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The Recruiting Zone (January 11th, 2020)

Find out what colleges are recruiting Blaise Sokach-Minnick, Beau Heyser, Will Robinson, Cayden Stem, and Avery Campbell now!


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Wyoming Area athlete Blaise Sokach-Minnick

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play sports in college, and preferably it would be football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have some interest, but I’d like to keep it private for now.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No. When Covid shut everything down, I couldn’t go to the trips I had planned.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes, this spring and summer I plan on visiting my top schools.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Stanford was always my favorite college team growing up.”


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Lampeter Strasburg tight end Beau Heyser

Do you want to play college football?
“Yes, football has always been my favorite sport by far and I am definitely looking to pursue that at the college level.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I am just starting to talk to some college coaches and have received some messages and exchanged texts with schools such as Penn, Kutztown, and West Chester. I am just starting the recruiting process and IIII am hoping IIII can get in contact with more schools in the future.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Penn University.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes. I am definitely looking at taking some visits once the dead period for visits end and am looking forward to seeing some great colleges and campuses.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Always was Penn State.”


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Imhotep Charter running back Will Robinson

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I want to continue to play football at the next level. It’s a dream that I always wanted to fulfill.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Colleges that are interested in me are Bowling Green, Columbia, Army, Miami Ohio and Morgan State. And after the season that I plan on having, I’m quite sure my college interest will go up.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Not at this time.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Yes, when I was younger my favorite college was Alabama.”


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Wilson quarterback Cayden Stem

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I definitely want to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’ve had three Ivy League school’s contact me which I’m excited about. It shows that my hard work on the field and in the classroom is paying off. I’ve also had a few out of state D1 schools and some D2 schools reach out.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“So far, the most interest is coming from the three Ivy League schools that have been contacting me.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No. In the past, I’ve gone to camps at Penn State and Syracuse Haswell as Lauren’s first and goal at Lafayette. I was planning on attending a camp or two in the south, one in the Midwest and one out west this past off-season, but obviously Covid took those opportunities away.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I’m just waiting to see what happens with the Covid situation. Once that’s a little clearer, it’s going to be getting to as many camps as possible to make up for lost time.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, I was a Texas Longhorns fan. I got that because my mom and dad are both Texas fans.”


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Williamsport defensive end Avery Campbell

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“It is my dream to play football in college. I’ve wanted that ever since I played pee-wee.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’ve currently only been talking to Carnegie Mellon University when it comes to recruiting and playing football there. Wingate University, Saint Vincent college, Lincoln U, Keystone College and Allegheny College have all sent me recruiting questionnaires as well. I’m hoping to get more looks as the new year comes, and colleges start to look at 2022 prospects.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Since the only school that has contacted me personally was Carnegie Mellon University, I’d say that they have been recruiting me the hardest.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I visited Carnegie Mellon back in November as well as the University of Pitt. I couldn’t talk to any of the coaches due to Covid restrictions, but I wanted to visit their campus and get a feel for their campus life and the city life.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I plan to visit Wingate University in the future. I have no set dates yet on when I would, but they are definitely on my list to visit and check out their program and campus life.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite colleges growing up were definitely Oregon University and Clemson University. I really loved their colors and their mascots when I was first exposed to them. Ever since I learned more about colleges, I noticed that their programs and locations are very unique and successful as well.”


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Q&A with Greensburg Central Catholic wide receiver Joe Blahovec

How did the high school football season go overall?
“First of all, we were very thankful to have a season during this pandemic. Overall, the season did not go nearly as expected. We finished 2-5 and it was not a good year for us.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I’ve gathered all the weights in my house and from my grandfather’s house. I also have a quarter of a mile hill in my neighborhood that I run. I’m just trying to work out as best I can and make the most out of school currently being closed and sports being put on hold.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We have the potential to do extremely well. We have a great group of seniors and young guys coming back. We plan to do much better than last year.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Jeanette and Clairton are both exceptional teams that we play every year. It’s hard to say which one.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I can’t pick one guy. Schools like Jeanette and Clairton are always stacked with great players.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“My number one goal is to play college football. If that for some reason couldn’t happen, I would pursue running track in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have interest from Ivy League schools including Penn, Harvard and Cornell.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“The University of Pennsylvania and Cornell are the schools that have shown the most interest in me lately.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No, I have not.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I am hoping to visit schools in the spring and attend football camps.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up
“My dad was in the military and we moved around, so I had quite a few colleges that I liked. If I had to pick one, I would say Pitt.”

Q&A with Moon Area defensive end Ben Bladel

How did the high school football season go overall?
“I was just glad that we got to play as no one knew what was going to happen before the season. As a team, the outcome of our season wasn’t as good as we hoped but like I said, we were glad we were able to play.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I play baseball as well as football, so until baseball starts up, I’ll be grinding in the gym and getting stronger.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I think we have a pretty good chance of doing some damage next year. We lost a couple key players but other than that, our whole team was juniors last year.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Next year, the toughest team we are going to play would be Upper Saint Clair.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I don’t really know who the toughest player we are going to play next year is. There are a bunch of good players and I can’t really pick one.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I want to play football in college and I want to go to one of the military academies.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I haven’t had any colleges recruit me yet.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No, I have not.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Not any yet, but I am looking into it.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I didn’t really have a favorite college. I only liked Pitt because I live in Pittsburgh.”

Q&A with Gateway defensive back Patrick Body Jr.

How did the high school football season go overall?
“It was good for the most part. We just fell a little short of the main goal.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Get bigger and quicker out of breaks.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I’m expecting a ring.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I am not sure yet, but not really worried either.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“College football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Besides my offers, it would be Purdue, Rutgers, Penn State and Notre Dame.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Cincinnati.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I am just waiting to see when I can take some trips.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, it was Ohio State.”

Q&A with Kiski Area kicker Cody Dykes

How did the high school football season go overall?
“Overall, I thought the season went pretty well. Our record may not show it, but we played hard every game and usually performed well minus a few mistakes. Personally, I think I performed well the whole season, only missing one kick all year and having an average net punt at 37.9 yards. I also received the 1st team All-Conference Punting Award.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Now I start lifting/working out 2-3 days a week until summer workouts. I also will start kicking at least once a week until the weekly kicking practices start in March. I throw in Track & Field so I will incorporate lifts and drills to get ready for that season in the spring.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel that my team will do pretty well next year. We are returning 8 starters on each side of the ball. We just need to work hard in the off season to build on the experience we have coming back.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Pine Richland will definitely be our toughest competition next season.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“The toughest individual player we will face off against next year is Julian Dugger from Penn Hills. He was a freshman at quarterback last year who was pretty good and will only get better.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“No, but I have been reaching out to a few colleges to start the recruiting process.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not made any college trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes, I plan to start doing visits in the spring and throughout the summer.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I did not have a favorite, but I enjoyed watching Pitt and Penn State football.”

Q&A with St. Joseph's Prep kicker Antonio Chadha

How did the high school football season go overall?
“I think that I had a really good high school season. I obviously tried to do the best I could with the limited opportunities due to the pandemic.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Right now, I am just trying to prepare for next season. My mom owns a gym, so I go there frequently because I want to get my legs much stronger for next year.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I know that we will have a great team again. I expect us to contend for our fourth straight state championship.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I don’t know the schedule for next year yet, but one of my favorite games to play in is against La Salle. They are our biggest rivals and if there are fans allowed next year, I 100% expect an electric crowd.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I don’t know the toughest player that we will play against, but I know that our coaches prepare the team well and we are ready to go toe to toe against anyone.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I do want to play sports in college. It’s been a dream of mine for a while now to kick Division 1.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been talking to some colleges, but I don’t have any offers yet, so I don’t know if they are recruiting me or not. It would be nice to at least get one offer before senior season, but I’m focused on being better and getting better.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have been to some colleges. I visited the University of Florida two or three times. My dad and aunt are both alumni of there, so UF is my dream school. I have also visited the University of Tennessee, which I absolutely loved as well. I’ve seen Temple as well because the high school that I attend, St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, is right next to it. We even practice on the same field as they do.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Like I mentioned before, the University of Florida has been my favorite college growing up. My favorite athlete from there is Tim Tebow. I have read all of his books and I even have a signed jersey from him. I also have a signed picture from Urban Meyer and Billy Donovan together, which I love.”

The Recruiting Zone (January 4th, 2020)

Find out what colleges are recruiting Antonio Chadha, Cody Dykes, Patrick Body Jr., Ben Bladel, and Joe Blahovec now!


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St. Joseph's Prep kicker Antonio Chadha

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I do want to play sports in college. It’s been a dream of mine for a while now to kick Division 1.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been talking to some colleges, but I don’t have any offers yet, so I don’t know if they are recruiting me or not. It would be nice to at least get one offer before senior season, but I’m focused on being better and getting better.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have been to some colleges. I visited the University of Florida two or three times. My dad and aunt are both alumni of there, so UF is my dream school. I have also visited the University of Tennessee, which I absolutely loved as well. I’ve seen Temple as well because the high school that I attend, St. Joe’s Prep in Philadelphia, is right next to it. We even practice on the same field as they do.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Like I mentioned before, the University of Florida has been my favorite college growing up. My favorite athlete from there is Tim Tebow. I have read all of his books and I even have a signed jersey from him. I also have a signed picture from Urban Meyer and Billy Donovan together, which I love.”


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Kiski Area kicker Cody Dykes

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“No, but I have been reaching out to a few colleges to start the recruiting process.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not made any college trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes, I plan to start doing visits in the spring and throughout the summer.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I did not have a favorite, but I enjoyed watching Pitt and Penn State football.”


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Gateway defensive back Patrick Body Jr.

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“College football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Besides my offers, it would be Purdue, Rutgers, Penn State and Notre Dame.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Cincinnati.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I am just waiting to see when I can take some trips.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, it was Ohio State.”


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Moon Area defensive end Ben Bladel

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I want to play football in college and I want to go to one of the military academies.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I haven’t had any colleges recruit me yet.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No, I have not.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Not any yet, but I am looking into it.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I didn’t really have a favorite college. I only liked Pitt because I live in Pittsburgh.”


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Greensburg Central Catholic wide receiver Joe Blahovec

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“My number one goal is to play college football. If that for some reason couldn’t happen, I would pursue running track in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have interest from Ivy League schools including Penn, Harvard and Cornell.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“The University of Pennsylvania and Cornell are the schools that have shown the most interest in me lately.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No, I have not.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I am hoping to visit schools in the spring and attend football camps.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up
“My dad was in the military and we moved around, so I had quite a few colleges that I liked. If I had to pick one, I would say Pitt.”


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Q&A with Farrell linebacker Tai’Don Strickland

How did the high school football season go overall?
“Our season was okay, but the COVID-19 restrictions really put a damper on our season. We didn’t get the outcome we wanted. States is always the goal, but we’re expected to bounce back very strong with the senior class coming up.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I am working out 4 out 7 days of the week. I get field work whenever I’m free and I play basketball to stay in shape.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We are looking for revenge to get back to Hershey. 15-0, and nothing less.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Most likely it will be Wilmington again.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“No one, because one player cannot stop our team.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have a few looks, but no offers yet.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, to Pitt.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“No because of COVID-19.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Yes, Penn State and then LSU.”

Q&A with Chartiers Valley quarterback Anthony Mackey

How did the high school football season go overall?
“The season went well. We were able to get our first winning season in 10 years I believe, and we were able to play at a high level.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I play basketball and baseball to go along with football, so I am going to continue to play those. I’ll also be lifting throughout those seasons as well as in the summer.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel we will still be a good team despite losing a lot of senior talent. We will be a bit young, but I believe coming off of this year will serve as motivation for us to match that level next year.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Either Aliquippa or Belle Vernon.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“(Devin) Whitlock from Belle Vernon is a very good player, but there are many others on our schedule that are good talents as well.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I plan on trying to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been in contact with a few colleges, most notably UPenn.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I am not sure. It very much depends on Covid and my other sports seasons as well.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My mom is a Penn State fan while my Dad is a Pitt fan, so growing up I watched both of them a lot.”

Q&A with West Allegheny outfielder Devan Zirwas

How did the high school football season go overall?
“The high school football season overall went very well considering many people believed that there would be no football in Pennsylvania this year. My teammates and I were very thankful for the opportunity to have a season despite the global pandemic.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“My plan now is to lift six days a week and prepare for the upcoming baseball season. I am starting my throwing program and visiting C-Side Sports Academy often to get swings in.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel confident that we will do well next year. This is the first time that I’ve had the same head coach for two years in a row and I believe that what he is bringing to this program will really help us in the future.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I think that Moon will be the toughest team we will play against next year. They have a very solid team that has been young. With Ben Bladel and Dylan Sleva leading them, they will be tough to stop.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Ben Bladel from Moon is the toughest individual we will play this year.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“In college, I want to play baseball.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been recruited by a few schools and am excited to see what the future holds.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not made any college trips yet.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was Duke and I was blessed to be invited down by one of the baseball coaches last winter.”

Q&A with Cumberland Valley tight end Troy Collard

How did the high school football season go overall?
“My season went alright. The shortened season was disappointing, but I am blessed to have any games at all.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I play basketball in the winter and AAU in the spring, which will keep me busy along with staying in the weight room.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“My team is going to come back really strong. We had a lot of young guys getting their first varsity reps this season, which was a huge bright spot in our program.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I’m most excited to play Central Dauphin. I know there is a lot of history between our two schools and that rivalry is always a great matchup.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I’m new to the area, so I’m not really aware of any outstanding players.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I hope to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’ve texted a little bit with Harvard and UPenn.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Unfortunately, I can’t really right now because of COVID.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Hopefully I’ll get to visit some colleges once the pandemic clears up hopefully soon.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I always loved watching USC because both my parents graduated from there.”

Q&A with Imani Christian Academy running back Raysaun Jackson

How did the high school football season go overall?
“My season was good, but it could’ve been better.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“My plans for the off-season are to work out in order to get bigger and faster.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel that my team will do good. We should qualify for the playoffs this year.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I feel we have no tough competition in the upcoming season. We will be bigger, faster, and we will out play everybody.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“Brad Birch will be the toughest. He is a good passer and good runner.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I want to play football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“No colleges have been recruiting me yet.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I haven’t made any college trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I have plans on setting some up.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Yes, my favorite colleges have always been Oregon, Pitt, and Penn State.”

The Recruiting Zone (December 28th, 2020)

Find out what colleges are recruiting Raysaun Jackson, Troy Collard, Devan Zirwas, Anthony Mackey, and Tai’Don Strickland now!


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Imani Christian Academy running back Raysaun Jackson

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I want to play football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“No colleges have been recruiting me yet.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I haven’t made any college trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I have plans on setting some up.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Yes, my favorite colleges have always been Oregon, Pitt, and Penn State.”


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Cumberland Valley tight end Troy Collard

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I hope to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’ve texted a little bit with Harvard and UPenn.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Unfortunately, I can’t really right now because of COVID.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Hopefully I’ll get to visit some colleges once the pandemic clears up hopefully soon.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I always loved watching USC because both my parents graduated from there.”


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West Allegheny outfielder Devan Zirwas

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“In college, I want to play baseball.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been recruited by a few schools and am excited to see what the future holds.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not made any college trips yet.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was Duke and I was blessed to be invited down by one of the baseball coaches last winter.”


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Chartiers Valley quarterback Anthony Mackey

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“I plan on trying to play football in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been in contact with a few colleges, most notably UPenn.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“No trips yet.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I am not sure. It very much depends on Covid and my other sports seasons as well.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My mom is a Penn State fan while my Dad is a Pitt fan, so growing up I watched both of them a lot.”


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Farrell linebacker Tai’Don Strickland

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have a few looks, but no offers yet.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“Yes, to Pitt.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“No because of COVID-19.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Yes, Penn State and then LSU.”


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1942 Rose Bowl

It was announced yesterday that the "Rose Bowl" is being moved from Pasadena, California for the first time since 1942. The 1942 iteration of the grandaddy of the them all was moved following the bombing of Pearl Harbor and concern for having a major American event on the west coast as the country was preparing for war with the Japanese. The game between Oregon State and Duke was moved to Durham, North Carolina and played in different stadium for the first and only time in the game's history until this upcoming January 1st.

So why post this on a Pennsylvania high school football message board? Well, the quarterback for Duke that day was sophomore Bob Rute from Easton, Pennsylvania. Rute was named to the inaugural AP All State team in 1939 after leading Easton to an undefeated season and mythical state title before going to play for the Blue Devils. Rute was a sophomore starter for the Duke in the 1941 season and went 3-7 for 71 yards and an interception in the Rose Bowl. Rute left Duke to serve in World War II and came back to finish his college career for Wallace Wade and the Blue Devils in 1946. Rute came back to Easton and took over as head football coach in 1948 and manned the Red Rover sideline until 1967, where he won 131 games and a mythical state title in 1958. Rute is the namesake of the athletic offices building attached to Cottingham Stadium and Bob Rute Memorial Park, which houses Easton's Little League teams.

Recruiting Trivia

So in working on something else, I stumbled upon an hisorical database of Tom Lemming's position rankings dating back to the 1990 signing day (so seniors who played in 1989). I'm trying to put together some bigger info around what I found, because it's a fascinating historical document. Rivals didn't start rankings until 2001 and the 247 Composite only goes back to 2000 (which is not a complete list at all), and Tom was kind of the guy in recruiting information before the internet era.

It doesn't have overall rankings, or an equivalent of a "star" rating, but it does have deep lists at every position. So here's the activity - using the Tom Lemming rankings from 1990-2002 and the 247 Composite thereafter, Pennsylvania has had 17 players ranked as the top at their position nationally. I'm curious how many the board can put together. Throughout the day I'll release more hints as information, but I'll start with positions and a list of the years (not tied to position for now).

Positions:
3 - Dual Threat QB
3
1 – Guard
2 – Running Back
2
1 – Tight Ends
2 – Center
1 – Fullback
1 – Wide Receiver
1 – Defensive End

1 - Inside Linebacker
1 – Outside Linebacker

Years
1990
1991
1993
1994

1997
1997
2000
2001

2005
2008
2009

2010
2012
2013
2016
2016
2020


Years are for the year of high school graduation - so 2020 would be the 2019 football season. There are no #1's in this year's class, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the highest rated at his position as the #2 inside linebacker nationally, next year's early look also has a #2 in Enai White from Imhotep at defensive end.

Correct
Ron Powlus, Berwick - #1 dual threat QB in 1993 (Notre Dame)
Lavar Arrington, North Hills - #1 outside linebacker in 1997 (Penn State)
Terrelle Pryor, Jeannette - #1 dual threat QB and #2 overall player in 2008 (Ohio State)
Dan Kendra, Bethlehem Catholic - #1 dual threat QB in 1994 (Florida State)
Kevin Jones, Cardinal O'Hara - #1 running back and #1 overall player in 2001 (Virginia Tech)
Dustin Picciotti, CB West - #1 fullback in 2000 (Pittsburgh)
Mike Menet, Exeter Township - #1 guard , #28 overall player in 2016 (Penn State)
Julian Fleming, Southern Columbia - #1 wide receiver, #4 overall player in 2020 (Ohio State)
Kyle Brady, Cedar Cliff - #1 tight end in 1990 (Penn State)
Noah Spencer, Bishop McDevitt - #1 defensive end, #5 overall player in 2012 (Ohio State)
Miles Sanders, Woodland Hills - #1 running back, #21 overall player in 2016 (Penn State)
Eric Shrive, West Scranton - #1 guard, #39 overall player in 2009 (Penn State)

Not Quite
Micah Parsons, Harrisburg - #2 defensive end, #5 overall player in 2018
Dan Connor, Strath Haven - #2 inside linebacker in 2004, #13 overall player in 2004
Anthony Morelli, Penn Hills - #2 pro style QB in 2004, #15 overall player in 2004
Shariff Floyd, George Washington - #2 defensive end in 2010, #6 overall player in 2010
Callahan Bright, Harriton - #2 defensive tackle in 2005, #19 overall player in 2005
Justin King, Gateway - #2 cornerback in 2005, #15 overall player in 2005
Jeff Smoker, Manheim Central - #2 quarterback, #15 overall player in 2000
Jon Ritchie, Cumberland Valley - #2 fullback in 1993
Chad Henne, Wilson West Lawn - #3 quarterback, #18 overall player in 2004
Marlin Jackson, Sharon - #3 cornerback, #33 overall player
Jonathan Baldwin, Aliquippa - #4 wide receiver, #14 overall player in 2009
Stefan Wisniewski, Pittsburgh Central Catholic - #4 guard in 2007, #98 overall player
Dan Lawlor, Cumberland Valley - #8 fullback in 2004, #380 overall player
Shady McCoy, Bishop McDevitt - #9 running back, #29 overall player in 2006
AQ Shipley, Cornell - #14 defensive tackle in 2004, #124 overall player
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Q&A with Neumann & Goretti defensive back Raleigh Collins III

How did the high school football season go overall?
“Our season sadly got postponed and only got to play 1 game that we won against Archbishop John Carroll. I have been told by my coach that he is trying to get us to have a season in the spring.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I am still conditioning by myself and working out. If football is a no go, then I will start training and practicing baseball.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I am confident we will go far. I saw a glimpse of what we did this season and I’m excited to see what we can do next season.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“I don’t have the current schedule, but our coaches are hoping to get a top 15 team next season. Not 100% on this, just talk.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I’m still new to the Catholic League, so I don't know a lot of the players from around here.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I have been offered by PSU, Oregon, Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Boston College, Howard, WVU, PITT, UCONN, Bowling Green, Temple, UMASS, Army, Upenn and Kansas. I have heard from Northwestern, Liberty, Nebraska, Purdue, Rutgers, Cornell, Yale, and Notre Dame."

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have visited PSU for an unofficial on September 27. I have also virtually visited PSU, Oregon, Cincinnati and WVU. I plan on having a Pitt virtual visit this week.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“I really would love to visit a lot of schools, but because of COVID, I’m not sure when I will be able to.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“I always loved Oregon as a kid because I was amazed by their uniforms.”

Q&A with Imhotep Charter defensive tackle Giovonni Graham

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“The plans for working out and practicing have changed since the pandemic. It has restricted a lot of group sessions, so I have been doing a lot on my own and wearing a mask.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“In this coming up season for my junior year, I think me and my team will have a pretty successful season. I think we have a chance to be undefeated.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I would like to play sports in college and I want to play football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“Yes, I am being recruited at this time and have picked up two offers so far from UMASS and Akron. I have been in contact with other schools, especially MAC Division schools. I have also been in contact with UCONN and others.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I have not made any college trips yet, but that is something I am looking forward to.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon?
“Yes, I have plans on taking some college trips when the dead period ends as I want to go up to a few schools this year.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, I did have a favorite team actually. I like Alabama as it has just been me and my friends watching them at high stage on TV made me take interest in them.”

Q&A with Neumann-Goretti linebacker Zaid Warren

How did the high school football season go overall?
“My high school football season was canceled, which made me upset.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“Just because of Covid, it hasn’t stopped me from working out. I still work out daily and make sure I’m staying in shape.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“I feel like my team will be great next year.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Bonner might be a tough matchup.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I’m not sure who the toughest person we might face.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I do want to play sports in college.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“I’m being recruited by UMASS, Kansas University and Temple.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I haven’t made any college trips due to covid-19.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“Growing up, one of my favorite colleges was Miami University.”

Q&A with Jeannette quarterback Brad Birch

How did the high school football season go overall?
“I think it went good for sure, but it would’ve been better if I didn’t get hurt and then go on to win states.”

What are your plans now with sports and workouts?
“I’ve just started going to the gym after the season was over and then I’m going to work on getting faster and just more ways to get better overall.”

How do you feel your team will do next football season?
“We will do good. We lost many of our starters, but we still have skill and linemen to back it up.”

What team do you feel will be the toughest competition on your schedule?
“Usually it’s Clairton and just the game is a rivalry. Clairton will be our toughest competition.”

Who is the toughest individual player your team will face off against?
“I’m not sure yet because all the teams we played had many seniors leave and they were their best players.”

Do you want to play sports in college? If so, which one?
“Yes, I do want to play football in college, but if something switches up, I’ll play basketball or baseball. Right now, it’s football.”

What colleges have been recruiting you?
“No coaches can talk to me yet, but the college coaches that follow me or have sent me questionnaires are Penn State, Pitt, Baylor, Rutgers, Marshall, and UNLV. My 7 on 7 coach helped me with more college coaches like Texas Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Michigan and more.”

What school is recruiting you the hardest?
“No one can talk to me yet, but just most of the Penn State staff follows me.”

Have you made any college trips yet?
“I only visited Michigan and Toledo for 7 on 7 tournaments.”

Do you have plans for any trips soon
“I might go to some with my brother for his recruiting, but no plans on it now.”

Did you have a favorite college growing up?
“My favorite college growing up was always Alabama since I was like 5, but for a while now, I’ve been liking Florida the most.”
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