WPIAL players selected to 2017 Trib 25 football all-star team

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, December 13, 2017 | 5:45 PM

---

Here’s a look at the 2017 Trib 25 football all-star team:

Player of the year

Phil Jurkovec

Pine-Richland, QB

Senior, 6-5, 200

The Notre Dame recruit completed 243 of 334 passes for 3,969 yards and 39 touchdowns this season and also had 132 carries for 1,211 yards and 24 touchdowns in leading Pine-Richland to WPIAL and PIAA championships. He rushed for four touchdowns and threw for another in the state title-game victory over St. Joseph’s Prep.

T.J. Banks

East Allegheny, WR/TE/DL

Senior, 6-5, 240

The West Virginia recruit had 48 receptions for 678 yards for the Wildcats, who reached the WPIAL Class 2A quarterfinals.

Aidan Cain

Mt. Lebanon, WR/DB

Senior, 6-0, 170

Cain set WPIAL regular-season records for receptions and yards with 101 for 1,749 yards and also set WPIAL single-game records with 27 catches and 350 yards. Cain also scored 14 touchdowns. He just received a walk-on offer from Pitt.

Jordan Crawford

Pine-Richland, RB/DB

Senior, 5-8, 175

Crawford had 1,999 all-purpose yards, including 143 carries for 1,289 yards and 25 touchdowns and 32 receptions for 539 yards and six touchdowns for the WPIAL and PIAA Class 6A champion Rams. He earned an offer from Fairmont State on Monday.

Devin Danielson

Thomas Jefferson, OL/DL

Senior, 6-3, 295

A Pitt recruit, Danielson posted 19 career sacks. The four-year starter led Thomas Jefferson to the WPIAL Class 4A title for the third straight season.

Lionel Deanes

Seton LaSalle, RB/DB

Senior, 5-8, 185

A Workhorse running back, Deanes had a WPIAL-high 297 carries for 2,112 yards and 25 touchdowns for the Rebels, who lost a WPIAL Class 3A semifinal playoff game to eventual state champion Quaker Valley.

Derek Devine

North Allegheny, OL/DL

Senior, 6-6, 280

Devine was a two-way lineman for a North Allegheny team that finished 8-4. The Virginia recruit was named first-team all-conference on offense.

MJ Devonshire

Aliquippa, WR/DB

Junior, 5-11, 175

Devonshire, who has an offer from Ohio State, was named first-team all-conference for both offense and defense for the WPIAL Class 3A runner-up Quips.

James Gmiter

Bethel Park, OL/DL

Senior, 6-4, 310

Led by the West Virginia-bound lineman, Bethel Park went 8-2, won the Class 6A Southeastern Conference and averaged 34.4 points as a run-first offense.

David Green

Central Catholic, FB/DL

Senior, 6-2, 265

The Pitt recruit posted three sacks and 23 tackles in nine games. He was part of a Central Catholic defense that won consecutive WPIAL titles and was runner-up this year.

Ricky Guss

Quaker Valley, QB/LB

Senior, 6-2, 190

Guss passed for 2,229 yards and 28 touchdowns and also rushed for 1,144 yards. He also was a strong tackler on QV’s defense that shut out Aliquippa in the WPIAL finals and went on to win the Class 3A state title.

Marcus Hooker

New Castle, RB/QB/DB

Senior, 6-2, 205

An Ohio State recruit, Hooker had 193 carries for 1,412 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. He also passed for more than 500 yards to lead New Castle to the playoffs.

Courtney Jackson

Gateway, WR/DB

Junior, 5-11, 160

Jackson helped Gateway reach the PIAA Class 5A final with 96 receptions for 1,916 yards and 24 receiving touchdowns. He also made 36 tackles and had 16 passes defended. He has college offers from St. Francis (Pa.) and Robert Morris.

Layton Jordan

McKeesport, RB/LB

Senior, 6-3, 205

The Temple linebacker recruit had 123 carries for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also punted for the WPIAL Class 5A semifinalists.

Robert Kennedy

Jeannette, QB/WR/DB

Senior, 5-10, 175

Kennedy guided Jeannette to WPIAL and PIAA Class A championships as an all-around athlete. He completed 86 of 153 passes for 1,467 yards and 25 touchdowns and also ran 182 times for 1,356 yards and 24 scores. He added eight catches for 192 yards and a score, and on defense had 12 interceptions, returning four for touchdowns. He has offers from Duquesne, Robert Morris, Albany and Howard.

Jake Kradel

Butler, OL/DL

Senior, 6-4, 285

A two-time all-conference selection, the Pitt recruit led Butler to a 3-6 record. He had offers from Ohio State, West Virginia, UCLA, Maryland, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and others.

Andrew Kristofic

Pine-Richland, OL/DL

Junior, 6-6, 260

Kristofic had 41 tackles and two sacks for the WPIAL and PIAA Class 6A champions. He has college offers from Michigan, Pitt, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin, West Virginia and others.

Bryce Lauer

Franklin Regional, C/LB

Senior, 6-2, 240

Lauer became Franklin Regional’s all-time leading tackler with 368, including 254 solo tackles. Had 161 tackles this season, 105 solo and led the Panthers to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. He has Duquesne and Robert Morris offers.

Noah Plack

South Fayette, TE/LB

Senior, 6-2, 210

The Delaware recruit led South Fayette with 52 receptions for 935 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He also led the team with 75 tackles and had five sacks.

Kwantel Raines

Aliquippa, WR/DB

Senior, 6-3, 200

A first-team all-conference at defensive back in the Class 3A Beaver Valley Conference, the four-star safety is committed to West Virginia. He is considered the top recruit in the WPIAL after Phil Jurkovec. The Aliquippa defense allowed just one offensive touchdown in the regular season.

Drew Saxton

South Fayette, QB

Senior, 6-1, 195

Saxton finished his career with the sixth-most passing yards in WPIAL history (7,452) after completing 157 of 248 passes for 2,749 yards and 33 touchdowns for a team that reached the WPIAL Class 4A semifinals.

Isaiah Schoonmaker

Washington, WR/LB

Senior, 6-2, 200

An under-the-radar recruit committed to Miami (Ohio), Schoonmaker blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown, ran 68 yards for a touchdown and caught a 4-yard touchdown in the WPIAL Class 2A championship game victory over Steel Valley. He also made a goal-line tackle, led with 91⁄2 tackles, and completed a 2-point pass.

Amonte Strothers

Steel Valley, WR/DB

Senior, 6-2, 170

Strothers had 21 receptions for 638 yards and 13 total touchdowns for the WPIAL Class 2A runners-up. He has offers from Purdue, Syracuse and others.

Brady Walker

Gateway, QB

Senior, 6-2, 180

The WPIAL’s second all-time leading passer with 8,795 yards, Walker finished the season by completing 299 of 470 passes for 4,657 yards and 45 touchdowns for the WPIAL Class 5A champion Gators. He has college offers from Clarion, Fairmont State, West Virginia State and Glenville State.

Blake Zubovic

Belle Vernon, OL/DL

Senior, 6-6, 305

The Pitt tackle recruit overcame knee and ankle injuries to help Belle Vernon win the Big 9 Conference title and reach the WPIAL 4A semifinals.

Tags: Aliquippa, Belle Vernon, Bethel Park, Butler, Central Catholic, East Allegheny, Franklin Regional, Gateway, Greensburg C.C., Jeannette, McKeesport, Mt. lebanon, New Castle, North Allegheny, Pine-Richland, Quaker Valley, Seton-LaSalle, South Fayette, Thomas Jefferson