Yianni Gavalas

Southpaw Handler: Westminster School (CT) QB Yianni Gavalas

*As a toddler, Yianni Gavalas was so adept at dribbling a basketball that his Flushing, New York friends and family were amazed by his “handle“: going behind the back, between the legs, spinning the ball on his finger, etc. He became so skilled at hoops that he reached the lofty AAU level as a 9-year old. And when he started playing tackle football for the first time at age 5, Yianni would do the same type of fingertip-control tricks with the pigskin: flicking the ball, making it roll around his hand, having it tumble from his hand to his shoulder, etc. A sort of gridiron magician. “I still love handling the ball on every play. That never changed. Being in control of the action. That’s why I love being a quarterback,” stated the soft-spoken Gavalas.

His high school coach, Tom Pugh, has been coaching at Holy Cross High School in the city for forty years. He has produced his share of college players and a handful of notable professionals, including Tom Earnhardt who played with the New York Jets. “Yianni entered the school at 5’2″. But even then I knew he was something special. Then he hit that one-foot growth spurt. Then he was really special,” recalled Coach Pugh. “Yianni just continued to improve. His senior year he was playing mainly with sophomores and juniors. And he was only 16 years old!” Pugh continued, “He is so bright (3.8 GPA/26 ACT) that he consistently made the right read on offense. A true West Coast quarterback.”

Gavalas’ go-to receiver and good friend at Holy Cross was Shyheim Wingate. The talented 5’8″ wideout hauled in a staggering number of Gavalas’ lefty offerings. Including a school-record five touchdowns in a 48-21 rout of Holy Trinity. These connections opened up D1 eyes for Wingate, and he eventually committed to Wagner College, where he is currently a freshman. “It was that Holy Trinity game when Yianni came of age. As a junior, he was still learning the ropes. As he senior, he was in charge. Took control of the huddle. His confidence soared. He demanded our respect,” explained Wingate, “Yianni can run with the ball but is your typical drop-back passer. A strong, accurate arm, especially on the deep ball,”

Gavalas’s late December birthday made him a logical candidate for a post-grad year.
“Yianni had to be one of the youngest seniors (16) in the state. I just felt that with another year of seasoning and development, he would turn into the kind of college prospect I believe he is,” Coach Pugh added. Gavalas agreed. He and his family took four trips to top prep schools seeking his services after graduating from high school. The Westminster School in the quaint New England town of Simsburg, Connecticut was the ideal fit. “It just felt right from the moment I walked on campus. It felt like home,” the 17-year old southpaw told me.

Lee Huguley is in third year at Westminster, his second season as head coach. He speaks glowingly of his Big Apple transplant. “Yianni Gavalas has brought an injection of life to our football program. He is a natural leader. So disciplined at practice. He hates when one of his passes hits the ground incomplete. He is everything we expected and more,” said Coach Huguley.

The Westminster School has only played two games to this point in the season. Gavalas’ stats have been jaw-dropping. In his first game, he threw for three touchdowns. In the next game, he passed for 450 yards, five more scores and ran one in. Piling up 750 yards through the air on the young campaign.“I even played him at safety and he picked one off and ran it back 40 yards,” Coach Huguley continued, “Yianni is so silky smooth in his ball handling, play fakes and delivery, people might not realize what an accomplished runner he is. He had 40 yards rushing that last game. I’ve installed an option-component to our offense to take advantage of his running ability.”

As excited as Coach Huguley is about Gavalas’s talents on the field, it is his off-the-field make-up that impresses the Westminster head man most.“Yianni has impeccable character. I use him as a role model for the right way to do things in the community and in the classroom. On his own, he has taken two young players (RB David Carter & QB Mike McNally) under his wing. Giving them pointers. No one told him to do that. It’s just the type of class act he is. He cares about the future of this school’s program.”

This mentoring of young players is a passion for Gavalas. He volunteers his time back home in New York City working with youth football organizations, among them the NFL’s Play 60 program. Whether it is giving out passing tips on how to throw on the run or passing out Thanksgiving turkeys at St. Nicholas of Flushing’s annual food drive, this is a young man whose character is beyond reproach.

A tire-flipping, fitness fanatic who preferred to work out with linebackers and linemen at Gridiron, a high intensity training complex in Mineola since his sophomore year in high school, the 6’2″, 195-pound signalcaller has the physical toughness to go along with the cerebral part of the game. “I was fortunate to play for a coaching legend in Coach Pugh at Holy Cross. He’s been there forever. And he is rarely wrong. He was the one who suggested the post-grad year for me. Felt that because of my age, I could reach my full potential physically and developmentally as a quarterback with an extra year. Coach Huguley has given me that opportunity at Westminster. And I plan to capitalize on it,” stated Gavalas.

And Yianni has done just that. With his stellar academic record and documented football skill set, it is no surprise that elite universities from both the Ivy and Patriot Leagues are zeroing in on the one-time point guard.

And no matter where Yanni Gavalas ends up a year from now, there is little doubt in anyone’s mind who has associated with him that he’ll be able to handle it.