Quarterback Anthony Diieso appears ready to give the St. Anthony’s Friars offense a serious spark this season.
Thrown into the varsity spotlight as a sophomore starter, Diieso now enters his second year with far more confidence — and a summer’s worth of preparation behind him.
“Last year was definitely a little nerve-wracking, but now I’m all settled in — been putting in all the hard work,” the rising junior told The Post.
“I think it’s going to be a fun one this year.”
His offseason momentum picked up in July, when Diieso captured the quarterback challenge hosted by the Suffolk County chapter of the National Football Foundation, a win he said helped energize him before August training camp.
“It was a lot of the top kids on Long Island,” Diieso said. “You see new faces, you see new play styles, and you have to compete.”
With another high school football season approaching, Diieso is focused on growing as a leader and helping St. Anthony’s change the ending after last year’s Catholic League playoff run stopped in the semifinals against Westchester powerhouse Iona Prep.
“My receivers and I, we’re all getting extra work in, making sure we’re prepared for this upcoming season,” Diieso said.
The redemption arc starts with challenging out-of-league games against New Jersey’s Red Bank Catholic and St. Peter’s Prep, also of the Garden State.
“I always love testing myself. Those games, they will really see what we’re made of. It’s a high-level competition, and I think it will be fun games.
“This season is everything. I want to win a state championship with my team, celebrating on the field.”
