One season down, two to go.
The school year is half over and the fall season is now behind us. It was a great season across the board for our guys and girls.
We celebrated championships, great individual performances and some teams had surprise showings.
Across Public and Catholic leagues, boys and girls sports, we had a lot of standouts. The decisions were tough, but here are the fall award winners.
The winners will be honored May 14 at the annual Northeast Times Sports Banquet, which will be held this year at the Emerald Room. Tickets are available at 39Sports.eventbrite.com.
FOOTBALL
Catholic League Player of the Year
Frankie Mawson
Archbishop Ryan
The Raiders rebounded this year to have a great season. Ryan finished the season with seven wins and won the Catholic League Blue Division with a 5-1 record.
A big reason for that success was the team’s starting quarterback, who not only led the team but helped the team post huge offensive numbers.
Mawson threw for 1,305 yards and 19 touchdowns in leading the Raiders to the strong season. He also rushed for 333 yards.
Public League Football Player of the Year
Ziyyon Bredell
Abraham Lincoln
The Railsplitters have become one of the top football teams in the city and this year, they had one of the best football players in the city.
Bredell played both ways for Lincoln, but became a standout at cornerback, where he was rated a three-star recruit. He used his size and speed to lock down the best athletes in the Public League, and was a huge reason for the Railsplitters’ run to the Public League 6A championship game.
If you’re a fan of his, you’ll be able to watch him in a few months. He’ll continue his football career at Syracuse, where he earned a scholarship.
Football Coach of the Year
Damon Brockington
Frankford
The Pioneers were in a position they weren’t used to being in when they finished at the bottom of the Public League in 2023.
That didn’t last long.
Frankford rebounded from its lackluster season by returning to the top of the Public League. The Pioneers won nine games, including a perfect 5-0 record against divisional foes, and then went on to win the Public League 5A championship before going on to represent the league in the city championship game.
The Pioneers lost some great players, but Brockington does return a good nucleus next year.
Boys Soccer
Catholic League Player of the Year
Shawn Dixon
Archbishop Ryan
The Raiders enjoyed a great season. After finishing in fourth place in the incredibly balanced Catholic League, Ryan caught fire in the playoffs and advanced to the championship game.
It then went on to win the 5A city championship and went on to the state playoffs, where it also won a game.
There were many stars, but Dixon stood out, leading the defense. He stood tall, helping the Raiders win six games via shutout during the PCL season.
For his efforts, Dixon was also named Defender of the Year in the Catholic League.
Public League Player of the Year
Cameron Powers
Northeast
It was a memorable year for the Northeast soccer team.
Like usual, the Vikings won the Public League championship. They also won the city championship by upsetting La Salle, and then won two games in the state playoffs. It was a great showing, and one guy the team could always count on was Cameron Powers, the team’s starting goalie.
Northeast allowed seven goals in 14 games. Even more incredibly, the team allowed four goals in one game, a victory over Swenson.
Powers’ best game was probably in the city championship, when he stood tall in leading the Vikings over PCL powerhouse La Salle.
Coach of the Year
John Psoras
Northeast
Northeast is the king of the Public League. The school has been the best team in the Public League for more than a decade, and since Psoras took over as coach, the team has won five out of the past six Public League crowns.
This year, led by the coach, the Vikings not only won the Public League crown, they upset La Salle in the city championship and then advanced to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs before losing to Parkland in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie through regulation and overtime.
Psoras didn’t do it alone. He credits his assistant coaches Ashley “A.J.” Johnson and Brian Blasy for much of the success.
Girls soccer
Catholic League Player of the Year
Gracie Sullivan
Nazareth Academy
The Pandas have become quite the pain for opponents since joining the Catholic League. In two years since joining, the team has twice made the Catholic League championship. And while there have been many stars, the one who shined brightest this year was Sullivan.
The starting goaltender allowed two goals during Catholic League play, both to Archbishop Wood in a pair of 1-0 losses, one during the regular season, again in the PCL championship. Other than that, Sullivan was a wall, keeping opponents off the scoreboard.
While Nazaerth did have a good defense, whenever called upon, Sullivan came up huge.
Next year, she’ll continue her soccer career at Drexel University.
Public League Player of the Year
Molly Dietsch
Franklin Towne Charter
The Warriors are traditionally one of the top teams in the Public League and this year was no different. And this year, their best player was goalie Molly Dietsch.
In 18 games, she recorded 84 saves and allowed just 15 goals against. She also stopped five penalty kicks while allowing just one goal.
In the process she led the Warriors to the Public League championship game. She also recorded eight shutouts during the year.
An All-Public selection, Dietsch was also picked as a member of the All-Southeastern Pennsylvania soccer team.
Coach of the Year
Brigid Kelley
Nazareth Academy
A year after surprising the Catholic League by making it to the PCL finals in their first season in the conference, the Pandas proved it was no fluke.
And this year it was no upset.
The Pandas lost just two games in Catholic League play, both to the eventual champion, Archbishop Wood. And both losses were 1-0 setbacks.
In her first season as coach, Kelley, also the school’s athletic director, guided the Pandas during a challenging nonleague schedule
Despite being the No. 2 team in the Catholic League, the Pandas ran into bad luck. Wood was the only team that qualified for the state playoffs in 2A.
Special Achievement
Tom Bock
Cardinal Dougherty
Since graduating from Dougherty, Bock has been building up football players.
He started his career at his alma mater, where he coached both the freshmen and varsity teams. He served in every role possible, including offensive and defensive line coaches, defensive coordinator and was the emotional leader of the staff.
He moved on to Bishop McDevitt in 1996 and served the same role there that he did at Dougherty. He remained there until the school closed.
He is now coaching at Pennington School, where he continues to do the same.
Bock might be best known for his loud voice on the field, but his players, both former and current, know him as a man who will do anything to help his guys get – and stay – on the right path.
Tom Coyle
Father Judge
Every season since 2000, Tom Coyle has been the head coach of a Philadelphia high school football team.
He spent the first 11 of those seasons as the football coach at his alma mater, Father Judge. After that, he went to Penn Charter and carried out the same role.
He announced he was stepping down as the coach of the Quakers at the end of the season and he’s now the athletic director at Judge.
He’s done a fine job in the new role, but this honor is for what he did while patrolling sidelines during the fall.
Coyle won at both places, but that’s not what earned him this award. His ability to get the most out of his guys, and be there for his players both when he’s coaching them and long after their playing days are done.
He has the same reputation at Penn Charter that he does at Judge. Coyle is as good a football mind as there is, but it was his ability to lead players that made him one of the best coaches in the city over the past 25 years.
Joe DiGrazio
Abraham Lincoln
When you think of Lincoln athletics, you think of Joe DiGrazio.
DiGrazio was known as one of the toughest players during his playing days at Lincoln. So it’s strange that since returning as an assistant coach, he’s become one of the guys best known for showing love to his guys.
A longtime assistant coach, DiGrazio has become the players’ coach for head coach Hakeem Cooper, the same role he held for former coach Ed McGettigan.
Whether it’s running drills, keeping stats or being the fiery leader of the Railsplitters, DiGrazio has been true to Lincoln when the team struggled to win a handful of games each year.
Now, the Railsplitters are among the top teams in the city, having made three straight Public League 6A championship games and winning one. DiGrazio still has the same role.
DiGrazio’s help doesn’t end when football is finished. He stays around the program, helps with conditioning programs and assists players with making college decisions.
