Holy Trinity's Jameer Reeder and Nick Parisi commit to Division I football schools

Jameer Reeder and Nick Parisi signed their autographs on the paperwork, and there was satisfaction welling inside these Holy Trinity seniors.

Wednesday was a national signing day for football players headed to Division I and II. Both Reeder and Parisi put their names down to go to the FCS brand of D-I.

Reeder, the running back from Freeport, is bound for Stony Brook and Parisi, the outside linebacker from Glen Cove, is headed for Wagner.

“Signing that letter, to me it really sums up all the hard work and dedication I put in for these 18 years of me living,” Reeder said after participating in a signing ceremony inside Holy Trinity’s gym.

“Yeah, it pretty much really exemplifies all the hours I spent into this sport and to my academics and to being a student-athlete and all the work that my parents put into me really paying off.”

Parisi also spoke about this payoff for his hard work. Both players have NFL dreams and both felt a special pride over going D-I, just like teammate Rocco Rainone, the quarterback from Glen Cove who had signed earlier with Rutgers.

“It’s always been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid to go D-I,” Parisi said. “That was pretty much the main goal coming out of high school, coming out of middle school. So to accomplish it, it means a lot.”

The 5-10, 180-pound Reeder was a four-year starter. He ran for 652 yards — 4.93 per carry — and five TDs as a senior, and he made 51 tackles as a middle linebacker. His next team has a new head coach, Billy Cosh, after going 0-10.

Why Stony Brook?

"Stony Brook because I know they’re sort of in a rebuilding process,” Reeder said. “… I just have faith in what Stony Brook will offer me academically and athletically.”

Chris Hardardt, the Holy Trinity athletic director who coached the football team last season, sees a good fit for him.

“He’s a bit undersized, but he’s a tough kid,” Hardardt said. “Stony Brook could be a great place for him, a good opportunity for him to play at that level.”

The 6-2, 230-pound Parisi started for two years, then missed his senior season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery.

“He’s really developed into a college football player,” Hardardt said.

He’s going to a college team that’s coming off a 4-7 season and is 6-39 over the last four full seasons.

“I think I can be really good,” Parisi said. “I think I could turn the program around.”

Elmont running back Isaiah Davis will be his teammate after also signing with Wagner.

Sebastian Regis signed with Stony Brook to play defensive tackle. The East Islip senior, who was a two-way lineman and the Hansen Award winner as Suffolk’s top player, will have a signing ceremony next week.

“It means everything,” Regis texted about signing, “really excited and I put belief into this university like they did with me.”

Smithtown West quarterback Brayden Stahl signed with D-II Lock Haven.

Teammate Jack Melore, who made 78 receptions last season and became Long Island’s all-time leader with 158, signed with Marist in the FCS.

“I’ve prepared with FCS receiver coaches for many years, so I believe my skills will translate over to college,” Melore wrote in a text. “To me it wasn’t why Marist. It was why not Marist because of all they have to offer.”

Jake Fabian, a two-way lineman at Shoreham-Wading River, also signed with Marist to play on offense.

Hills West defensive lineman Elijah Kongolo signed with Western Illinois of the FCS.

D-II Post University had two area receivers sign, Lynbrook’s Ramon Calderon and St. John the Baptist’s DJ Lisbon.

D-II Franklin Pierce landed Malverne offensive tackle/defensive end Kevin Estime and two-way lineman Justin Costa, who played at Holy Trinity but then transferred to Malverne after the first half of the 2023-24 school year.

Long Island Lutheran offensive lineman Matt Kilgannon signed with D-II Saint Anselm. Teammate Jadis Chanet, a linebacker, plans to sign within the next couple of days with D-II American International College.

And there will be a signing ceremony Thursday at Kings Park. Kyle Weeks will officially commit to D-II Pace to play free safety.

With Ben Dickson