WESTERN NEW YORK'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AWARD - EST. 1972
The 2026 season starts now
Know of a varsity high school football athlete who plays in Section VI or the Monsignor Martin conferences and deserves to be recognized? Let us know.
* Please submit any weekly performance stats no later than noon on the Sunday following the game.
2026 SEASON - Legends Players of the week
WEEK 5
Jordan Brown (RB/Williamsville North) Leading the Spartans to their fourth consecutive win Brown had 15 rushing attempts and gained 156 yards.
Gavin Burchanowski (QB-FS/CSP) Burchanowski finished the game with four rushing touchdowns on just 11 carries while gaining 154 yards and threw a 44-yard touchdown pass. From his Free Safety position, he intercepted one pass.
Tyrone Clark, Jr. (RB/St. Francis) The top two teams in Western New York did not disappoint when they met at the Canisius field. Clark had 19 carries for 196 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 19-yard catch and run for another TD. His fourth quarter 50-yard score proved to be the winning points for the Red Raiders.
Elijah Doxey (RB/OC Rivals) Doxey made every reception count as he scored on all three of his catches. One touchdown covered 85 yards, and he had a total of 133 receiving yards. He also had 104 rushing yards. Defensively he intercepted two passes, returning one 67 yards for a TD. Overall, he made eight tackles.
Lance Franklin (LB/Chautauqua Lake-Westfield-Brocton) Franklin was nothing short of extraordinary in this contest. He had eight solo and a combined 15 tackles. With two pass interceptions he returned both for touchdowns covering 74 and 53 yards. He forced a fumble that led to another TD for the Eagles.
Philip Gangi (QB/Williamsville South) Playing previously unbeaten McKinley, Gangi was instrumental in the Billies win. He had total command of his offense. While the Macks defense created challenging headwinds, Gangi protected the ball and committed zero turnovers. He finished with three passing touchdowns. In the second half, when needed, Gangi also helped with the run game.
Trey Johnson (RB-LB/Cheektowaga) With just 12 carries Johnson ran for 172 yards and three TDs for the Chargers.
Owen Kicinski (RB/St. Joseph’s C.I.) Only carrying the ball eight times Kicinski averaged nearly 18 yards a carry, gaining 142 yards and scoring four touchdowns
Elijah Kimble (RB/Canisius) In a much-anticipated matchup with St. Francis Kimble ran the ball 33 times for 272 yards and four touchdowns. His scoring runs covered a combined 157 yards.
Brock Lamont (RB-MLB/Akron) Lamont was quite impactful running the ball. He gained 176 yards and scored one touchdown with 15 carries. Defensively he stood out just as much. With 16 tackles on the day, he had 12 solo stops.
Grant Michalski (RB-DB/Springville) In a close game Michalski helped the Griffins to a 26-20 victory. For the day he ran for three touchdowns on 16 carries and gained 142 yards. On the other side of the ball, he contributed five tackles.
Dylan Newman (RB-DB/Falconer-Cassadaga Valley-Maple Grove) Newman led the Golden Falcons to a hard-fought win with 214 rushing yards. He ran the ball 30 times and scored two touchdowns. From the defensive backfield he made five solo tackles and assisted on two others.
Aiden Phillips (RB-LB/Alden) With a fourth consecutive week of rushing for 140 yards or more Phillips ran for 168 yards. He scored two touchdowns on 30 carries. Defensively, he made five tackles.
Isaac Platt (RB-LB/Pioneer) Carrying the ball 21 times Platt ran for three touchdowns and 150 yards. From his linebacker position he intercepted two passes, made two tackles for loss and had five total stops.
Matt Wright (LB-RB/Orchard Park) Helping the Quakers to remain undefeated and atop Class A-1 Wright made plays all over the field on the defensive side of the ball. He finished the game with 14 solo tackles (18 combined tackles) a sack and four tackles for loss of yardage. He caught two passes for 79 yards and one
touchdown.
Article & Announcements
54th Annual Connolly Cup Awards Banquet
Please join us for the Annual Awards Banquet where The Connolly Cup Committee will present the winner of the William R. Connolly Cup and recognize the top ten Finalist.
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2026
Time: Doors open at 6:00pm
Location: Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant
Address: 3785 South Park Ave, Blasdell, NY 14219
Our Story
Since 1972, the Connolly Cup Committee has recognized Western New York’s top high school football players. Over more than five decades, the William R. Connolly Memorial Cup has become one of the region’s most respected honors in the sport.
The game has changed. The standard has not. Each week of the season, the Committee honors the area’s standout players. At year’s end, the ten most outstanding athletes are invited to our awards banquet, where the Connolly Cup is presented to the Most Outstanding High School Football Player in Western New York.
The award is well known. The man behind the name is less so.
William R. “Bill” Connolly devoted his life to service. He volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and the American Red Cross, officiated youth and high school football, and supported families in need through his work with the United Way. When health issues ended his days as an official, he continued to serve as a volunteer trainer for the Riverside High School football team and the Riverside Athletic Club in the JFK Touch Football League.
That commitment traveled with him. During family summers in Canada, he organized a softball league for local boys. When his daughter Molly wanted to play, he started a junior co-ed league so younger children could join. In 1971, the ball field near the Connolly summer home was dedicated in his honor. Improvements in 2008 renewed that tribute.
The award itself grew out of a football argument among friends. In 1971, Auburn quarterback Pat Sullivan won the Heisman Trophy over Cornell’s Ed Marinaro, a favorite among many fans. Members of the Riverside Athletic Club—passionate students of the game—debated the result and resolved to create a local honor for exceptional high school talent in Western New York.
After Bill’s untimely passing, the club named that award for him. Today, the William R. Connolly Memorial Cup continues that purpose: celebrating excellence on the field and carrying forward a legacy of service to young people and the community.
Copyright © 2026 Connolly Cup - All Rights Reserved.
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.