2021 Valley News Dispatch Football All-Stars

By: Michael Love
Saturday, December 25, 2021 | 9:25 PM

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First-team all-stars

Luke Bombalski

Highlands, RB/LB, so.

The Golden Rams’ offensive standout had a breakout season with 210 carries for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 51 yards and a score. He made 71 tackles and produced seven sacks.

Logan Brooks

Plum, WR/DB, sr.

The first-team Greater Allegheny Conference selection at defensive back made 37 tackles, intercepted three passes, caused a fumble and recovered another for the playoff-qualifying Mustangs. He added 50 catches for 569 yards and four touchdowns, 15 rushes for 100 yards and a TD and 11 kickoff returns for a 34-yard average and two scores.

Cole Charlton

Freeport, WR/LB/DL, sr.

Charlton earned Allegheny Seven most valuable defensive lineman honors as he helped anchor the Yellowjackets in the trenches. He made 53 tackles, including 11 tackles for a loss, and recorded six sacks, picked off a pass and both caused and recovered a fumble.

Vinnie Clark

Freeport, WR/DB/K/P, sr.

A veteran presence in all three phases for the Yellowjackets, Clark caught 19 passes for 209 yards and four touchdowns and threw for another score. He made 41 tackles and added two sacks and two interceptions. In the kicking game, he recorded 11 touchbacks on kickoffs and punted 14 times for a 38.2 average.

Caden DiCaprio

Burrell, RB/LB, sr.

DiCaprio was a workhorse in the backfield for the Burrell offense. He carried the ball 295 times over 11 games and produced 1,487 yards and 15 touchdowns. His efforts were recognized with selection to the Allegheny Seven first-team offense. He added 57 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries on defense.

Logan Dexter

Springdale, RB/DB, sr.

A standout on both sides of the ball for the Dynamos, Dexter overcame a midseason injury to rush for 643 yards and 11 touchdowns on 108 carries. Defensively, he made 57 stops, tallied nine interceptions and forced three fumbles. Dexter earned first-team Eastern Conference all-star recognition at both running back and safety.

CJ Hepler

Kiski Area, RB/OLB, sr.

Returning to the gridiron after a multi-year hiatus, Hepler made the most of his opportunity. He carried the ball 128 times for 1,011 yards and eight touchdowns. Hepler went over 100 yards three times and came within four yards of the century mark against Pine-Richland. He added 31 tackles on defense. Hepler’s efforts earned him selection to the Northeast Conference first team offense.

Gage Howard

Springdale, OL/DE, sr.

Smaller in stature than your average lineman, Howard again played huge in the trenches for the Dynamos. A stout run and pass blocker on offense, Howard also shined on defense where he made 98 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, recorded 10 sacks and recovered three fumbles.

Logan Kline

Leechburg, WR/S, jr.

One of the main targets in the Blue Devils passing game, Kline caught 35 passes for 616 yards and a team-best eight receiving touchdowns. He caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in Leechburg’s WPIAL Class A quarterfinal loss to Cornell. Kline was an Eastern Conference first-team selection.

Greg Klingensmith

Apollo-Ridge, OL/DL, sr.

The William & Mary Division I commit was a force in the trenches for the Vikings. He earned Allegheny Conference defensive lineman of the year honors and was a first-team selection at both offensive and defensive tackle. Klingensmith was one of Apollo-Ridge’s leading tacklers, and he recorded three sacks.

Ben Lane

Freeport, RB/DB, jr.

The Swiss Army knife for the Yellowjackets was recognized by the Allegheny Seven Conference for his all-purpose efforts. He carried the ball 102 times for 556 yards and eight touchdowns and threw for 464 yards and three scores. He was a first-team all-conference pick as a returner. He added 40 tackles on defense, where he also picked up an all-conference nod.

Brandon Lawhorn Moore

Kiski Area, OT/DT, sr.

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Miami (Ohio) commit helped jumpstart an offense that produced 332 total yards a game. His skills were recognized by coaches with selection to the Northeast Conference first-team offense. Lawhorne-Moore also provided support in the trenches on defense as he helped clog up running lanes and recorded 27 tackles.

Braylan Lovelace

Leechburg, RB/LB, jr.

The Blue Devils’ offensive force earned Eastern Conference first-team honors after finishing ninth in the WPIAL in rushing with 171 carries for 1,506 yards and 29 touchdowns. He had 22 carries for 149 yards and three scores in a WPIAL first-round win over California. The 6-3, 190-pounder also shined on defense, where he added all-conference laurels at linebacker.

Eryck Moore

Plum, RB/LB, jr.

He was No. 1 on the roster and also was No. 1 in the running game for the Mustangs. Moore, who broke out last year as Plum made the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals, continued to put up numbers to the tune of 155 carries for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns. He added three catches for 118 yards and a score and produced 51 tackles and an interception on defense. The Greater Allegheny Conference coaches voted Moore to the first-team offense.

Khi’Lee Patterson

Fox Chapel, WR/DB, sr.

The Foxes’ veteran performer finished second on the team in tackles (82) despite missing three games because of injury. He added an interception, and his efforts were rewarded with selection to the Northeast Conference first-team defense. Offensively, he caught 26 passes for 441 yards and five touchdowns, rushed 56 times for 206 yards and two scores and threw for 126 yards and a TD.

Eli Rich

Leechburg, TE/DE, sr.

The 6-5, 240-pounder was a force on both sides of the ball for the Blue Devils and their run to a winning season and the WPIAL Class A quarterfinals. He picked up first-team Eastern Conference honors at both tight end and defensive end and was named the conference’s lineman of the year. A solid run blocker, Rich also hauled in 33 passes for 547 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Andrew Sullivan

Freeport, RB/LB, sr.

The veteran Yellowjackets defensive anchor led the team in tackles with 119 in 11 games, and 32 of them were for a loss. He recorded 11 sacks, picked off a pass and recovered three fumbles. He had a season-high 18 tackles against Burrell and added 15 in Freeport’s close WPIAL Class 3A first-round loss to Elizabeth Forward.

Chandler Thimons

Highlands, QB/LB, jr.

The 6-4, 210-pound dual threat threw for 1,340 yards (96 of 177) and 17 touchdowns while also rushing 128 times for 887 yards and 11 scores as Highlands earned a berth in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. He also was a part of the nucleus for the Golden Rams defense with 57 tackles and a sack.

Daniel Thimons

Highlands, C/DT, sr.

The veteran anchor at the center of the offensive line earned Greater Allegheny Conference first-team all-star recognition as he helped Highlands average 350 yards of total offense through 11 games. He also was a headache for opposing offenses as he made 73 tackles, recorded 10 sacks and recovered two fumbles.

Kaden Thomas

Plum, TE/WR/DE/LB, jr.

The versatile two-way performer for the Mustangs was a challenge to block as he finished with 115 tackles, an average of 10.5 a game, and recorded four sacks as Plum rallied to earn a spot in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. He had six games of 10 or more tackles, including a season-best 24 in Plum’s close loss to Armstrong.

Zidane Thomas

Fox Chapel, RB/LB, sr.

The 6-0, 210-pound bruiser earned Northeast Conference first-team honors at running back as he rushed for 1,023 yards and 10 touchdowns on 171 carries (6.0 average) in the Foxes’ run to the WPIAL Class 5A quarterfinals. He also led Fox Chapel in tackles with 108, with 21 for a loss. Thomas recorded four sacks, intercepted a pass and caused two fumbles.

Gavynn Thompson

Burrell, C/DL, sr.

The anchor of the Bucs offensive line, he helped open holes in the running game for fellow senior Caden DiCaprio, who tallied close to 1,500 rushing yards. His efforts were noted by the coaches in the Allegheny Seven Conference, who selected him to the first team on offense. A nominee for the Bill Fralic Award honoring the top senior lineman in the WPIAL, Thompson also made 29 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Brock Wilkins

Kiski Area, RB/LB, sr.

The veteran linebacker finished second on the Cavaliers defense in tackles with 59 and recorded three sacks. His efforts earned him selection to the Northeast Conference first-team defense. On offense, the Pitt preferred walk-on logged 104 carries for 496 yards and eight touchdowns.

Second-team all-stars

Xavier Andree, Valley, TE/DE, jr.

Tyler Bender, Highlands, OL/DL, jr.

Dean Cecere, Riverivew, RB/LB/S, sr.

Angelo Cicco, Apollo-Ridge, WR/DB, sr.

Zach Clark, Freeport, RB/DB, jr.

Sam Coleman, Kiski Area, OL/DL, sr.

Nick Curci, Apollo-Ridge, RB/LB, jr.

Cody Dykes, Kiski Area, K/P, sr.

Tyler Foley, Leechburg, WR/CB, jr.

Sean Franzi, Plum, QB/DB, so.

Keagan Fraser, Knoch, RB/S, sr.

Andrew Harmon, Springdale, TE/LB, sr.

Andrew Haus, Springdale, P/K, sr.

Caleb Kulikowski, Fox Chapel, OL/DE, sr.

John Lissoto, Deer Lakes, OL/DL, sr.

Caliel Long, Highlands, OL/DE, sr.

Parker Lucas, Freeport, WR/DB, jr.

Jake Murphy, Knoch, TE/LB, jr.

Colton Otterman, Freeport, WR/LB, so.

Jacksen Reiser, Freeport, RB/TE/LB, jr.

Gio Savko, Springdale, OL/LB, sr.

Cody Scarantine, Deer Lakes, RB/CB, sr.

Bradey Schrock, Apollo-Ridge, OL/DL, sr.

Tyreese Swindler, Valley, OL/DL, sr.

Brock White, Highlands, RB/LB, sr.

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Apollo-Ridge, Burrell, Deer Lakes, Fox Chapel, Freeport, Highlands, Kiski Area, Knoch, Leechburg, Plum, Riverview, Springdale, Valley