Penn-Trafford lineman Ochendowski commits to Cornell

By: Paul Schofield
Sunday, January 30, 2022 | 5:52 PM

Ochendowski commits to Cornell

Penn-Trafford senior Declan Ochendowski took a trip to Ithaca, N.Y., this weekend to visit Cornell, and he found a new home for the next four years.

Ochendowski received an offer to play football in the Ivy League and plans to attend, but he mist be accepted into the school. Cornell doesn’t offer athletic scholarships.

Cornell is located on the south end of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

He was his first NCAA Division I offer. He had offers to play Division II football at IUP and Mercyhurst.

After a great visit, I’m extremely excited to announce my commitment to Cornell University! Special thank you to my coaches, teammates, friends, and family who have supported me throughout this process. Go Big Red???? @CoachBhakta @CoachPeff @CUCoachArcher pic.twitter.com/1OFmiqKkIe

— declan ochendowski (@declanocho) January 30, 2022

“What sold me was the atmosphere of the campus and attitude of the coaches,” Ochendowski said. “They were all super focused in being successful, which is important to me. I also loved the campus. It was beautiful.”

Ochendowski was a two-way starter for Penn-Trafford as a tackle and defensive end. He played a key role in helping Penn-Trafford capture its first WPIAL and PIAA Class 5A championships.

He also was a Tribune-Review Terrific 25 player. He had 37 tackles and three sacks.

The captain also was part of an offensive line that dominated games.

— Paul Schofield

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford