Athlete of the Week is St. Anthony’s basketball player Jonathan Harewood

Jonathan Harewood has flipped the switch — and St. Anthony’s hopes that it’ll will turn on a title. The senior is stronger and more aggressive than he’s been in years past and is looking to take his team on a deep playoff run.

Part of that equation is already complete. Harewood scored a game-high 22 points and hit two gigantic free throws with 19 seconds remaining in St. Anthony’s 63-60 win over Chaminade in the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA final Tuesday night at Hofstra.

“In this last push, it’s about giving it all you got because it’s win or go home,” Harewood, who lives in Baldwin, said. “Everything has to be put out on the table. I’d definitely say that I’ve turned it up a notch, same as all my other teammates. We’ve turned it to another gear.”

Because of his play in that winner-moves-on contest, Harewood earned both MVP of the game and Newsday Athlete of the Week honors.

St. Anthony’s will face The Park School of Buffalo in the state CHSAA semifinals at noon on Saturday at LIU-Post.

“It would mean a lot to us,” Harewood said of a potential state championship. “This was our goal that we set at the beginning of the season. We’re not content with what we’ve accomplished so far. It’s a big accomplishment what we’ve done already, but we’re not content. We’re still hungry and still focused on that goal.”

A bruising force in the paint, Harewood is averaging 14.1 points per game. However, his value to the Friars far exceeds his ability to put the ball in the basket.

“I think he’s the best defensive player on Long Island,” St. Anthony’s coach Sal Lagano said. “Whoever we put him on, and it’s usually [the other team’s] best player, is going to have to work for his points. It just makes the other guys feed off that energy and intensity.”

Harewood’s pure presence on the floor is enough to make a difference. With Harewood battling the flu and sidelined, St. Anthony’s lost to Chaminade by 20 points on Jan. 23. In the two rivals’ next matchup, with a healthy Harewood, St. Anthony’s beat the Flyers 54-47 on Feb. 2. Tuesday night, it was Harewood again who made all the difference.

“He just makes everyone around him better,” Lagano said. “He has an intense determination. I always say, the best athletes are hard to play and hard to beat. He’s both.”

Standing at an imposing 6-1, Harewood’s sheer size is sometimes enough to carry him past would-be defenders.

“When Jon gets below the foul line with the basketball, he’s tough to contain,” Lagano said. “He’s physically stronger than almost every high school kid at his position. He has people bounce off him. Below the foul line, what we call ‘going downhill,’ he’s tough to stop.”