St. Anthony's quarterback Gary Merrill wins Rich Reichert Award as CHSFL's top player
St. Anthony's quarterback Gary Merrill rears back for a throw to a deep receiver during a CHSAA football game against Chaminade in South Huntington on Saturday, August 31, 2024. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Gary Merrill’s competitive nature had a palpable effect on the St. Anthony’s football team.
As the Friars’ starting quarterback for the past two years, Merrill exuded the mental toughness and on-field flair to lead St. Anthony’s to plenty of victories.
The senior had a spectacular season, setting the St. Anthony’s single-season record for total touchdowns (51) and leading the Friars to a CHSFL AAA championship game appearance.
Merrill was presented Newsday’s fifth annual Rich Reichert Award, which recognizes Long Island’s top player in the CHSFL, on Dec. 10 at Newsday Studios in Melville.
“I was just grateful,” Merrill said. “I’ve always grown up seeing all these good football players on Long Island. I’ve always wanted to be like one of them.”
Said St. Anthony’s coach Joe Minucci: “He’s super competitive, expects a lot from himself. And besides that, from the mental competitive side of things, he just has a lot of physical talents. He’s a gifted athlete, and just a tough, tough kid.
“I’ve never seen someone just be able to get everything out of his body that he can. Do it consistently — play after play, week after week. And honestly on Monday morning, turn the page and get ready to do it again.”
Merrill completed 124 of 180 passes (68.9%) for 1,762 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. He ran for 32 touchdowns and 1,955 yards.
“I’ll do anything to win,” Merrill said. “I run a lot, and I try to use the QB run game to allow me to succeed.”
Merrill, who won the starting job following a competition before his junior season, finished his career with 3,214 passing yards, 3,109 rushing yards, 32 touchdown passes and 47 touchdown runs.
Minucci recalled a 52-51 win over Cardinal Hayes on Sept. 8, 2023 as “the first time we were able to really see what he could do when the ball is in his hands every play.” Merrill had a 2-yard rushing touchdown and the winning two-point run with 17 seconds left in that game.
Merrill, who was also named the Gatorade New York Football Player of the Year, ran for the winning 10-yard touchdown with 46 seconds left in a 35-30 win over Cardinal Hayes in the CHSFL semifinals this season. The Friars finished 9-4.
Merrill became the fourth consecutive Friar to win the Reichert Award, following in the footsteps of wide receiver Korey Duff Jr. (2023), quarterback Dante Torres (2022) and linebacker Andrew Bardak (2021).
“When I was a sophomore and a freshman, I always looked up to guys like KJ and Dante who won the award,” Merrill said. “So it means a lot, actually winning an award that they have won.”
Merrill will play lacrosse at North Carolina. A five-star recruit, he is listed as Inside Lacrosse's No. 2 player in the Class of 2025.
“He puts himself in the conversation for top five, 10 quarterbacks to ever come through St. Anthony’s, top five, 10 football players to ever come through St Anthony’s,” Minucci said. “His legacy is going to be that — as years come and decades pass — he’s not going to be forgotten, and he’s always going to be brought up in those conversations.”
REICHERT AWARD WINNERS
2019 – Jordan DeLucia, Kellenberg, QB
2021 – Andrew Bardak, St. Anthony’s, LB
2022 – Dante Torres, St. Anthony’s, QB
2023 – Korey Duff Jr., St. Anthony’s, WR
2024 – Gary Merrill, St. Anthony’s, QB
Note: No award in 2020 because of the pandemic
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.