Quartet of Deer Lakes football standouts sign with PSAC schools

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, February 7, 2024 | 8:47 PM

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Derek Burk, Nick Rossi, Ryan Cochran and Wayne Love were among those at the center of a Deer Lakes football resurgence in 2023.

The quartet helped lead the Lancers to a home playoff game and the program’s first postseason victory, a dominating 48-18 victory over Southmoreland.

Despite a tough loss to WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A champion Belle Vernon in the quarterfinals, Deer Lakes, which finished 8-4 overall, was able to celebrate a myriad of milestones and accomplishments throughout the fall.

Now, those four veteran standouts are set to make their mark at the next level.

“I’ve been with these dudes for almost my entire life,” Love said. “We’ve been through so much, and we have a lot to celebrate. It’s great to see what the future players will get as far as (college) looks and the opportunities they will have from the things that we did.”

National letter of intent signing day for Division I and II football commits Wednesday marked the end of one journey for numerous area student athletes and the beginning of another.

For Burk, Rossi and Cochran, that new journey will take them to Division II Edinboro in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and Love’s path will lead him to PSAC upstart Lock Haven.

“We worked so well as a team, and that bond continues some three months after the season ended,” said Burk, the Valley News Dispatch Offensive Player of the Year. “The bond will continue no matter where we go in life. Three of us will be sticking together (at Edinboro) and hoping to have many more moments together, but we’ll never forget what we did (at Deer Lakes).”

Former Alle-Kiski Valley standout Jake Nulph, an Apollo-Ridge graduate who has begun preparing for his fourth season with Edinboro, has said the area is loaded with quality football players who can make a difference.

Eight from the AK Valley were on the Edinboro roster in 2023.

Also joining the Fighting Scots are Highlands lineman Aidan Vargo and Plum quarterback/punter Sean Franzi.

“No matter where I decided to go, I knew it was going to be a great opportunity,” Cochran said. “But to continue on with Derek and Nick, it is super special.”

Other area football standouts putting pen to paper Wednesday were Knoch’s Aidan Jones (Seton Hill), Kiski Area’s Bart Martin (Cal (Pa.)), Brennan Moore (Mercyhurst) and Tavin Wilson (Mercyhurst).

Several other locals are still finalizing their decisions.

The regular signing period for Division I wraps up April 1, while those choosing a Division II school have until Aug. 1 to sign.

“We came full circle over the past couple of years as a team through a lot of hard work,” Rossi said. “The hard work can’t stop, and that is the way it is for everyone who signs. I may not have been the most physically gifted person, but I knew the work I put in on the field and in the weight room would make a difference.

“If you don’t put in the work, you aren’t going to get to where you want to be.”

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: Deer Lakes