Last Monday evening, the National Football Foundation hosted its first-ever photo shoot/media day at Brookhaven Town Hall, in Farmingville, for all the footballers that were recipients of merits for the 2024 fall season.

Many athletes from the South Shore were esteemed numerous merits and they all had their photos taken to celebrate their honors. William Floyd’s Aaron Fisher, Bellport’s Michael Frankie, East Islip’s Jack Kalinowski, Sayville’s Kyle Messina, Islip’s Brady Nash, and Bayport-Blue Point’s Dylan Spano were named to the 2024 Golden Eleven Team. Mikey Sands of Sayville, who won the Burnett Award, was named as a finalist for the Gregg Sarra trophy.

Each week this season, MVPs were given out in each game known as the 2024 Orlin and Cohen Player of the Week. In week two, Andrew Armando from Connetquot won the award; the following week, Brady Nash of Islip won the player of the week; and in the sixth week of the season, Kyle Messina consumed the merit. During the postseason, Ja’quan Thomas of William Floyd was the player of the week during the county quarterfinals; in the county semifinals, Ryan Parker of East Islip was hallowed accolade; and in the Long Island Championship, Tomas McCann took home the badge of honor.

The NFF also dispensed the Offensive Line Award, in which the coaches from every division in Suffolk County voted on. In Division I, the accolade went to the offensive lineman from Longwood. The Longwood Lions lineman are Jordan Bennett, Clint Chichester, Michael Duarte, Gio Johnson, Ryan Morrissey, and Greg Princivil. In Division II, the laurel was given to East Islip: Dylan Bayer, Tyler Cato, Sam Henderson, Glendon Kinnear, Niko Myers, Mike Tramaglini, and Drew Walendowski.

In Division III, the Eastport-South Manor Sharks were bestowed the keepsake consisting of these six O-linemen: Nolan Douglas, Collin Fessel, Stevey Pacella Gordon, Joseph McLaughlin, Tommy Powers, and Aiden Westra.

And in Division IV, the Suffolk County champion Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms were heralded the memento to add to their trophy case. These seven Phantoms took home the trophy: Patrick Ahern, Ryan Bachmore, Charles Crisera, Sam Devore, Christian Sauer, Dylan Spano, and Evan Waldbauer.

And two signal callers from the South Shore were invited to partake in the 2025 Long Island Quarterback Challenge, which will be held this summer. Patrick Coan from the Sayville Golden Flashes and Vincent Feraca from the Connetquot Thunderbirds will be participating in the competition.