WPIAL teams well represented with 11 players on 2024 Class 5A all-state football team

By: Bill Hartlep
Friday, December 27, 2024 | 2:00 PM

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Four area players found a familiar place on the 2024 Pa. Football Writers’ Class 5A all-state team Friday.

Peters Township junior quarterback Nolan DiLucia and senior linebacker Mickey Vaccarello, as well as Woodland Hills junior wide receiver/athlete Scoop Smith and Bethel Park senior defensive lineman Clancy Orie were repeat selections.

They are among 11 WPIAL players represented.

DiLucia threw for 2,349 yards and 23 touchdowns for the WPIAL runner-up Indians. He has accumulated 5,480 passing yards the past two seasons.

Vaccarello, a Stanford commit, led a defense that allowed 10.7 points per game. He had 22 tackles for a loss among his 42 tackles. He had eight sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and two defensive touchdowns. He was voted first-team all-conference at both linebacker and tight end, where he caught five passes.

Smith was voted as the Big East Conference player of the year. He scored 17 touchdowns, including kickoff returns of 75 and 99 yards. He caught 44 passes for 851 yards and earned all-conference honors.

Orie, a Navy commit, helped Bethel Park reach the WPIAL semifinals. He had 75 tackles, including eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss. On offense, the tight end had 15 catches for 245 yards and three scores.

There also were seven first-time honorees.

• Joining his Peters Township teammates was junior linebacker Reston Lehman, who had four sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 11 interceptions.

• Bethel Park senior running back Ja’Vaughn Moore rushed for 2,084 yards and 32 touchdowns and also caught 26 passes for another 398 yards.

• Upper St. Clair senior offensive lineman Nate Stohl, a Princeton recruit, was the Allegheny Six player of the year. He made a team-high 55 tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss and four sacks. On offense, his blocks helped Upper St. Clair average 262.7 rushing yards per game.

• Penn Hills senior linebacker Naytel Mitchell, the Northeast Conference player of the year had 83 tackles and two interceptions. Offensively, the running back rushed for 1,321 yards and 20 touchdowns.

• Latrobe senior defensive back John Wetzel, a Marshall commit, had 81 tackles, five for loss, and returned an interception for a touchdown. Offensively, the Wildcats QB threw for 914 yards and six scores and ran for 1,076 yards and eight touchdowns.

• After leading their team to the WPIAL championship, Pine-Richland teammates Jay Timmons and Grant Argiro were honored.

Timmons, a junior defensive back, scored 12 touchdowns, a total that included two on fumble returns and two on interceptions, earning all-conference honors at defensive back. He picked off four passes, forced three fumbles, recovered two and made 42 tackles. On offense, he caught 40 passes for 755 yards.

Argiro, a senior kicker, set a state record for kicking points in a game with 19, including five field goals. He made 10 field goals this season and accumulated 65 points.

Bishop McDevitt’s Stone Saunders and Jeff Weachter were voted the Class 5A player and coach of the year, respectively, after winning the PIAA title. Saunders, a Kentucky commit, is the state’s all-time leader in career TD passes (204), completions (781) and passing yards (13,719). He threw for 3,577 yards and 48 TDs this season.

The all-state team was chosen by a statewide vote of sportswriters. The Class A, 3A and 5A teams were released Friday. Class 2A, 4A and 6A will be revealed Saturday.

2024 CLASS 5A ALL-STATE TEAM

Player of the Year: Stone Saunders, Bishop McDevitt

Coach of the Year: Jeff Weachter, Bishop McDevitt

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Semaj Beals, Roman Catholic – 6-1, 180 junior

Stone Saunders, Bishop McDevitt – 6-2, 215 senior

Trey Wingard, DuBois – 6-2, 210 junior

Nolan DiLucia, Peters Township – 6-2, 192 junior

Eli Reider, Mechanicsburg – 6-3, 185 senior

Running back

Ja’Vaughn Moore, Bethel Park – 5-11, 185 senior

Jayden Zandier, Exeter Township – 6-2, 185 senior

Nazir Jones-Davis, Bishop McDevitt – 6-0, 180 junior

Chase Hatten, West Chester Rustin – 5-11, 190 senior

Cameron Small, Muhlenberg – 5-9, 182 junior

Clayton Nieves, New Oxford – 5-9, 160 senior

Wide receiver

Rayshawn Scott, Roman Catholic – 5-10, 175 senior

Josh Smith, Mechanicsburg – 6-1, 175 senior

Dominic Diaz-Ellis, Bishop McDevitt – 6-0, 175 senior

Xzavier Pusateri, East Stroudsburg South – 6-2, 185 senior

Jontai Quick, Bishop McDevitt – 5-9, 150 sophomore

Tight end

Aidan Wescott, Wissahickon – 6-2, 195 senior

Offensive line

Nate Stohl, Upper St. Clair – 6-3, 270 senior

Logan Wegman, Exeter Township – 6-5, 275 senior

JJ Torres, Bishop McDevitt – 6-5, 297 senior

Tyler Duell, West Chester East – 6-6, 290 junior

Wyatt Maines, Hollidaysburg – 6-5, 262 senior

Athlete

Charles Capers Jr., East Stroudsburg South – 5-10, 180 senior

Scoop Smith, Woodland Hills – 5-6, 150 junior

DEFENSE

Defensive line

Lucas Lawler, Bishop McDevitt – 6-3, 235 senior

Justin Corson, Conestoga Valley – 6-4, 215 senior

Clancy Orie, Bethel Park – 6-3, 255 senior

Mykell Ford, Roman Catholic – 6-0, 240 senior

Collin Stare, Mechanicsburg – 6-2, 225 junior

Linebacker

Mickey Vaccarello, Peters Township – 6-3, 210 senior

Maurice Barnes, Bishop McDevitt – 6-2, 215 junior

William Felder, Roman Catholic – 6-1, 205 senior

Nate Romano, Springfield-Delco – 6-2, 220 senior

Naytel Mitchell, Penn Hills – 5-10, 190 senior

Reston Lehman, Peters Township – 6-4, 230 junior

Defensive back

Jay Timmons, Pine-Richland – 5-11, 175 junior

John Wetzel, Latrobe – 6-0, 185 senior

Christian Palmer, Roman Catholic – 5-10, 180 senior

Isaiah Sensenig, Conestoga Valley – 6-1, 170 senior

Athlete

Daron Harris, Chester – 6-0, 180 junior

Specialist

Grant Argiro, Pine-Richland – 6-2, 195 senior

Bill Hartlep is the TribLive sports editor. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park graduate, he joined the Trib in 2004, covering high school sports. He held various editing roles before assuming his current position in 2019. He can be reached at bhartlep@triblive.com.

Tags: Bethel Park, Latrobe, Penn Hills, Peters Township, Pine-Richland, Upper St. Clair, Woodland Hills