National Football Foundation Honors Suffolk County Players

Syosset NY

25 April, 2022

3:37 PM

Description

National Football Foundation | James C. Metzger Suffolk County Chapter presents awards to more than 65 outstanding scholar athletes. _______ More than 65 Suffolk County outstanding high school football players were honored at the annual scholar athlete awards program of the National Football Foundation | James C. Metzger Suffolk County Chapter at the Melville Marriott on Sunday, April 24. Awards were presented to athletes across four public school divisions and to players in the Catholic/Independent schools programs. The coveted awards for the Golden Eleven Honorees were expanded this year to honor 18 players (see list below). Chapter President Len Genova said that 2021 was an exceptional season for high school football in the county and that all 18 honorees deserved recognition based on their successes on the field and in the classroom. The Top Scholar Athlete Award that initially had been named for James C. Metzger a couple of years ago was renamed this season to honor his father, Conrad Metzger, who passed away last year. The award recognizes the senior Metzger’s important role as a father of a Suffolk County high school football player during the 1970s. “I was honored to learn about the award in memory of my father,” said Metzger, “and that this year three awards would be presented in the category. Congratulations to public school recipients Carson Tessitore of East Islip High School and Calvin Pedatella of Bellport High School, and to Catholic School recipient Andrew Bardak of St. Anthony’s High School.” Metzger is the founder and CEO of Whitmore – The Agency, one of the leading insurance brokerage companies in the New York City area. A three-sport star athlete (football, lacrosse and basketball) at Half Hollow Hills High School East during the 1970s and a lacrosse All-American at Hofstra University, where he is a member of the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame, Metzger supports countless youth athletic and education programs on Long Island and in New York City. In addition to the NFF Suffolk County Chapter, these programs include Long Island high school boys' lacrosse, lacrosse programs at Hofstra University and Hempstead PAL lacrosse. Top Scholar Athletes Genova explained that the chapter could not decide between Tessitore and Pedatella for the top scholar athlete public school award and determined that both players equally deserved the honor. Tessitore carried a weighted average of 104 and scored 1380 on the SAT. He was a central player for East Islip’s Suffolk Division III Championship team, earning All-County and All-New York State honors. He also was team captain and Defensive MVP of the 2021 Long Island Championship Game. He will attend Utica College. Pedatella carried an unweighted average of 98, a weighted average of 102 and is ranked second in his class. He earned All-County and All-Long Island honors. He was Bellport’s captain and earned the team’s Defensive MVP Award. He will attend Williams College. Bardak carried an unweighted average of 98, a weighted average of 103 and scored 1380 on the SAT. He earned All-Catholic League honors, Team MVP honors, All-New York State honors and received the Rich Reichert Award presented to the top football player in the Catholic High School Football League. He will attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. _______ Photo: From top, Calvin Pedatella, Carson Tessitore and Andrew Bardak with James C. Metzger. _______ The NFF Chapter also honored: Robin Rosa, an All-County and All-Long Island player with Centereach High School and presently head coach at Walt Whitman High School, as its Coach of the Year.Dr. James Paci, a past chapter award recipient and 1995 graduate of Huntington High School where he earned All-Division, All-County and All-State honors, with the John Dooley Contribution To Amateur Football Award. 2021 National Football Foundation Golden Eleven Honorees (18 Total) Elias Barrett, Half Hollow Hills East High SchoolBrian Benson, William Floyd High SchoolCole Blatter, Comsewogue High SchoolMatthew Bonfanti, Sayville High SchoolJonathan Borkowski, Kings Park High SchoolJames Carretta, Mt. Sinai High SchoolKevin Dolan, Ward Melville High SchoolNicholas Esposito Deer Park High SchoolLuke Filippi, Earl V. Vandermeulen High SchoolPaul Loguercio, Center Moriches High SchoolKonrad Maciejny, West Islip High SchoolDylan McNaughton, Northport High SchoolCody Miller, Rocky Point High SchoolBrenden O’Conner, Lindenhurst High SchoolDyland Sas, Hauppauge High SchoolRobbie Smith, Huntington High SchoolThomas Stueber, Chaminade High SchoolLiam Villanti, Walt Whitman High School _______ Mike Virgintino is the author of Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History, the story about America's theme park located in The Bronx. Published by Theme Park Press, it can be found on Amazon, Goodreads and other online retailers.