With another competitive season of Brooklyn/Queens CHSFL football in the books, here is The Tablet’s 2019 All-Diocesan Team.
Players were selected from the five high schools that field gridiron teams in Brooklyn and Queens: Christ the King H.S., Middle Village; Holy Cross H.S., Flushing; Nazareth H.S., East Flatbush; St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows; and Xaverian H.S., Bay Ridge.
Special thanks to the league’s coaches for providing nominations and statistics.
First-Team Offense
Quarterback
>> Noah Bodden: Christ the King; junior; team captain; 156-of-306 passing, 2,840 passing yards, 23 passing TDs, 20 carries, 82 rushing yards, three rushing TDs; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star
Running Back
>> Tirek Murphy: Christ the King; senior; team captain; 122 carries, 674 rushing yards, nine rushing TDs, 12 catches, 143 receiving yards, two receiving TDs; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; will play college football at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Shane Greene: Xaverian; senior; team captain; 89 carries, 511 rushing yards, seven rushing TDs, seven catches, 111 receiving yards; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Thomas Resker: Xaverian; senior; team captain; 19 carries, 103 rushing yards, two rushing TDs, 10 catches, 149 receiving yards, two receiving TDs; selected CHSFL All-League; named recipient of the Msgr. Peters Memorial Golden 11 Award; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Nicky Destefano: St. Francis Prep; junior; team captain; 54 carries, 313 rushing yards, three rushing TDs, 13 catches, 191 receiving yards
>> Justin McDuffie: Nazareth; senior; team captain; 69 carries, 731 rushing yards, five rushing TDs, three catches, 16 receiving yards; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
Wide Receiver/Tight End
>> Tahliq Battle: Christ the King; senior; team captain; 34 catches, 823 receiving yards, eight receiving TDs; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Jahrell Billups: Christ the King; senior; 34 catches, 634 receiving yards, four receiving TDs, two carries, 38 rushing yards, two rushing TDs; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Jaden Bagwell: Holy Cross; junior; 22 catches, 350 receiving yards, five receiving TDs, 27 carries, 248 rushing yards, four rushing TDs; selected CHSFL All-League
>> Ladon Hicks: Holy Cross; senior; 21 catches, 319 receiving yards, three receiving TDs, 38 carries, 149 rushing yards, one rushing TD; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Jalen White: Nazareth; senior; team captain; 13 catches, 277 receiving yards, four receiving TDs; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Omarion Jones: St. Francis Prep; senior; team captain; 25 catches, 370 receiving yards, three receiving TDs, 13 carries, 138 rushing yards; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
Offensive Line
>> Eric Terrano: St. Francis Prep; senior; team captain; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; named recipient of the Msgr. Peters Memorial Golden 11 Award; will play college football at Pace University, Pleasantville, N.Y.; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Christian Gooding: St. Francis Prep; senior; team captain; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Juan Burnet-Merlin: St. Francis Prep; senior; team captain; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Francis Ezeagbr: Xaverian; junior; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Derin Hansen: Xaverian; senior; selected CHSFL All-League; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Josh Rivera: Xaverian; senior; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star; named recipient of the Lt. Ronald Winchester Memorial Award
>> Mekhi Pinckney: Christ the King; senior; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Kenyi Onama: Christ the King; senior; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
First-Team Defense
Defensive Line
>> Chris King: Christ the King; junior; 59 tackles, six sacks; selected CHSFL All-League
>> Christopher Eaton: Christ the King; senior; 88 tackles, 8.5 sacks; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Zephron Lester: Christ the King; senior; 58 tackles, 4.5 sacks; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Francis Ezeagbr: Xaverian; junior; 54 tackles; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Derin Hansen: Xaverian; senior; 62 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles; selected CHSFL All-League; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Josh Rivera: Xaverian; senior; 34 tackles, two forced fumbles; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star; named recipient of the Lt. Ronald Winchester Memorial Award
>> Kaleb Artis: St. Francis Prep; sophomore; 52 tackles, five sacks; selected CHSFL All-League
>> Chase Duncan: Holy Cross; senior; team captain; 31 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star
Linebacker
>> Elijah Muhammad: Christ the King; junior; 79 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries
>> Michael Palmaccio: Christ the King; senior; 164 tackles, two fumble recoveries; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Daniel Chung: St. Francis Prep; junior; team captain; 71 tackles; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Jacob Marmott: St. Francis Prep; sophomore; 70 tackles, two forced fumbles
>> Christopher McElhinney: Holy Cross; senior; 30 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles
>> Jalen White: Nazareth; senior; team captain; 31 tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
Defensive Back
>> Thomas Resker: Xaverian; senior; team captain; 41 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles; selected CHSFL All-League; named recipient of the Msgr. Peters Memorial Golden 11 Award; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Jordan Murrell: Xaverian; senior; 32 tackles; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Narain Yearwood: Christ the King; senior; 67 tackles, three interceptions; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Genesis Innis: Christ the King; senior; 58 tackles; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Dylan Denicker: St. Francis Prep; junior; 58 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries
>> Devin Grant: Holy Cross; sophomore; 33 tackles, seven interceptions, five passes defended; selected CHSFL All-League
>> Octavous Bailey: Holy Cross; senior; team captain; 23 tackles, seven passes defended; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Jaeden Smith: Holy Cross; senior; team captain; 19 tackles, five passes defended; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Justin McDuffie: Nazareth; senior; team captain; 35 tackles, three interceptions, six passes defended; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
First-Team Special Teams
Kicker
>> Owen Cole: St. Francis Prep; junior; 16-of-17 extra-point attempts, 1-of-3 on field-goal attempts; 2018 Tablet All-Star
Punter
>> Owen Cole: St. Francis Prep; junior; 40 punts, 1,220 punt yards, 30.5 yards per punt, eight punts inside the 20-yard line; 2018 Tablet All-Star
Returner
>> Joe Pasqua: St. Francis Prep; senior; 14 kickoff returns, 300 kick return yards; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; named recipient of CHSFL 2019 ‘AA1’ Special Teams Player of the Year
Second-Team Offense
Quarterback
>> James Resker: Xaverian; senior; 54-of-99 passing, 759 passing yards, three passing TDs, 37 carries, 175 rushing yards, seven rushing TDs; selected CHSFL All-League; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
Running Back
>> Terrence Washington: Holy Cross; junior; 100 carries, 493 rushing yards, four rushing TDs, four catches, 70 receiving yards
>> Matthew Moore: Nazareth; junior; team captain; 67 carries, 438 rushing yards, four rushing TDs, three catches, 16 receiving yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
>> Thomas Leahy: Xaverian; junior; three catches, 125 receiving yards, two receiving TDs
>> Jordan Murrell: Xaverian; senior; 15 catches, 261 receiving yards, 15 carries, 54 rushing yards; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Justin Wolf: Xaverian; senior; 15 catches, 160 receiving yards; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Donte Goodwyn: Christ the King; senior; 37 catches, 505 receiving yards, two receiving TDs, 17 carries, 47 rushing yards, two rushing TDs; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Stanley Oxford: Christ the King; junior; 29 catches, 556 receiving yards, six receiving TDs
>> Robert Padavona: St. Francis Prep; senior; nine catches, 161 receiving yards; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Jaedan Alexander: Holy Cross; junior; 11 catches, 101 receiving yards
Offensive Line
>> Jay Brown: Holy Cross; senior; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Josiah Suber: Nazareth; senior; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> L.J. McGurk: Xaverian; senior
>> Ronan Connolly: Xaverian; junior
>> Patrick Russo: St. Francis Prep; junior
Second-Team Defense
Defensive Line
>> Flauderson Fergilus: St. Francis Prep; senior; 40 tackles; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Jayden Tait: St. Francis Prep; junior; 34 tackles, two sacks
>> Xavier Chapman: Holy Cross; junior; 24 tackles, three sacks
>> Jakari Knolle: Holy Cross; senior; team captain; 15 tackles, three sacks; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
>> Troy Powell: Holy Cross; junior; 20 tackles, four sacks
>> Josiah Suber: Nazareth; senior; 18 tackles; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl
Linebacker
>> Shane Greene: Xaverian; senior; team captain; 29 tackles; selected CHSFL All-League; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Jayden Victor: Xaverian; senior; 20 tackles
>> Justice Allah-Byrd: St. Francis Prep; junior; 36 tackles
>> Matthew Moore: Nazareth; junior; team captain; 18 tackles
>> Sean Colclough Jr.: Nazareth; junior; team captain; 27 tackles, three forced fumbles; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Pedro Arimont: Nazareth; junior; 30 tackles, two forced fumbles
>> Jaedan Alexander: Holy Cross; junior; 22 tackles
Defensive Back
>> Ryan Kenny: Xaverian; junior; 17 tackles
>> Justin Wolf: Xaverian; senior; 14 tackles; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2018 Tablet All-Star
>> Erique Waterman: Holy Cross; junior; 18 tackles, five passes defended
>> Omarion Jones: St. Francis Prep; senior; team captain; 24 tackles, two forced fumbles; selected CHSFL All-League; selected to play in 2019 CHSFL Senior Bowl; 2017 and 2018 Tablet All-Star
Second-Team Special Teams
Kicker
>> Carson Campbell: Christ the King; junior; 15-of-25 on extra-point attempts
Punter
>> Christopher McElhinney: Holy Cross; senior; 25 punts, 740 punt yards, 29.6 yards per punt
Returner
>> Jaden Bagwell: Holy Cross; junior; 12 kickoff returns, 233 kick return yards; selected CHSFL All-League
Contact Jim Mancari via email at jmmanc@gmail.com.
