Tyler McLees Named All-State

Tyler McLees christened himself “Thunderhammer” on his Facebook profile last fall. It was an apt nickname. Now he has a new moniker: All-State.

The senior middle linebacker earned first-team Class AA All-State honors this week from the New York State Sportswriters Association.

It caps a remarkable season for the 5-11, 225-pound tackle machine. The en route to back-to-back . As captain of the defense, McLees recorded 136 tackles and 2 sacks for the Friars. He was named a Newsday All-Long Island pick.  

What made it all the more special was the presence of his father on the sideline. McLees’ father was the linebackers coach for the Friars. Oh what a coach. Matt McLees, a one-time linebacker at Southern Connecticut who spent time in the Cleveland Browns training camp, is the athletic director at Carey High School in Franklin Square. He stepped back from the spotlight as one of Nassau’s brightest head football coaches to share in the St. Anthony’s experience with his son.

St. Anthony’s was well-represented by the NYSSWA. Junior offensive lineman Matt Biscardi (second team), senior defensive tackle Jon Desir (third team), senior quarterback Charlie Raffa (fourth team), junior defensive end Bryan Rhodes (fourth team) and senior receiver Bryan Kensil (sixth team) were also named All-State.

The historic run the Glenn football team enjoyed, highlighted by a dominating for the , translated into All-State honors for the Knights’ top offensive tandem.

senior quarterback was named second-team Class A All-State while junior receiver Nick Wagner was selected to the third team. All Rielly did was put together one of the great statistical seasons in state history. Running the spread offense, Rielly threw for 1,874 yards and 20 touchdowns while rushing for 1,652 yards and 21 scores. Long Island doesn’t compete in the state playoffs, otherwise Rielly would have been worthy of even more accolades.

junior linebacker Trevon Toney led the Blue Devils back to the after missing the postseason in 2009. The two-way warrior was named a third-team NYSSWA Class A All-State selection.

Heard in the Halls

The Whitman wrestling team improved its dual meet record to 2-1 in thrilling fashion on Tuesday with a 37-35 win over rival . The big showdown came in the 152-pound weight class when Whitman junior Christopher Aguilar took a 7-4 decision over Northport’s Steve Krumlich. Whitman senior captain Mike Milanese scored a 17-4 decision over Northport’s Steven Hearn . . . After five wins to open the season, the boys basketball team has now dropped two in a row. The latest setback came in a 75-67 loss to Central Islip in non-league action on Tuesday. The T-Birds actually led 39-28 at the half. Billy Wesnofske hit four three-pointers and finished with 16 points. Hills East had won three games by a combined five points.

Feat of the Week

The is on a mission to prove it’s the best in the state. The Friars turned heads over the weekend at the Union-Endicott duals near Binghamton. The Friars beat a well-regarded , 30-24, in the semifinals. Then St. Anthony’s jumped out to a 17-0 lead over top-ranked Shenendehowa. But Shen roared back to edge Tony Walters’ team, 32-30. The decisive match was at 145, when Shen’s Jim Carucci earned a 10-5 decision over Michael Gangarossa. Regardless, the underappreciated CHSAA school served notice it will be a factor at the state Federation meet. Athletic director Don Buckley called it: “Our biggest day ever in wrestling,” he said. “We definitely have one of the top five teams in the state.” 

Game of the Week

Is it too early to proclaim game of the year? and are on a collision course in girls basketball. The battle for first place in Suffolk League II – and possibly the top seed in the Class AA playoffs next month – is Friday at 5 p.m. at Northport. Whitman (7-1, 4-0) has won five in a row since a . But the host Tigers (8-0, 4-0) have won games by an average of 57-32. is averaging 11.5 points per game and Rich Castellano is a big-game coach. Edge Tigers.