Vote: Who was New York’s top freshman football player of 2023?

We give you nine candidates to choose from

The 2023 high school football season is complete and we are going around the East Coast, reflecting on the last few months.

One of the big questions is what newcomers on the scene made the biggest impact to a football program or state even? That’s where freshman that saw extensive playing time come into the mix.

That’s why we ask the question: Who was the top freshman football player of 2023?

We will go state-by-state along the East Coast and once that voting is done, do a final poll including all the freshmen that won going head-to-head.

We’ve selected nine worthy candidates and ask you the fan to vote for who you think topped them all.

Voting will end on January 13th, 2024.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.

Here are the nominees: 

Keegan Croucher, QB, Fonda-Fultonville: The freshman quarterback completed 181-of-283 passes for 2,934 yards, 31 touchdowns and just a mere three interceptions. Croucher finished as among one of the leaders in passing in just his first season.

Tommy Zeh, QB, Moore Catholic: Zeh was another quarterback that shined in his opening season as a varsity starter. The signal caller completed 99-of-163 passes for 1,532 yards and 15 touchdowns for Moore Catholic.

Elijah Kimble, RB, Canisius: Kimble is arguably one of the best running backs, regardless of classification. The freshman running back carried the rock 191 attempts for 1,821 yards and scored 19 touchdowns.

Fenesse Morales, WR/DB, Johnson City: Production wise, Morales was among the tops when it came to athletes in the freshman class. The freshman wide receiver/defensive back on offense hauled in 27 passes for 403 yards and seven touchdowns. At cornerback, Morales made 32 tackles, broke up a pass and recovered a fumble.

James Cocozzo, G/LB, Stillwater: Cocozzo had many roles for Stillwater, but primarily played guard and linebacker. Offensively, the freshman had 11 pancake blocks, rushed for 127 yards and scored two touchdowns. On defense, Cocozzo led all freshmen with 137 tackles and five fumble recoveries.

Ben Shaw, QB/LB, Waverly: The quarterback/linebacker was a force specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Shaw at inside linebacker made 101 tackles and recovered three fumbles. At quarterback, Shaw completed 10-of-13 passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns.

Kory Brown, RB, Totenville: Undoubtedly one of the fastest 2027 prospects in the Empire State and also top football players of his class. Brown ran a 10.86 in the 100-meter dash and already owns an offer from Rutgers. Helped lead Totenville to a 9-3 record in 2023.

Alpha Ba, OL/DL, Monsignor Farrell: The 6-foot-2, 250-pound lineman played both sides of the ball his freshman season at offensive and defensive tackle. Ba in his first season notched 16 tackles, two for loss and a sack. 

Xavier Bala, RB, St. Anthony's: Though Bala only saw time in five games, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound running back showed a lot of promise. In 2023, Bala rushed for 152 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns.