Roll out the red carpet, cue the orchestra and pop some corn …
It’s time for my L-L League football awards.
These award-winners are based on the 10-week regular season, and were selected based on my observations.
Pull up a chair, y’all …
SECTION 1
GAME OF THE YEAR: Wilson 24, Penn Manor 20 – Week 9 in West Lawn: The Comets zoomed to a 20-10 second-half lead (compliments of a pick-6 from Austin Sahd, a TD run from LaRonn Lee and a TD pass from P.J. Rehm to Demetrius Dixon), and nearly went ahead 26-10 early in the third quarter but it didn’t happen. Then the Bulldogs pulled off the comeback. Johnny Morgan’s 93-yard kickoff return for a score provided a spark, and later, Kriss Brown scored late in the third and Nick Greth gave Wilson its first lead – with not only the game-winner, but the section championship-clincher – with a TD run with 4:57 to go in regulation. Bulldogs thrived in the comeback category this season; that loss stung and ultimately cost the Comets a shot at the Section 1 crown.
Runner-up: Cedar Crest 27, McCaskey 22 – Week 8 on a Monday night in Lancaster: The Red Tornado led comfortably 22-6 in the third quarter (compliments of a Markeith Williams 20-yard jaunt and a pair of option-keeper TD bolts from QB Adrian Westbrook, including a 60-yarder) before the Falcons pulled off the comeback with 21 unanswered points, including an 80-yard TD pass from Gary Gristick to Charles Kyeremeh. McCaskey had countless first-and-goal chances late, but Cedar Crest survived with a minute to go with a clutch fumble recovery when the Tornado had the ball at the Falcons’ 1 but couldn’t punch it in. All kinds of shenanigans after the game. During the game, this one had it all.
QUARTERBACK OF THE YEAR: Zach Zweizig, junior, Wilson – Piloted the only undefeated team in the section, and helped the Bulldogs get out of some seriously sticky situations – like his 67-yard completion to Sheldon Hannibal-Nixon on third-and-41 against Warwick in a wild and wacky 31-13 Week 10 come-from-behind win. Completed 116-of-207 passes (a solid 56 percent) for 1,712 yards and 15 touchdowns against nine picks during the regular season. His 140.7 efficiency rating was eighth-best in the league during the regular season. Also a top-notch basketball player. And he’ll be back to terrorize Section 1 secondaries again next season.
Runner-up: Gary Gristick, senior, Cedar Crest – Didn’t throw a pick until Week 8 and finished with 13 TD against just two picks; fifth-ranked passer in the league. Very steady and very underrated. Also one of the top punters in the L-L League.
RUNNING BACK OF THE YEAR: Brian Sourber, senior, Manheim Township – Just when you think you might actually have a shot at tackling this guy on a handoff or a toss, he’s behind center in the shotgun, taking a direct snap out of the Razorback and doing more damage. Second-ranked rusher in the league during the regular season with 1,463 yards on 229 carries, plus 21 TD runs, also second-most in the league. He runs. He takes snaps. And he also catches the rock – Sourber had a team-best 19 receptions (3 for TD) in the regular season for the Blue Streaks. Can take a hit and has breakaway speed.
Runner-up: Jason Stewart, senior, Reading – Finished fourth in the league with 1,207 yards, plus 17 TD runs for the Red Knights, who were in the thick of the District 3 playoff hunt until a crusher Week 10 loss to previously winless McCaskey. Had a coach tell me he’s the best back his team faced in Section 1 this season.
RECEIVER OF THE YEAR: Tyler Beck, senior TE, Wilson – Bruiser got off to a hot start with three TD grabs in the season opener against Governor Mifflin and he never really slowed down. Can beat you with his pass-catching ability, and he’ll knock your block off when he stays home to block. Led the Bulldogs with 27 catches for 538 yards (19.9 per grab) and had six TD receptions during the regular season. The 27 catches were most among L-L League tight ends. He’s a monster.
Runner-up: Matt Rissinger, junior WR, Warwick – Played through some nagging injuries to finish third in the league in receptions (39) for 441 yards and a score. Not the biggest dude around, but he’s got a huge ticker – and a pretty big tolerance for pain, apparently.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jim Forgrave, senior LB, Hempfield – Tough nut ball-hawker finished second in the section with more than 100 total tackles and had five sacks for the Black Knights, who, despite a 4-6 finish, finished seventh in the L-L League in total team defense (249.7 yards per game). Always tough to play when your dad is the head coach, but Forgrave shrugged that off and was one of the best pursuers and tacklers in the league. And he teamed with junior LB Steve Feister (section-high 10 sacks) to form one of the best 1-2 punch LB duos in the league.
Runner-up: Cody Simcox, junior LB, Wilson – Had to get someone from the section champs on here, and Simcox is it. Bulldogs’ D didn’t barrel everyone over like a year ago, but this group definitely picked up speed as the season went on, finishing sixth in the league, and second in Section 1, in total team D (229.9 yards per game). Simcox was the ringleader with 42 total tackles, five sacks and a fumble recovery for Wilson.
JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES PLAYER OF THE YEAR: LaRonn Lee, senior, Penn Manor – You name it, Lee does it for the Comets. The McCaskey transfer will line up practically anywhere on O: running back, in the slot, wideout and even behind center in the Wildcat package. Lee, a McCaskey transfer, was second on the team in rushing during the regular season with 583 yards (7.5 per pop) and he scored eight rushing TD. He also caught a team-best 23 passes for 473 yards (18.8 per grab) and four scores. Good luck defending this guy – if you can find him.
Runner-up: Johnny Morgan, senior, Wilson – Like Lee, he does a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs. Morgan was second on the team in receptions (24 – 2 for TD), and he excelled in special teams, returning a punt 65 yards for a TD against Cedar Crest and a kickoff 93 yards for a TD to spark the comeback vs. Penn Manor.
KICKER OF THE YEAR: Adam Zipko, senior, Warwick – Paced the section with five field goals: 39 yards vs. Wilson; 36 yards vs. Cedar Crest; 35 yards vs. Wilson; 34 yards vs. McCaskey; 31 yards vs. Hempfield. Also has a penchant for booting it deep on kickoffs.
Runner-up: Garrett Perau, junior, Manheim Township – Any kicker that comes through Township’s doors, unfortunately, is compared to David Soldner, the Penn State backup who still holds several PIAA kicking records. Perau has shunned those comparisons and has been quite steady for the Streaks. He rarely misses a PAT, he’s consistently in or close to the end zone on kickoffs, and he booted three field goals during the regular season – 32 yards vs. Reading, 32 yards vs. Wilson and 31 yards vs. Elizabethtown.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Teon Lee, junior LB, Penn Manor – McCaskey transfer and sparkplug defender (and LaRonn’s little brother) who just makes plays, like the two against Hempfield in the Section 1 opener – Lee returned a pick 30 yards for a TD and he scooped up a fumble and returned it all the way the Black Knights’ 1, setting up a short TD for the Comets.
Runner-up: Kriss Brown, senior RB, Wilson – I know he’s a senior, but Brown barely touched the ball a year ago playing behind 1,500-yard back Zacc Groff. But Brown exploded onto the scene as a first-time full-time starter for the Bulldogs this year, piling up a team-high 821 rushing yards and 10 TD during the regular season.
BEST COACHING PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Doug Dahms, Wilson – With 20 new starters in tow, this was supposed to be a rebuilding season of sorts in West Lawn. Yeah, right. Bulldogs went 9-1, won the section title outright, and their lone loss was a 2-pointer at Manheim Central (the only undefeated team in the league, by the way), and Wilson had a shot to win it late but yanked a field goal wide left. Did I mention Wilson is stacked with underclassmen?
Runner-up: Preston McKnight, Reading – Yeah, I know he guaranteed a trip to Districts and the Red Knights didn’t make it (the 14-10 Week 10 loss at home to McCaskey spelled doom for Reading). But the Knights were 0-2 and going absolutely no place, and got all the way back to .500 at one point and knocked off previously unbeaten Penn Manor and Warwick (with a bunch of sick kids) in back-to-back weeks. Adios, Reading. Best of luck in your new home.
MVP: Chris Schaffer, senior RB/LB, Warwick – The Warriors’ warrior was enormous on both sides of the ball for Warwick, which went to Week 10 with a shot at making Districts for the fourth year in a row. That didn’t happen, but the Warriors probably wouldn’t have gotten to that spot without Schaffer’s efforts. A fullback by trade, he was shifted to feature back around midseason, and he didn’t disappoint, putting together five 100-plus-yard efforts down the stretch. He just missed a 1,000-yard season (218 carries for 995 yards) but he scored a team-high 14 TD and was ultra reliable on the ground – and from his middle linebacker spot, where he was second on the team in total tackles. Will play lacrosse for Chestnut Hill College in Philly next year. Tough, tough nut.
Runner-up: Brian Sourber, senior, Manheim Township – Not sure where the Streaks would be without this kid.
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR: Patrick O’Brien, senior WR/DB, Wilson – He was one of just three full-time players back from last year’s monster 14-1 team, so the Bulldogs looked to O’Brien for leadership. And he’s provided it, with 16 catches for 231 yards and four TD grabs from his wideout spot, plus eight pass breakups and solid coverage from his DB spot. Steady as she goes.
Runner-up: Moyo Oluleye, senior LB, Manheim Township – Tough calling this cat an unsung hero because he was the ringleader of the Blue Streaks’ D. But with Township’s Razorback offensive package grabbing most of the headlines, Oluleye just went about his business stacking up tackles and making plays for the league’s ninth-ranked defense.
SECTION 2
GAME OF THE YEAR: Manheim Central 17, Cocalico 14 – Week 4 in Manheim: Ah yes, a little Manheim Magic for you. In a battle of undefeated teams and ultra section rivals, the Eagles led throughout, and appeared to be going in for a game-icing TD in the fourth quarter, only Manheim Central’s Dan Trafford tracks down Cocalico QB Matt Carty from behind, strips him and forces a fumble that goes through the end zone for a touchback. Talk about your bad omens. The Barons respond with a game-tying march, then, in something straight off a Hollywood set, Manheim Central slings together one last drive and, with no timeouts left and the clock dwindling, the Barons rush the field goal unit on the field and Taylor Groff coolly and calmly drills a 40-yard field goal with 1.3 seconds left and Central wins it. You think Cocalico coach Dave Gingrich replays those harrowing final minutes over and over inside his head?
Runner-up: Elizabethtown 35, Ephrata 34 in triple-OT – Week 9 in E-town: Jared Danneker scores a pair of OT rushing touchdowns, then blocks Ephrata’s potential game-tying (and fourth-OT inducing) extra point kick and the Bears survive in wacky fashion.
QUARTERBACK OF THE YEAR: Justin Gorman, senior, Manheim Central – The Barons’ signal caller wrapped up this award in Week 10, when he torched Garden Spot for 183 passing yards – on a tidy 12-of-13 completions – and TD two tosses and 141 rushing yards on seven keepers and three TD runs … in the first half. Sneaky, strong-armed dual-threat QB finished the regular season with 619 rushing yards and 15 TD keepers, and completed 108-of-185 passes for 1,468 yards and 12 TD against eight picks. His 137.8 passer rating was eighth in the league during the regular season. University of Colorado and Penn are vying for his services. And for his next trick, Gorman would like to pilot the Barons to their second state title. Stay tuned for that one.
Runner-up: Matt Carty, senior, Cocalico – Missed two games with a leg injury but still piled up 659 rushing yards (averaging a cool 10.5 yards per carry, tops in the L-L League among rushers with 400 or more yards) and seven TD. Didn’t complete an overly great percentage of his passes (25-for-61) but was intercepted just one time during the regular season. Superb pitch-man and reader of defenses.
RUNNING BACK OF THE YEAR: Kevin Kelley, senior, Conestoga Valley – Easiest pick on the board. Finished the regular season leading the L-L League in carries (313), rushing yards (1,912) and TD runs (23). Highlights – among many – were 335-yard, 4-TD effort in win over Lebanon, and 300-yard, 4-TD effort in win over Elizabethtown. Goes into District 3 Triple-A first-round game at Northern York needing 88 yards for a 2,000-yard season. Four-year performer for the Bucks. He’s seen the good: Section 2 title and district-playoff win as a freshman in 2006; 6 wins this season and a trip to the playoffs – and he’s seen the bad: back-to-back 1-9 seasons in his sophomore and junior years, respectively.
Runner-up: B.J. Enck, senior, Solanco – Missed a game early on but still rushed for 950 yards, scored six TD and averaged a rock-solid 10.1 yards per carry – second-best in the league among backs with 400 or more yards, and tops among running backs. Yo, B.J. – take your line out for dinner, already.
RECEIVER OF THE YEAR: Nick Pastrana, senior WR, Lebanon – Led the section with 36 catches – for 520 yards (14.4 per grab) and five TD receptions. Not too shabby for a kid who never played football before this season.
Runner-up: Kyle Rissell, senior WR, Cocalico – Was the top receiver (23-427, 19.0 avg., 5 TD) on a team that rarely goes up top. But when the Eagles air it out, Rissell is usually on the receiving end.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dakota Royer, senior OLB, Manheim Central – The 38 total tackles don’t exactly leap off the page. But the Barons’ Penn State recruit is facing a double-team on practically every snap. So while he’s tying up two guys, that’s opening major holes for other Manheim Central defenders to squirt through and make hit after bone-jarring hit. Hence the Barons’ stingy D, which was No. 1 in the league during the regular season, allowing just 170.0 yards per game. Manheim Central, which shifted D schemes to a 3-4 this season, also gave up a league-low 76 points in 10 games (7.6 per game), and had six shutout wins, including the last four games in a row. Royer had 6 ½ sacks and recovered three fumbles, returned a pick for a TD, and also returned a blocked field goal for another score during the regular season. No reason to believe he won’t repeat as a First-Team All-State selection before packing up his bags and heading off to Happy Valley in January.
Runner-up: Andrew Burkholder, senior LB, Ephrata – Led the L-L League with (get this) 148 total tackles, including 86 solo stops. Also picked off two passes, defended four others, forced three fumbles and blocked a punt for the Mountaineers, who had a much-needed two-win season – and will now bump up to Section 1 next year.
JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dan Trafford, senior RB/DB/P, Manheim Central – Doesn’t matter where the Barons put Trafford; he makes plays. Period. Pull up a chair for these staggering numbers – Trafford has rushed for 161 yards and has four TD runs; he’s caught a team-high 29 passes for 466 yards and has four TD grabs; he’s made 48 tackles, picked off two passes and blocked two field goals (one of which was returned for a TD by Dakota Royer against Conestoga Valley); he averages 34 yards per punt; he’s returned 14 punts for 173 yards; he averages 44 yards per return on six kickoff returns; he’s scored 10 total touchdowns for 60 points; he made the incredible, game-changing play in the Cocalico game, when he chased down Matt Carty and caused the fumble that turned the whole game around; he returned a punt 63 yards for a TD against Elizabethtown; and he returned a kickoff 95 yards for a TD against Ephrata. I think that’s it.
Runner-up: Stefan Sensenig, senior WR/DB, Conestoga Valley – Played through some serious nagging injuries to have an outstanding campaign for the Buckskins, who went from 2-18 the previous two seasons to 6-4, in the section race and back to Districts for the first time since 2006. Led the team with 29 receptions from his wideout spot, and in his first season at the free safety spot he was in on 31 total tackles, picked off a pass, forced a fumble and defended a pair of passes. Also returned kickoffs and punts, and he tossed a TD pass on a trick play on CV’s very first possession this season in a win over Hempfield.
KICKER OF THE YEAR: Taylor Groff, senior, Manheim Central – What a machine. Drilled 7-of-7 field goals (most in the league, including late game-winners against Wilson and Cocalico) and hit 41-of-44 extra points during the regular season for the Barons, who piled up 414 points, second-most in the league and most in Section 2. Groff is also consistently deep on kickoffs. Another year, another reliable Barons’ kicker.
Runner-up: Aaron Haines, senior, Solanco – Booted four field goals for the Golden Mules, including the longest made field goal in the L-L League this season, a 41-yarder in the slop at Ephrata in Week 8.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Alex Trautman, sophomore QB, Lebanon – Had to step into some mighty big shoes when James Capello shuffled off to Iowa State, but Trautman did A-OK under center for the Cedars. Not the biggest dude around – 5-7, 175 – but Trautman was steady in Lebanon’s “Air Raid” attack, completing 124-of-265 passes for 1,659 yards and 14 TD against eight picks. He capped the season in style, passing for 352 yards and four TD in a win over Elizabethtown.
Runner-up: Andy Breault, junior QB, Elizabethtown – With his dad (the elder Andy, a former Bears’ legend) standing on the sideline as an assistant coach, Breault dealt with all the preseason hype quite nicely and put together a solid season in his first go-around as E-town’s starting QB. Breault completed 80-of-189 passes for 1,138 yards and nine TD against just four picks.
BEST COACHING PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Mike Williams, Manheim Central – Could probably win this award most years, but he definitely earned it this time around, guiding the league’s only undefeated team through 10 weeks – including clutch wins over reigning district champs Wilson and Lancaster Catholic (yeah, I know Kyle Smith didn’t play; we’ve been over that) and then Cocalico (with a little Manheim Magic sprinkled in at the end) in a three-week gauntlet. Barons won their last four games in a row via shutout, and have six shutout wins heading into Districts. Three more wins and Williams will hit magic victory No. 300. Only nine coaches in PA history have eclipsed that number, topped by former Berwick Bulldog himself, George Curry, who is the only PA coach to go over 400 career wins (413).
Runner-up: Tom Nichols, Conestoga Valley – In his first year on the job (coaching at his alma mater), he took a program that went 1-9 in each of the last two seasons and not only put it back on the map, but challenged in the Section 2 race up until Week 8, and earned the No. 11 seed in the upcoming District 3 Triple-A playoffs. Yes sir, the Buckskins are most definitely back.
MVP: Dakota Royer, senior WR/LB, Manheim Central – Already chronicled his defensive prowess. Now tack on 21 catches for 424 yards and four TD grabs. And Royer also returned the opening kickoff of the season 84 yards for a TD against Susquehannock (how’s that for an omen?), returned a pick 60 yards for a TD against Ephrata, and returned a blocked punt 80 yards for a TD against Conestoga Valley. Yeah, he’s a stud.
Runner-up: Kevin Kelley, senior RB, Conestoga Valley – He just missed out on an ultra-rare 2,000-yard regular season. People simply couldn’t tackle him, even though they knew darn well he was coming. Wonder how many bruises this guy has on a Saturday morning?
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR: Matt Gibson, senior OL/DL Solanco – Might have been the best practice-field player this season. Read his story here.
Runner-up: George Murray, senior RB, Ephrata – Didn’t get much pub because the Mountaineers spent the early part of the season mired in that 16-game losing skid. But took the rock again and again (had 236 carries, second-most in the league) and piled up 966 yards and had 12 TD runs for a 2-8 team. Went out in style with 185-yard, 4-TD effort in 10-point win over Conestoga Valley in Week 10.
SECTION 3
GAME OF THE YEAR: Lancaster Catholic 14, Lampeter-Strasburg 13 – Week 5 at Lancaster Catholic: Kyle Smith had a pair of TD passes (and survived his only two interceptions during the regular season), Jordan Stewart rushed for 128 yards, and DT David Anater sacked L-S QB Nate Shank with 1:25 to go to thwart the Pioneers’ last-ditch drive and cap the Crusaders’ 1-point squeaker. The difference? A missed extra point. Oy. This was the last Section 3 meeting between these two rivals; L-S goes to Section 2 next year. The Crusaders and the Pioneers sure played some gems the last couple of years, this one very much included.
Runner-up: Lampeter-Strasburg 40, Elco 14 – Week 6 in Lampeter: The Raiders sailed into this game undefeated and feeling fine – and tied with Lancaster Catholic for first place in the section. But the Pioneers chased QB Arron Achey silly – he completed just 16-of-37 passes and was picked off once while running for his life most of the evening – and L-S shredded Elco for 387 yards and began its five-game winning tear to end the regular season.
QUARTERBACK OF THE YEAR: Kyle Smith, senior, Lancaster Catholic – Tough not to go with the guy who set the state record for career touchdown passes. Or who tossed a regular-season-best 35 TD passes. Or who was picked off just twice. Or who had a lights-out QB rating of 222.1. Or who led his team to its second outright section title in a row – and fifth overall, shared or outright. Or who is now fourth in state history in career passing yards. Or … Yeah, you get the picture. Tough to argue with these numbers: 96-of-157 (61 percent) for 1,680 yards, plus the aforementioned 35 TD and just two picks. Those numbers probably would have been even better had he played in Week 3 against Manheim Central, but he was felled by a high ankle sprain – then, miraculously, he played the very next week at Donegal. Gamer. Will go down as one of the best L-L League, District 3 and PIAA quarterbacks ever. Period. Spare me the section affiliation and classification junk. This kid’s a player.
Runner-up: Arron Achey, senior, Elco – And he drew the runner-up tag because Smith and the Crusaders won the head-to-head battle (pretty convincingly, 51-28) over the Raiders. Huge season for Achey. Keep reading.
RUNNING BACK OF THE YEAR: Jordan Stewart, junior, Lancaster Catholic – Yes, I know he missed the first two games this season because of some off-the-field issues. And yes, when he made his season debut in Week 3 against Manheim Central the Barons held him pretty much in check. Manheim Central has the best D in the league, remember. But once the section season started, Stewart was a royal pain in the neck. Finished the regular season with 1,086 rushing yards (8.2 per pop) and 13 TD. Another season for this guy? Oh my. L-L League hasn’t produced a major Division I RB in a while (still sitting here racking my brain). Stewart might be next. Seriously.
Runner-up: Rickey Snyder, junior, Annville-Cleona – Lived up the preseason hype with 1,111 yards and eight TD runs (plus that monstrous, 328-yard, 6-TD effort against Pequea Valley) for a team that started 0-3 and finished 0-3. From the without-looking-too-far-ahead department – Snyder should challenge Stewart for the L-L League rushing crown next fall. Ah yes, 2010. It’ll be here before you know it, right?
RECEIVER OF THE YEAR: Tyler Purvis, senior WR, Lancaster Catholic – Seems like he’s been around forever catching passes from Kyle Smith, doesn’t it? Another solid season for Purvis, who was fourth in the league with 38 catches, and his 703 receiving yards and 12 TD grabs both led the league during the regular season. Big target. Solid target. Great hands. Sneaky speed. Good punter, too. You know, when Catholic actually has to punt. Also picked off three passes on D, and returned two of them for scores.
Runner-up: Tyler Schmitt, sophomore WR, Pequea Valley – Sean Persch who? Another year, another top receiver from Kinzers. Schmitt finished with a flourish with 13 catches for 131 yards and three TD grabs in Week 10 against Northern Lebanon. He led the league with 51 catches – for 672 yards and eight TD receptions – and, more importantly, helped the Braves to a much-needed two-win season and out of the section basement. Schmitt and fellow soph WR Chad Tyson (second in the league with 43 catches) should be quite the 1-2 punch the next two years – next year for QB Ben Myers, who finished his junior season leading the league in completions (173), pass attempts (320) and passing yards (2,091) for the no-huddle, hurry-up, pass-happy Braves.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Zach Halpin, senior DE, Lampeter-Strasburg – This guy has been picking off ball-carriers and sacking quarterbacks since he was a young sophomore pup in 2007, helping the Pioneers win the District 3 Triple-A title. Paced the L-L League with 14 sacks during the regular season, and he was the ringleader of a defense that finished third in the L-L League (204.0 yards against) and gave up just 10.3 points a game – second-best in the L-L League.
Runner-up: Nick Young, senior LB, Annville-Cleona – Led Section 3 with 105 total tackles (65 solos), plus a sack and a forced fumble for the Little Dutchmen.
JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chad Frey, senior RB, Lampeter-Strasburg – Superb regular season for the Pioneers’ speedster, who led the team with 922 rushing yards and 10 TD runs, and he was second on the team with 14 catches for 149 yards and two scores. Frey has also done a ton of damage in special teams. He returned three punts for scores in the Pioneers’ final two regular season games, including two against Annville-Cleona in Week 10. Frey also returned a pick 25 yards for a TD against Northern Lebanon. Major weapon no matter where he lines up – and plenty of speed to burn.
Runner-up: Christian DelRocini, junior TE/DE, Lampeter-Strasburg – Two jack-of-all-trades players on the same team? Sure, why not? DelRocini leads the Pioneers with 21 catches – seven for TD – and he’s also rushed for a TD, returned a punt for a TD (13 yards vs. Donegal), returned a fumble for a TD (42 yards vs. Pequea Valley) and returned a pick for a TD (15 yards vs. Columbia). DelRocini is the only player in the L-L League who scored a TD five different ways during the regular season.
KICKER OF THE YEAR: Geoffrey Arentz, senior, Lancaster Catholic – Extremely reliable and dependable lefty booter is called upon a lot since the Crusaders score so much. And he rarely misses. Kicked three field goals during the regular season, including a season-best 33-yarder against Donegal. Good on kickoffs, too, with six touchbacks in 60 kickoffs.
Runner-up: Chris Garaffa, junior, Lampeter-Strasburg – Another lefty, Garaffa has been ultra consistent for the Pioneers, who were the fourth highest-scoring team in the league during the regular season. Booted a 33-yard field goal against Penn Manor.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Travis Dresch, sophomore QB, Northern Lebanon – Talk about getting thrown into the fire. Dresch took over the starting QB duties in late August when senior starter Nate McKillop went down with a collarbone injury during training camp. It didn’t take Dresch very long to get acclimated to his surroundings. He ran the Vikings’ Veer option attack just fine and dandy, rushing for 581 yards and eight TD and completing 58-of-126 passes for 810 yards and nine TD against just three picks. So he was quite efficient – and will get two more seasons under center for the Vikings.
Runner-up: Trevor St. Clair, junior, Lancaster Catholic – Yeah, just exactly what the Crusaders needed: another weapon for Kyle Smith, right? St. Clair’s numbers don’t jump off the page, but he’s been, well, another weapon in Smith’s arsenal. And he put up some sneaky numbers for a first-time, full-time contributor: 97 rushing yards, 9 yards per pop and two TD runs; four catches, 20 yards per catch and a TD grab; and St. Clair had the longest pick-6 in the league during the regular season, taking an interception 61 yards to the house vs. Annville-Cleona. He had three interceptions during the regular season.
BEST COACHING PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: Bruce Harbach, Lancaster Catholic – The 30-point Week 3 non-league loss at home against Manheim Central wasn’t exactly a barrel of laughs. But the 14-13 win over rival Lampeter-Strasburg two weeks later was clutch, and the Crusaders have been building momentum ever since. That’s back-to-back 7-0 seasons, and back-to-back outright Section 3 crowns – and five in a row (shared or outright) for Lancaster Catholic, which will take another stab at the big one (PIAA gold) starting this week.
Runner-up: John Manion, Lampeter-Strasburg – Kept the Pioneers afloat during a murderous non-league slate (losses to 8-2 Cocalico and 8-2 Penn Manor) and then a gut-wrencher 1-point loss at Lancaster Catholic. Manion is a nifty 86-40 in his 12 seasons at the helm. Anxious to see how the Pioneers do next year in Section 2.
MVP: Arron Achey, senior QB/LB, Elco – Went with Achey here because he simply put the Raiders on his back and willed them to win so many times. A warrior. A grinder. A playmaker. Super athlete. And what a four-year run as Elco’s starting QB. He capped it in style this season, finishing third in the league in passing efficiency after completing a cool 108-of-183 passes (59 percent) for 1,675 yards and 22 TD against just three picks. He also rushed for a team-best 1,171 yards and had 15 TD runs. The rushing yards and rushing TD were most among L-L League quarterbacks. Will go into the first round of the District 3 Triple-A playoffs with 3,958 career passing yards and 3,636 career rushing yards. That deserves a wow. And if all of those offensive numbers aren’t fun enough, Achey was second on the team with 76 total tackles, including 5 ½ sacks, plus a pick and seven forced fumbles during the regular season. Will be beyond weird without him around Myerstown next fall.
Runner-up: Kyle Smith, senior QB, Lancaster Catholic – Would have loved to have seen what happened if he played vs. Manheim Central. Oh well.
UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR: Kyle Wenger, senior WR/DB/K/P, Elco – While Achey grabs most of the headlines, Wenger very quietly does tons of damage for the Raiders. Check it out: 15 catches for 223 yards and a TD grab from his wideout spot; 150 rushing yards and a rushing TD when he lines up in the backfield or takes a reverse; 44 extra point kicks and a field goal when he kicks; 30-yard average on punts; 65 points scored; six touchbacks on 57 kickoffs; 90 total tackles (tops on the team), a sack, a fumble recovery and two passes defended from his DB spot.
Runner-up: Michael Shipman, senior WR, Donegal – The Indians struggled mightily with a 2-8 finish, but Shipman was superb. He led the team with 10 receptions (averaging a bountiful 29 yards per grab) and five of those catches went for touchdowns.
