It’s hard to imagine it gets much better than it did in fall.
Northeast Philadelphia once again brought home trophies and piled up huge numbers. It was a successful year across all sports, across all leagues.
There are plenty of great athletes and coaches who could be honored, and here are the ones selected for our fall award winners.
The winners will be honored at the 40th edition of the Northeast Times Sports Banquet. The winter, spring and overall winners will be named later in the school year.
The sports banquet will be held Wednesday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at the Emerald Room, 14002 McNulty Road.
FOOTBALL
Catholic League Player of the Year
Dave Spinelli
Archbishop Ryan
The Raiders knew they had a great player in Dave Spinelli. But they probably didn’t know how he’d help them during his senior year.
After the Raiders lost their starting quarterback during the first game of the season, Spinelli, who was already a top wide receiver and defensive back, changed his position on offense and stepped in as the signal-caller.
Spinelli went on to lead Ryan to its second straight Blue Division championship and in the process won the MVP of the Blue Division.
Though he played great at quarterback, next year he hopes to continue his football career in college, likely at defensive back.
Public League Player of the Year
Jamir Duncan
Abraham Lincoln
The Railsplittlers had an emotional season. After seeing their season come to a screeching halt in October after an altercation following a game, but after sticking together, the team was able to get their season back. The Railsplittlers then upended Imhotep Charter for a chance to make the playoffs, and eventually got back to the Public League 6A championship.
The stars were plentiful, but whenever the team needed a big play, they turned to Jamir Duncan, a star defensive back who also chipped in on offense at wide receiver.
The athlete was named to the All-Public team and was not only always one of the best athletes on the field, he was also the best leader.
Next year Duncan will continue his career at Delaware State.
Coach of the Year
Lee Marvel
Archbishop Ryan
Taking over a team on an interim basis can be tricky. Lee Marvel made it look anything but this year when he took over the Raiders for a season.
Stepping in for coach Mark Ostaszewski who missed this year, Marvel continued the success the head coach started last year by leading the Raiders to the Catholic League Blue Division championship.
He did this despite losing his starting quarterback in the team’s opener.
Marvel was also selected as the Catholic League Blue Division Coach of the Year. Ryan finished the season 6-0 in Blue Division play, 9-3 overall.
BOYS SOCCER
Catholic League Player of the Year
Farlley Souza
Father Judge
This might have been the most balanced the Catholic League had ever been. La Salle, Roman Catholic, Archbishop Ryan, St. Joseph’s Prep and Archbishop Wood all had dreams of winning a Catholic League championship. The Crusaders, who lost a lot to graduation, were also in the mix, but it was truly anyone’s game.
The Explorers ended up winning the championship once again, but to do so they had to knock off Judge, which clawed its way back to the championship. Judge relied on a stingy defense to get them there, and that was anchored by defender Farlley Souza.
Judge limited Catholic League foes to nine goals during the course of the regular season and recorded nine shutouts against Catholic League opponents.
Next year, Souza will continue his soccer career at Temple University.
Public League Player of the Year
Farris Ahmed
Northeast
The Vikings had a talented team this year, but it didn’t have the one superstar who could carry a team. They did have one of the best defenders in the area, and it was a huge reason the team won another Public League championship.
Farris Ahmed, a senior, has been a leader since his freshman year when he was a captain on the Vikings junior varsity team. Since then, he has worked his way into becoming one of the best players in the Public League, and he anchored a Northeast defense that held six opponents scoreless, including a 2-0 victory over Franklin Towne Charter in the Public League championship game.
Also a strong student in the classroom, Ahmed is in the school’s magnet program and hopes to major in engineering or business management next year, while continuing to play soccer in college, destination to be determined.
Coach of the Year
John Psoras
Northeast
There were other teams with more talented players. There were other teams with more experience. But when the season ended, Northeast was once again the last team standing.
The Vikings went on to win the Public League championship once again, outlasting the best teams the league has to offer.
Northeast defeated Franklin Towne Charter 2-0 in the Public League championship, giving Northeast a 9-0 record against Public League play. The Vikings’ season ended with a tough, 2-1 loss to La Salle in the District 12 championship. This was a different result from last year, when Northeast not only knocked off the Explorers, it went on to the state semifinals.
GIRLS SOCCER
Catholic League Player of the Year
Alyssa Browning
Nazareth Academy
A year after the Pandas advanced to the Catholic League championship, the team had to figure a lot out. Alyssa Browning played a huge role in the team figuring out how to play this season.
Normally a playmaker, Browning transitioned into a scorer for her senior campaign, putting up 15 goals in helping the Pandas once again be a top team in the Catholic League.
A season after making the championship game, the young Pandas went 6-3 in Catholic League play and advanced to the Catholic League semifinals.
The Pandas will return a strong core, and all learned from their senior leader. Next year, Browning will continue her soccer career at Chestnut Hill College.
Public League Player of the Year
Kaycee Colon
Franklin Towne Charter
A good player will do anything to help the team. A great one will do everything.
That’s exactly what Kaycee Colon did to help the Franklin Towne Charter soccer team. A defender by trade, Colon was willing to line up anywhere on the field to help the Warriors succeed. She did that, manning any defensive position the team needed. And it couldn’t have worked out any better.
Franklin Towne won the Public League championship this year, shutting out Masterman 2-0 in the championship game.
Colon plans on continuing her soccer career next year, but she’s unsure where she’ll go. She plans on majoring in nursing.
Coach of the Year
Shawn Wimsey
St. Hubert
When Jeanette Graziosi-Hibbs stepped down in the spring as head coach of the Hubert’s soccer team, it left a giant void. Assistant coach Shawn Wimsey stepped right in and took over where the former coach left off.
The results were amazing.
In his rookie year as the coach of the Bambies, Wimsey led Hubert to its first Catholic League championship since 2002, and to do so, it had to get past Archbishop Wood, which had won four straight Catholic League championships. The Bambies bested the Vikings, who went on to win a state championship.
The Bambies also won a District 12 championship this year, defeating Benjamin Rush, and then went on to win a game in the state championship, defeating Strath Haven before losing in the second round of the tournament.
Wimsey is returning next year to help the Bambies defend the crown.
For more information on the banquet, or to get tickets to the event (winners attend for free), visit www.eventbrite.com/e/40th-annual-northeast-times-high-school-sports-banquet-tickets-1962711476862.
