By Brian Holtzapple
If Selinsgrove’s run to the Class AAA state title in 2009 was the cake, just consider what happened to the Seals on Wednesday to be the icing.
A total of six Selinsgrove players were selected to the Pennsylvania Sports Writers’ All-State Football team, including three who landed on the first team.
Making it onto the all-state first team for Selinsgrove were senior wide receiver Ryan Keiser, senior offensive lineman Jon Trego and senior defensive lineman Spencer Myers.
In addition, the Seals’ Dave Hess was named the Class AAA Coach of the Year following his squad’s unblemished 16-0 season that culminated in the school’s first state title.
“I’m completely surprised,” said Hess, whose quiet night at home on Wednesday was made more exciting by the announcement.
“I think there are a lot of good coaches in the state of Pennsylvania. It’s a great honor and it’s humbling.
“It’s a nice way to finish the season,” the coach added.
And just like with any good coach, Hess gave credit where credit is due for his honor.
“It’s not an individual award and I have to give credit to the whole coaching staff,” Hess said. “We have a great offensive coordinator in Mike Bowman, a great defensive coordinator in Jason Hicks and other great coaches right on down the line.
“But when you have great football players, it’ll make the coaching staff look good,” the coach added.
The Seals did just that this season, and their individual numbers spoke volumes.
Keiser, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound soon-to-be preferred walk-on at Penn State, caught 61 passes for 1,140 yards and 16 touchdowns this season to break all of the Seals’ receiving records in the process.
Trego anchored Selinsgrove’s offensive line and helped the Seals rush for 3,138 yards on 441 carries.
Myers keyed an equally stout Selinsgrove defensive line this past season. A second-team all-state selection a year ago, Myers made 68 tackles and seven sacks.
Making the second team for the Seals were senior tight end Kyle Schuck, plus senior Cory Briggs as an all-purpose back and junior Seth Lauver at linebacker.
The Harvard-bound Briggs (6-2, 210) completed 151-of- 277 passes for 2,165 yards and 30 touchdowns on the 2009 season. He also rushed for five more scores.
Schuck, one of Briggs’ favorite pass catchers this season along with Keiser, caught 31 balls for 389 yards and seven touchdowns.
Lauver made 76 tackles and had three sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries from his inside linebacker position.
“I’m just the happiest guy in the world for those kids.
When you have six players named all-state it’s a credit to the team,” Hess said. “It’s a reflection on the entire team and the program. I’m happy that everybody is getting that kind of recognition.”
The Valley’s Class AA allstate selections went to Mount Carmel senior defensive linemen Trevor Demko and Ahmad Abuomar. Demko was a first-team selection while Abuomar landed on the second team for the Red Tornadoes.
At 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Abuomar terrorized opposing teams by accumulating nine sacks and 65 tackles, 31 solo.
Demko (6-6, 221) only played half the season for the Red Tornadoes, but the West Virginia- bound player still made 38 tackles in his limited time on the field.
The Class A all-state team was highlighted by the firstteam selections of Southern Columbia junior fullback Jake Morton and Line Mountain senior Tyler Klinger as an allpurpose player on defense.
Morton carried the ball 188 times for 1,311 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Klinger had 23 carries for 241 yards and four touchdowns this season for the Eagles, and he also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns and had one two-point conversion run for 44 total points.
Area representatives on the Class A offensive second team were Upper Dauphin senior fullback Tyler Grosser and Southern senior tackle Brad Witcoskie, while on defense Line Mountain senior linebacker Chris Moore and Upper Dauphin senior linebacker Cody Cooper were selected.
Grosser carried the ball 201 times for 1,260 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 53 yards.
Witcoskie is a three-year starter for the Tigers. This past season he helped pave the way for the team to rush for 3,557 yards on 593 carries.
Moore and Cooper were two of the Twin Valley Conference’s best defenders this past season.
Moore had 76 tackles, 12 for loss, along with two forced fumbles. Cooper recorded 116 tackles in addition to three sacks and he caused two fumbles.
Class AAAA champion La Salle College High School, the first District 12 team to claim a PIAA football title, placed six players on the team, including first-team selections Drew Loughery at quarterback, Steve Szostak on the offensive line and Ryan Saraceni at linebacker. Loughery also was the first-team quarterback a year ago.
PIAA Class AAAA runner- up State College and Philadelphia Catholic League team Cardinal O’Hara also produced a trio of first-team selections on teams chosen by a panel of sports writers. State College was represented by offensive lineman Mike Leskowski, defensive Dom Mills and defensive all-purpose pick Alex Kenney on the first team.
O’Hara landed offensive lineman Matt Williams, offensive all-purpose pick Corey Brown and linebacker Mike Huf.
Nine players who were previous first-team selections repeated, including Class AAAA player of the year Sharrif Floyd of Philadelphia George Washington.
Floyd, selected as a defensive lineman this year after being picked as an offensive lineman in 2008, recently decided to play at Florida.
Other first-team repeaters were McDowell offensive lineman Dusty Galich, Liberty defensive back Anthony Gonzalez (last year’s AAAA player of the year who was injured the first half of the season), running back Joe DeFebo of Wallenpaupack, defensive lineman.
