Dec 19, 2016 3 min read

The Pennsylvania Football Writers released its all-state teams for Class A, 3-A and 5-A Monday. Only one player from the Observer-Reporter’s coverage area was selected to the teams.

Avella High School senior Garrett Geresti was named Class A first team.

Geresti led Avella (2-9) in several statistical categories. He was the Eagles’ top receiver with 41 receptions for 675 yards and three touchdowns. He also carried the football 33 times and rushed for 22 yards and five touchdowns. He scored a pair of two-point conversions.

“He is a fantastic player who excelled on both sides of the ball,” Avella coach Ryan Cecchini said. “He was our No. 1 weapon on offense.

“We were always looking for ways to get him the football, whether it was deep passes or quick screens. He has great hands for a receiver and is a leaper. He can go up and get the ball. We also would use him in the wildcat formation as a quarterback, we would get the ball to him on reverses.”

Perhaps Geresti’s best game was Sept. 16 at Mapletown when he caught nine passes for 145 yards and a touchdown and intercepted two passes, one of which he took back for a score.

Also a force on defense, Geresti intercepted five passes in the first four games of the season.

“After a few weeks, people stopped throwing the football in his direction. He was almost better on defense than on offense. He has ball-hawking skills. We used him to neutralize the opponent’s best receiver. Sometimes we played him as a strong safety in the box when we played a team with a good running back like Mapletown’s (Dylan) Rush.”

Geresti also averaged 20.3 yards on 15 kickoff returns.

And to think, Geresti didn’t play football last year. A talented multi-sport athlete, Geresti sat out last season to play hockey for Trinity.

“He said he was dedicated to playing football again and we were glad to have him back,” Cecchini said.

Geresti helped Avella gain the final WPIAL playoff spot out of the Tri-County South Conference The Eagles lost in the first round to eventual champion Clairton.

Cecchini said he was somewhat surprised that Geresti gained all-state honors, but not because of the player’s lack of ability.

“Sometimes when you’re a small school that doesn’t have the standout record, you might have the talent to be all-state but you don’t get the recognition you would by playing on a team with a good record,” Cecchini said.