By The Daily Item
After posting one of the best seasons in school history, Upper Dauphin was duly rewarded by the Twin Valley Conference as the 2009 all-star teams were announced.
Upper Dauphin finished atop the TVC standings this year, and the Trojans had three members of the team receive major awards: senior running back Tyler Grosser is the TVC's Offensive Player of the Year, senior linebacker Cody Cooper is the Defensive Player of the Year, and Carmen DeFrancesco is the Coach of the Year.
Through league games this year, Grosser, a first-team selection at running back, finished third in rushing with 875 yards on 166 carries (109.38 ypg). His 11 touchdowns helped place him in a tie for third in scoring with 70 points.
Cooper, who was also an honorable mention pick as a fullback in addition to his first-team selection at linebacker, led the league with 92 tackles and he was tied for third with two interceptions.
DeFrancesco struggled through a one-win season his first year at Upper Dauphin, but the Trojans almost ran the table this year if it wasn't for a 26-6 win by league runner-up Millersburg (tied with Line Mountain) in week eight.
Joining Grosser on the offensive first team for the Trojans are senior wide receiver Ty Raubenstine and senior tackle Blake Maurer.
Raubenstine caught 19 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns. His receptions were good for fourth in the league, while his yardage was fourth and his touchdowns were tied for second.
Rounding out the TVC offensive first team were Tri-Valley quarterback Matt McGinley, Williams Valley running back Brent Wolfe and Halifax running back Dustin Ramberger, Williams Valley Scott Sherman at fullback, Juniata's Hunter Geedey at variety back, Tri-Valley's Matt Hepler and Juniata's Eric Eberle at wide receivers, Tri-Valley's Bryn Bowman at tight end, Williams Valley's Ben Ancheff at center, Millersburg's Seth Landgraf and Juniata's Dan Fultz at guards, Juniata's Ethan Goss at tackle and Eberle at punter.
Wolfe was the conference's Most Valuable Player, while Fultz was the TVC's Offensive Lineman of the Year.
Wolfe led the TVC in receiving with 18 catches for 550 yards and three touchdowns, and he was fourth in rushing with 866 yards on 80 carries (108.25 ypg) and seven touchdowns.
The only other Valley representative on TVC's defensive first team was Line Mountain senior linebacker Chris Moore, who was also a second-team pick at fullback. Moore was fifth in the conference in tackles with 67, and he carried the ball 166 times for 924 yards (115.50 ypg) and eight touchdowns.
Completing the TVC's first team defense were tackles Ben Ancheff from Williams Valley, Fultz and Halifax's Mitch Mayko. Ends were Williams Valley's Blake Kolva and Pine Grove's Adam Soltys. The other inside linebacker is Pine Grove's Cale Hoover, while the outside linebackers are Pine Grove's Cameron Conrad and Tri-Valley's Bryn Bowman and Matt Hepler. The defensive backs are Wolfe, Millersburg's Nolan Allman, Pine Grove's Larry Zimmerman and Juniata's Austin Sneath. The placekicker is Scott Ney from Tri-Valley.
Ancheff was named the TVC's Defensive Lineman of the Year.
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