Announcing the BleacherCoaches.com FAB 15
Announcing the BleacherCoaches.com FAB 15
Guys, I spent time talking with other coaches, fans, and players to help me make this list. It's obvious that the list can be debated because this is an opinion post. There will be guys you feel should be on the list and others you feel should not be on the list I'm sure. Please don't knock any of the kids on the list if you don't agree with it. Instead, if you want to post who you think should have made it that's fine. If you post anything busting on any of the kids on the list it those posts will be deleted. I don't see every game and I don't see every team. I went with things I was told and things I saw watching film. It was fun doing this, BUT WOW was it much harder than I expected. There are another 10-15 kids I think could be on this list but in the end I had to settle on 15 to recognize. Without wasting any more time talking about it, here are your BleacherCoaches.com FAB 15 for 2012!
2012 BleacherCoaches.com Fab 15
Alex Atkins - Northern Cambria
Atkins was an offensive tackle and a linebacker for the Colts. After watching his highlights on YouTube, I came away extremely impressed. The kid is big and physical and extremely quick for his size. From his linebacker position he was involved in 148 tackles. I often don’t look at this statistic on MaxPreps because it is so inflated at some schools, but I felt it was probably totally legit after watching his highlights. This kid is a player.
Bradi Moore – Central
This kid does it all for the Dragons. He had over 200 yards passing, 900 yards rushing, 600 yards receiving, nearly 500 more return yards. On top of this he had two interceptions and was the team’s punter. Oh yeah, he missed a game too. Moore is back for more next year since he is only a junior.
Brock Medva – Shade
Averaging 8.5 yards per carry, this small kid from Shade was one of the most explosive kids in the area this year. Medva ran for over 175 yards in 6 different games and led his Panthers to the playoffs for the first time in quite some time. He was also a returner and had over 100 tackles on defense.
Casey Gray – Bellwood
Gray is a junior so the state of PA is in for some more of his talents next year as the Blue Devils return 4 of their 5 offensive linemen. Take a look at what I wrote for Moore and you’ll see the same thing for Gray. He ran, caught, returned, and punted for the state semifinalists. He was durable carrying the ball over 300 times. He scored 32 touchdowns.
Dalvin Williams – Johnstown
We normally think of offense with Johnstown but this guy was a defensive guru for the Trojans in 2012 recording 14.6 tackles per game. He is fast and covers a lot of ground on the football field. Williams was also an important member of the special teams for Johnstown as he blocked 3 kicks this season.
Danny Ferens - Penns Manor
STUD. This kid is probably #1 on my list. He is one of the best players we have seen in Class A football in a long time around here. For four years, Ferens has been a machine for the Comets. This year he averaged over 11 yards per carry. Think about that. Every time he touched the ball he averaged a first down. He is big, physical, and fast…at the quarterback position. Lightning in a bottle, this young man turned the Comets into a contender during his time with the team.
Devin Lawhead - Penn Cambria
Football player. Flat out this kid is a gamer that anyone would like to have on their team. He is big, quick, intimidating, and was a presence for Penn Cambria the past couple of season. He didn’t turn in huge statistics defensively compared to some other kids but the numbers are hard to come by when you also have Behe on the field with you. Lawhead was fun to watch on film.
Drew Glotfelty – Berlin
Here is our single A do everything kid once again. Glotfelty adds his name to the list of terrific running backs at Berlin over the past 10 or so years. 292 carries for 2012 yards, 24 catches for 327 more. Think he was important to the District 5 champs? He is another 30 touchdown kid on this list.
James Oliver – Tyrone
This junior can flat out FLY. Oliver is a combination of speed and strength making him a true game breaker with division 1 talent. 238 carries for 1893 yards and 28 touchdowns. He ran for over 100 yards 8 times this season and had a high of 343 against Bald Eagle on 18 carries. Oliver vs. Gray…week 1 in 2013 is going to be awesome.
Jared Shope - Forest Hills
From everything I have gathered about this kid, he is a flat out warrior. A good friend of mine said he completely shut down half the field the night they played Central in the playoffs and he played most of the year with a bad wheel. Stats aren’t what is important to list for Shope. Again, from what I was told this kid was truly a leader for the Rangers. For them to reach the finals this year after their start, he must have been a dang good one.
Mack Behe - Penn Cambria
Watching his highlight film, I can say that this kid is a hammer. 2012 was disappointing for Penn Cambria for sure, but Behe was not. He came back into this senior year with high expectations as he was first team all state a year ago and he looked the part of a stud linebacker. Combined with Lawhead, I watched some amazing linebacker play the past couple of nights.
Matt Shaffer – Richland
Shaffer guided the Rams to the final four before losing to Aliquippa. This young man is a great quarterback and we’ll get another dose of him next year. Shaffer accounted for nearly 3,000 yards of offense for the Rams and is part of a nucleus that looks to make another run at it in 2013.
Morgan Selepak – West Branch
Who? This kid is a junior offensive lineman and as the one who made the picks, I felt he had to be on this team. I have coached for a number of years already, and I’m not sure if I’ve seen a better offensive linemen in the ICC. Selepak doesn’t just block people, he moves and destroys them. Earlier this season West Branch ran the same play probably 15 times in a row versus Bellwood and the Devils couldn’t stop it. Selepak and the boys just kept moving people. I watched film on other linemen who I thought might make this list, but I don’t think any did what I saw this kid do this year. There are other skill kids I could have added but I wanted an offensive lineman and he was the best I saw in 2012.
Tanner Solarcykz – Richland
Rizzo leaves and Solarcykz says…don’t worry about it. Another junior, this kid ran for over 2,000 yards for the state semifinalists. Get this, the kid ran for over 100 yards 12 times this season. That doesn’t happen very often folks. Tanner is a power runner but he seems to have great vision as well. He makes a nice cut and gets north and south in a hurry.
Tony Strasiser - North Star
I’ll say it again, here we have another class A kid that does it all. Over his career Tony was a receiver, running back, quarterback, cornerback, and punter. Who knows he probably played left tackle at some point as well. Strasiser is a physical specimen at 6’5” 210 pounds. This wasn’t Tony’s best season but he makes our 15 because of his overall body of work in his years at North Star. When he had his brother Max at quarterback the tandem was absolutely deadly. Other wideouts put up bigger numbers this year, but I feel Tony is on a different level than most.
2012 BleacherCoaches.com Fab 15
Alex Atkins - Northern Cambria
Atkins was an offensive tackle and a linebacker for the Colts. After watching his highlights on YouTube, I came away extremely impressed. The kid is big and physical and extremely quick for his size. From his linebacker position he was involved in 148 tackles. I often don’t look at this statistic on MaxPreps because it is so inflated at some schools, but I felt it was probably totally legit after watching his highlights. This kid is a player.
Bradi Moore – Central
This kid does it all for the Dragons. He had over 200 yards passing, 900 yards rushing, 600 yards receiving, nearly 500 more return yards. On top of this he had two interceptions and was the team’s punter. Oh yeah, he missed a game too. Moore is back for more next year since he is only a junior.
Brock Medva – Shade
Averaging 8.5 yards per carry, this small kid from Shade was one of the most explosive kids in the area this year. Medva ran for over 175 yards in 6 different games and led his Panthers to the playoffs for the first time in quite some time. He was also a returner and had over 100 tackles on defense.
Casey Gray – Bellwood
Gray is a junior so the state of PA is in for some more of his talents next year as the Blue Devils return 4 of their 5 offensive linemen. Take a look at what I wrote for Moore and you’ll see the same thing for Gray. He ran, caught, returned, and punted for the state semifinalists. He was durable carrying the ball over 300 times. He scored 32 touchdowns.
Dalvin Williams – Johnstown
We normally think of offense with Johnstown but this guy was a defensive guru for the Trojans in 2012 recording 14.6 tackles per game. He is fast and covers a lot of ground on the football field. Williams was also an important member of the special teams for Johnstown as he blocked 3 kicks this season.
Danny Ferens - Penns Manor
STUD. This kid is probably #1 on my list. He is one of the best players we have seen in Class A football in a long time around here. For four years, Ferens has been a machine for the Comets. This year he averaged over 11 yards per carry. Think about that. Every time he touched the ball he averaged a first down. He is big, physical, and fast…at the quarterback position. Lightning in a bottle, this young man turned the Comets into a contender during his time with the team.
Devin Lawhead - Penn Cambria
Football player. Flat out this kid is a gamer that anyone would like to have on their team. He is big, quick, intimidating, and was a presence for Penn Cambria the past couple of season. He didn’t turn in huge statistics defensively compared to some other kids but the numbers are hard to come by when you also have Behe on the field with you. Lawhead was fun to watch on film.
Drew Glotfelty – Berlin
Here is our single A do everything kid once again. Glotfelty adds his name to the list of terrific running backs at Berlin over the past 10 or so years. 292 carries for 2012 yards, 24 catches for 327 more. Think he was important to the District 5 champs? He is another 30 touchdown kid on this list.
James Oliver – Tyrone
This junior can flat out FLY. Oliver is a combination of speed and strength making him a true game breaker with division 1 talent. 238 carries for 1893 yards and 28 touchdowns. He ran for over 100 yards 8 times this season and had a high of 343 against Bald Eagle on 18 carries. Oliver vs. Gray…week 1 in 2013 is going to be awesome.
Jared Shope - Forest Hills
From everything I have gathered about this kid, he is a flat out warrior. A good friend of mine said he completely shut down half the field the night they played Central in the playoffs and he played most of the year with a bad wheel. Stats aren’t what is important to list for Shope. Again, from what I was told this kid was truly a leader for the Rangers. For them to reach the finals this year after their start, he must have been a dang good one.
Mack Behe - Penn Cambria
Watching his highlight film, I can say that this kid is a hammer. 2012 was disappointing for Penn Cambria for sure, but Behe was not. He came back into this senior year with high expectations as he was first team all state a year ago and he looked the part of a stud linebacker. Combined with Lawhead, I watched some amazing linebacker play the past couple of nights.
Matt Shaffer – Richland
Shaffer guided the Rams to the final four before losing to Aliquippa. This young man is a great quarterback and we’ll get another dose of him next year. Shaffer accounted for nearly 3,000 yards of offense for the Rams and is part of a nucleus that looks to make another run at it in 2013.
Morgan Selepak – West Branch
Who? This kid is a junior offensive lineman and as the one who made the picks, I felt he had to be on this team. I have coached for a number of years already, and I’m not sure if I’ve seen a better offensive linemen in the ICC. Selepak doesn’t just block people, he moves and destroys them. Earlier this season West Branch ran the same play probably 15 times in a row versus Bellwood and the Devils couldn’t stop it. Selepak and the boys just kept moving people. I watched film on other linemen who I thought might make this list, but I don’t think any did what I saw this kid do this year. There are other skill kids I could have added but I wanted an offensive lineman and he was the best I saw in 2012.
Tanner Solarcykz – Richland
Rizzo leaves and Solarcykz says…don’t worry about it. Another junior, this kid ran for over 2,000 yards for the state semifinalists. Get this, the kid ran for over 100 yards 12 times this season. That doesn’t happen very often folks. Tanner is a power runner but he seems to have great vision as well. He makes a nice cut and gets north and south in a hurry.
Tony Strasiser - North Star
I’ll say it again, here we have another class A kid that does it all. Over his career Tony was a receiver, running back, quarterback, cornerback, and punter. Who knows he probably played left tackle at some point as well. Strasiser is a physical specimen at 6’5” 210 pounds. This wasn’t Tony’s best season but he makes our 15 because of his overall body of work in his years at North Star. When he had his brother Max at quarterback the tandem was absolutely deadly. Other wideouts put up bigger numbers this year, but I feel Tony is on a different level than most.