"He's like my younger brother, so I'm here to help out. If he comes in here and works hard, good things can happen," Sciarra told the Staten Island Advance. "And for me, it's a good thing because now I have family here."

A quick glance at a few of the local alums starting their college football seasons in the coming weeks:

MATT ABBEY, Wagner College (St. Francis): Abbey led the Knights into the CIF playoffs last season and set all kinds of passing records over the course of his highly-successful varsity career. He will likely stand in the shadows this season and learn from Sciarra-on the field and off-and will look to make his mark in the 2006 season.

RAMSES BARDEN, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Flintridge Prep): The 6-6 wide receiver played both sides of the ball for the CIF champion Rebels and looks to contribute to one of the strongest receiving corps in Division I-AA this fall. After redshirting last season, Barden will compete for playing time on a squad that opens its campaign at Troy on September 3.

KEVIN KNOSP, La Verne (St. Francis): Knosp made a strong contribution to a solid defensive line last season and looks to do the same for the Leopards this time around. In nine games in 2004, Knosp recorded 17 tackles (three for loss). The La Canada native takes the field September 3 against Pomona-Pitzer in ULV's season opener.

JOHN SCIARRA, Wagner College (St. Francis): Sciarra enters his senior season as the Seahawks' starting quarterback, hoping to lead the Division I-AA squad to an improvement on their 6-5 record a year ago. After transferring from UCLA, Sciarra posted an impressive 2004 campaign, completing 207 of 378 passes for 2581 yards and 14 touchdowns. Wagner, located in New York City, opens its season Sept. 3 against La Salle, and is ranked No. 9 in The Sports Network pre-season I-AA mid-major poll.