two passes.

Zavry Ward, Queensbury

Coming in a solid effort against Columbia, Ward completed 12-of-23 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

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Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

SBLIVE SPORTS LAUNCHES HIGH SCHOOL ON SI

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports