O-R Football Player of the Year; Corban Hondru, Peters Township
Eleanor Bailey/For the Observer-Reporter
Peters Township’s versatile Corban Hondru is the Observer-Reporter Football Player of the Year.
By Eleanor Bailey/Almanac Sports Editor/ebailey@thealmanac.net
Corban Hondru (10) celebrates after Peters Township came from behind to beat Gateway, 20-19, in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals. Hondru caught a touchdown pass with four seconds remaining in the game.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Corban Hondru (10) fends off a Pine-Richland opponent after making a reception.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Corban Hondru gave Peters Township football fans plenty to celebrate in his four seasons as a starter.
Need a solid running back who is almost a lock in short-yardage situations?
Call on Corban Hondru.
Need a reliable pass receiver who can make clutch catches in big games?
Call on Corban Hondru.
Need a strong blocker in the running game?
Call on Corban Hondru.
Need an outstanding linebacker on defense?
Call on Corban Hondru.
Finally, do you need a smart special teams player?
Call on Corban Hondru.
The senior from Peters Township High School was Mr. Do Everything for the Indians this season. And he did everything with such aplomb that it was easy to take him for granted.
But Hondru was so good at so many things this season that he is the Observer-Reporter Football Player of the Year.
Hondru had plenty of competition for the honor from the players on the O-R’s Fabulous 15 list, which includes Naman Alemada and Charley Rossi of South Fayette; Michael Allen of Washington; Ryan Angott, Canon-McMillan; Rocco Falosk and Aidan Brookman of McGuffey; Owen Petrisek of Bentworth; Jimmy Sadler of Chartiers-Houston; Cole Weightman and Devon Whitlock of Belle Vernon; Jaeden Zuzek of California; Breylen Carrington, Donovan McMillon and Logan Pfeuffer of Peters Township; and Micah Finley of Trinity.
The selection of Hondru was a close one over teammate McMillon and Whitlock of Belle Vernon.
McMillon, who is a University of Florida recruit, had similar numbers as Hondru. McMillon had 13 receptions, one less than Hondrus’ 14, for 263 yards, an average of 20.3 yards per catch.
As a strong safety, McMillon had Hondru’s back on a defense that allowed an average of 13.6 points per game. That defense played a major role in the Indians going 8-1 and reaching the WPIAL Class 5A finals.
Whitlock also had an outstanding season. He was ninth in the WPIAL (all classifications) with 1,082 rushing yards. He passed for 528 yards and accounted for 21 touchdowns, good enough for 10th in the WPIAL (all classifications). Whitlock led the Leopards to a 6-2 record and a WPIAL Class 4A semifinal appearance.
Hondru started 47 straight games at linebacker, earning the job as a freshman. He’s played wide receiver, fullback, tight end, wildcat quarterback, edge rusher, linebacker and punter.
Hondru’s ryb on a fake punt in the fourth quarter secured a first down and put the final nail in the coffin of Upper St. Clair, one of the Indians’ most important victories of the regular season..
“Growing up I always played lineman,” said Hondru. “That’s where I learned how to block. I grew, got stronger and that’s when I got better. I just put it all together.”
Hondru, who stands 6-2 and weighs 210 pounds, models his game after linebacker Luke Kuechly, who retired from the Carolina Panthers this year after an eight-year NFL career.
“We were building brick by brick, climbing the mountain,” Hondru said of the Indians’ emergence over the past four years. “Our sophomore year, we had about four guys starting. This year, we had a lot of seniors starting.”
Hondru was an early commit to Miami of Ohio, a school that seemed like home to him.
“It’s the best of both worlds,” said Hondru. “They compete every game, every practice. They want to win championships. The coaches are a little old school. They will scream at you and I love that. The education is top-rate.”
Still, he says he will miss his teammates and the coaching staff, especially head coach TJ Plack. The Indians made two appearances in the WPIAL finals, losing to Gateway by a point last year and falling to eventual WPIAL and PIAA champion Pine-Richland.
“I enjoyed the time I had with him,” Hondru said. “He’s a great coach. He has a great football mind. He could always get us motivated. When we were younger, he would tell us we were the underdogs. He believed in us. Even last year, at the beginning, no one believed in us and this year, we ran with him and trusted him. He led us the entire way and I can’t thank him enough.”
“He does everything. I can sit here and tell you all these things about him, but it comes down to this: He does all these things almost perfect,” said Plack. “He never misses a workout. He’s always on time, if not early. He’s the type of guy I hope my daughter meets some day. He does everything for us and he does it flawlessly. Boy, we’re going to miss him.”
Hondru’s biggest play of the season came in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals at Gateway. He made the game-winning catch in a 20-19 victory, hauling in a rocket from Pfeuffer with four seconds to play in the game on a skinny post pattern. It capped a thrilling second-half comeback by the Indians, who trailed 19-0.
“Just catching the ball and looking at the sideline and all my teammates going crazy, it was an amazing feeling,” Hondru said.
“He’s the best high school player I’ve been around,” Plack said of Hondru after the Gateway game. “He’s absolutely tenacious, an Alpha Male, intelligent. He does everything right.”
McMillon made a spectacular TD catch in that game, laying out for the football in the end zone. It was the kind of play McMillon has been making for the Indians for the past three years.
“I loved playing with Donovan,” he said. “His sophomore year, they threw him in there and he just took off. It was awesome. He’s a great player, great teammate and great friend of mine.”
To get away from football, Hondru doesn’t hunt or fish like some of his friends. He turns to other sports such as lacrosse or basketball.
“I’m obsessed with sports,” Hondru said. “I’ve been playing sports all my life. I’m a sports fanatic. If I want to get away from football, I go to other sports. I love to compete.”
Hondru is carrying on a family tradition of achievers. His mother swam at John Carroll, where she was team captain, his sister, Kate, played softball at the University of Delaware, his father and uncle also played football at Delaware, another uncle played football and wrestled at Princeton and his grandfather was among Joe Paterno’s first recruiting class before getting a shot at the NFL.
“Hopefully, I can keep the Hondru tradition going in college,” he said.