Dec 9, 2017 8 min read

Myckel Brown

Washington

Three-year starter opened holes for the Washington running game and was the leader of the Prexies’ dominant offensive line. Brown, a guard, was often found downfield providing touchdown-breaking blocks. Wash High ran for 4,169 yards and Brown was a big reason why. The offensive line exerted its will deep into games when strength and size became just too much for opponents to handle. Brown has received scholarship offers from Kent State and Wheeling Jesuit.

Ryhan Culberson

Fort Cherry

Dynamic senior quarterback was the main threat on the Rangers’ offense that was depleted by last year’s graduation losses. Culberson did it with both his arm and legs in his final year. He completed 33 of his 64 passes for 643 yards and eight touchdowns. What made Culberson so dangerous were the long strides of his 6-5 frame. He amassed 1,564 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns. Culberson was third on the team in tackles with 49 from his safety position. He also intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles. He also provided a spark on special teams, averaging more than 30 yards on 15 kickoff and punt returns.

Dominic Fundy

Beth-Center

With a combination of power and speed, the junior running back forced defenses to game plan to stop him but were rarely successful. Fundy made it difficult to stop Beth-Center’s spread offense with his ability to outrun defenders and break tackles. He rushed for 1,527 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 8.3 yards on 185 carries. His biggest game of the year was 294 yards and two touchdowns in an October loss at Charleroi. Fundy also was an effective option out of the backfield for quarterback Bailey Lincoski. Fundy caught 22 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. He was third on the Bulldogs’ defense with 64 tackles.

Joey Koroly

Trinity

Setting records and eclipsing 4,000 career rushing yards were some of Koroly’s accomplishments during the running back’s senior season. Koroly broke the single-game rushing record at Trinity when he ran for 358 yards in a nonconference win over Blackhawk in September. He also broke the school’s all-time rushing record, surpassing Ben Jennings’ 3,304 yards. Koroly finished his senior season with 1,807 yards and 20 touchdowns in 10 games. He ended with 4,428 career yards. Koroly scored in multiple ways by throwing two touchdowns, catching two TD passes and returning an interception for a score. He recently picked up his first offer from Mercyhust last week.

Geno Pellegrini

Charleroi

Gunslinger quarterback whipped it all around the Mon Valley this season. Completing 134 of 227 pass attempts, Pellegrini finished with 2,555 yards and 25 touchdowns. His most impressive game came in a 37-14 victory over a then-undefeated Burgettstown when he torched the Blue Devils’ defense for 369 yards and five touchdowns. He helped Charleroi to its most wins in a season since 1998. Pellegrini broke the school’s single-season records for passing yards and touchdowns. He also ran for 356 yards and nine touchdowns as Charleroi returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Ben Peternel

Bentworth

The middle name for the wide receiver should be consistent. Peternel has done nothing but impress the past two seasons as the main target for the Bearcats. The 5-10, 160-pound senior was fourth in Class 2A with 59 pass receptions for 960 yards and 10 touchdowns. Peternel was one the end of more than half of sophomore quarterback Shawn Dziak’s completions. In his junior season, Peternel not only led Class 2A in receptions but also in receiving yards (1,062).

Ben Phillis

Trinity

The senior tackled stabilized the entire offensive line for a Trinity and helped open running lanes for tailback Joey Koroly. Phillis was a key component in the Hillers’ success on offense, which scored more than 30 points in six games. Trinity scored more than 40 points in five games, advancing to its first playoff appearance since 2012. The success of Koroly and Dylan Kern stemmed in large part from the protection of the 6-5, 290-pound offensive and defensive lineman. Phillis is an Akron recruit.

Noah Plack-Tallerico

South Fayette

Two-way star for the Lions, and a Delaware recruit, Plack continued to garner more Division I interest as the season went along, picking up additional offers from Temple, Toledo and UConn. Plack was South Fayette’s go-to option in the passing game at tight end. He caught 52 passes for 935 yards and 13 touchdowns, all team-highs in the Lions’ fast-moving, air-it-out offense. Plack-Tallerico also dominated on a defense that limited opponents to 12.5 points per game, including three shutouts. He had 75 tackles and five sacks.

Dakota Romantino

Charleroi

Not only a big-play threat, the junior wide receiver turned into quarterback Geno Pellegrini’s go-to target. Romantino had 55 receptions for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging more than 20 yards per catch. The biggest game for Romantino was an impressive seven-catch, 248-yard, three-touchdown performance in a win over Burgettstown. He also set the school record for career receiving yards during that game. Romantino also had six interceptions as a defensive back.

Dylan Rush

Mapletown

In a shortened season, the senior workhouse running back continued to do nothing but impress. In the seven games he played before being sidelined by complications from a sinus infection, Rush carried the ball 221 times for 1,464 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was the leading rusher in the WPIAL at the time he stopped playing. Rush broke the WPIAL single-game rushing record when he ran for 524 yards and seven touchdowns Sept. 15 against Avella. In his four seasons, the aptly named Rush ran for 5,762 yards, which is tied for second in Greene County history behind West Greene’s Rodney Wilson, who had 6,304 yards.

Drew Saxton

South Fayette

The three-year starter continued the Lions’ tradition of successful quarterbacks. Saxton, despite working with mainly a new receiving corps, was one of the more accurate passers in the WPIAL completing 157 of his 248 passes (63 percent). He used that accuracy to pass for 2,749 yards and 33 touchdowns and ended his career among the top 10 passers in WPIAL history. In his three years as a starter, Saxton threw for 7,368 yards and 94 touchdowns. He helped South Fayette lead all Class 4A teams in scoring, averaging 42.3 points per game as the Lions posted their sixth consecutive undefeated regular season.

Isaiah Schoonmaker

Washington

Senior linebacker and Miami (Ohio) recruit was able to settle into a position on the Prexies’ offense this season. Split outside at wide receiver, Schoonmaker provided a big target for sophomore quarterback Zack Swartz. Schoonmaker caught 35 passes for 747 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first full year at the position. When he had the opportunity to run the football, Schoonmaker took full advantage with 185 yards on only 11 carries. He led Wash High’s dominating defense, which allowed the fewest points in Class AA (11.5 per game), with 60 tackles and five interceptions from his outside linebacker position.

Jelani Stafford

California

Built like a lineman, the fleet-footed junior running back was as unstoppable as the entirely new option offense that featured his skills. Lining up at fullback, Stafford led the Trojans in rushing yards (1,586) and touchdowns (25). Averaging a whopping 12 yards per carry and a touchdown every five times he touched the football, the 6-1, 263-pound Stafford was a nightmare for Tri-County South Conference defenses. He will be one of the top returning players in Class A next season.

Dan Walker Jr.

Washington

Transfer wide receiver impacted the Prexies from the time he was cleared to play. The junior was forced to sit out the first four weeks of the season. In 10 games, the potential Division I recruit caught 33 passes for 617 yards and nine touchdowns. Combining to form a one-two punch on the outside with Schoonmaker, Walker scored in eight of the 10 games he played. After only playing safety in at Brookwood High School in Georgia, it was his first season starting at wide receiver. Walker, who has received interest from Louisville, UConn, South Carolina and others, patrolled the defensive backfield for the Prexies and had four interceptions.

Blake Zubovic

Belle Vernon

The massive 6-5 senior tackle was a key piece to the Leopards’ success. Not only did Zubovic help keep sophomore quarterback Jared Hartman upright he also opened lanes for running backs Mason Pascoe and Larry Calloway. Belle Vernon averaged nearly six yards per carry and Zubovic was a big reason why. The Leopards scored at least 28 points in eight of their 11 games. Zubovic is a Pitt recruit.