Newsday's Athlete of the Week is Joseph Filardi of Half Hollow Hills West

It seems as if Joseph Filardi is playing a video game on the easiest setting.

Through three games this season, the Half Hollow Hills West junior quarterback has thrown for 1,150 yards and 16 touchdowns, with the Colts lighting up scoreboards in Suffolk Division III at 44 points per game.

On Sept. 8, Filardi set two school records when he threw for 531 yards and seven touchdowns in a 48-33 win over East Islip. He came back five days later and completed 19 of 25 passes for 354 yards and five TDs in a 42-22 win at Amityville.

Filardi is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week.

“It’s important to me to leave my mark on our school and get my name out there so that my legacy can be recognized,” Filardi said.

“Records are meant to be broken,” added Gerald Filardi, Joseph’s father and Hills West’s coach. “It’s good for the players that come after him to strive to be a player like Joseph is. He likes to set that standard for the next guy to come and be better than him.”

Filardi began cementing his legacy last season, when he threw for 2,028 yards and 32 TDs and led the Colts to the Suffolk III semifinals, finishing the season at 8-2.

Wide receivers Anthony Raio and Jesse Brooks have developed a rapport with Filardi, a Newsday All-Long Island second team selection last season, that has only grown this year.

“We’re definitely on a bit of a new level this year,” Filardi said. “Progressing from last year carrying over that chemistry has been huge. It’s our expectation to put that many points up on the board because that’s what it takes to win games in this very tough division.”

In the record-setting performance against East Islip, Raio had 192 receiving yards and four TDs and Brooks had 202 receiving yards and two scores. In the win over Amityville, Brooks caught seven passes for 162 yards and three scores, and Raio added 141 receiving yards and a TD.

“He can make any throw on the field and he can read every defense,” said Brooks, a junior. “He knows what will work against what coverage and what advantage I’ll have against a certain defensive back and their leverage.”

Filardi's sights are now set on a pivotal home game against reigning Long Island Class III champion Sayville at 1 p.m on Saturday.

If the Colts (3-0) are to take the next step, they will likely have to go through Sayville (2-0) at some point in the playoffs. While the individual records are great, Filardi knows that nothing would leave as big a mark on his school as a county, or more ideally, a Long Island title.

“I’ve always known he’s had the potential. I’m very proud of him,” Gerald said. “As his coach, he’s still building and we’re going to keep pushing him and try to get the best out of him every time he plays.”