Chiera’s overtime TD run earns Colonia junior the first Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors of the 2024 season

Colonia’s Jaeden Jones finished up his football career with a playoff berth earned on Cutoff Weekend, and the final Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week honors in 2023. Then, he handed he reins to junior Dylan Chiera.

And while Cutoff Weekend is still quite far down the road, Chiera has literally taken the baton and run with it. Not only is he the Patriots’ quarterback this season – taking over as a junior like Jones did two years ago – but he’s also going to have a Bellamy & Son football with his name on it, picking up the honor for Week Zero here in 2024.

Chiera scored on a 12-yard touchdown run in overtime to tie their season-opening battle at 20, then senior Anthony Garofalo put the exclamation point on it with the PAT, giving the Patriots a “walkoff” win in Bomber Country.

Chiera is a different type of quarterback that Jones, who – like Josh Oluremi before him, was always looking to run. Not so with Chiera, but it gives Colonia a different dimension than they’ve had the last several seasons.

Colonia is back in action Friday night at North Hunterdon.

Click below to hear Mike Pavlichko’s interview with Week Zero Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week Dylan Chiera of Colonia:

The Bellamy & Son Paving Player of the Week is chosen from nominees by Big Central coaches. At the end of the season, one player will be chosen to receive a $500 scholarship courtesy of Bellamy & Son Paving. As always, we will recognize selected “Honorable Mentions,” and recognize all other all nominees in our weekly story.

Honorable Mentions:

Nyekir Eato, Edison: The senior excelled in all three phases of a 27-0 shutout of East Brunswick. Eato carried 19 times for 137 yards on offense, scoring three times. He also had a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on special teams, and picked off three passes on defense.
Na’quavere Thomas, Manville: They call him “Junior,” but there’s nothing small about this senior’s game. In a 28-7 home win over Keyport Friday, he ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, as well as a 39-yard catch early that set the Mustangs up at the goal line. At defensive tackle, he racked up ten tackles, five solo, and three for loss, including a six-yard sack. He also forced two fumbles.
Jahai Johnson, Piscataway: The senior wide receiver – guarded by double- and triple-teams all night, had only two catches for 24 yard,s but contributed in other ways. Out of the wildcat formation, he carried twice, scoring both times, including a 55-yard TD score with 2:19 to go in the game that clinched the victory.
Josiah Zayas, St. Thomas Aquinas: Down 29-0 at the half to Mount St. Joseph of Maryland down at the Mid-Atlantic Pigskin Classic in Wilmington, the junior helped lead a second half rally that just fell short in what turned out to be a 36-26 loss. Zayas finished with six catches for 111 yards, including an 18-yard TD catch, as well as two interceptions on the defensive side of the field.

Other Notable Performances:

Logan Stevens, Bernards: The junior runningback carried four times for 65 yards and two scores, while adding two catches for another 71 and a touchdown out of the backfield, en route to a 35-6 win over Monmouth Regional on Thursday. He scored three times on just six touches!
Andrew Avent, Rahway: The junior was a busy young man in a 41-14 win over Voorhees on Thursday. At runningback, he had 16 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns, as well as a two-point conversion run. He also had one punt for 40 yards, and on defense, recorded seven solo tackles, 2 TFLs, and and an 18-yard scoop-and-score for a touchdown.
Dubem Kawah, Franklin: The junior runningback scored two touchdowns and ran for 101 yards on just seven carries, averaging 14.4 yards per trip in a 26-20 win over Trenton on Friday.
Arique Fleming, Elizabeth: The sophomore – now in his second year as starting QB for the Minutemen – looked the part in a 35-18 win over Linden. He threw 14-for-19 for 190 yards and a touchdown, but also ran the ball effectively. He carried ten times for 95 yards and another score.
Brayden Kelly, Watchung Hills: The senior wide receiver and defensive back was busy on both sides of the ball. On offense, he had five catches for 120 yards, one of them going 56 yards for a score. Then, he had five tackles, two for a loss, while also picking off a pass.
Brandon Bradsher, Perth Amboy: In a 27-9 win at JFK Thursday evening, the senior had three catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns (of 75 and 82 yards), while also logging an interception on defense.
Gio Veliz, Hunterdon Central: The junior runningback was a workhorse for the Red Devils in a 42-14 win at North Hunterdon Saturday. He carried 21 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Terrell Mitchell, Somerville: The Pioneers got 15 carries for 66 yards out of Mitchell, a senior runningback who’ll be headed to Wake Forest next year. He had an 11-yard touchdown run and an 11-yard touchdown catch, both in the first half of a 21-20 home win over Hillsborough. He had seven catchers overall for 57 yards.
Kamari Toney, South Brunswick: The sophomore running back looked like anything but a sophomore making his first-ever varsity start Friday in a 30-13 win at Robbinsville, which earned new head coach Ibrahim Halsey his first win with the Vikings. He carried 12 times for 138 yards and a touchdown in the victory.
Derek Anderson, Woodbridge: The senior quarterback was 10-of-19 passing for 183 yards and three touchdowns – one of which went for 60 yards – along with a 12 yard score on the ground in his first game playing a new-look offense under new head coach Joe Goerge. The results was a good one for the Barrons: a 36-34 win at Old Bridge.
Jayden Richards, Scotch Plains-Fanwood: The junior carried 20 times for 122 yards and a touchdown in a hard-fought 31-30 home loss to Monroe on Thursday night.