Local Players Make the heavy weight list !!!
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THE CHOPS
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Local Players Make the heavy weight list !!!
Southern Columbia's Latorre leads Class All-State
12/21/2004.
The Associated Press :
(AP) — Dan Letorre put up some impressive statistics in leading Southern Columbia to its third consecutive PIAA Class state championship. However, one set of numbers stood out above the rest.
His two-year record — 29-1 — sums up Latorre, and is a big reason why he leads The Associated Press' Class A all-state team as the player of the year.
"Winning this award just caps an unbelievable year for both myself and the team," Latorre said. "It couldn't have worked out any better. I was able to have a really good year but it all was the result of playing on a great team with a great line and a great coaching staff."
The senior quarterback passed for 1,732 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing 91 of 146 attempts while being intercepted only twice as Southern Columbia went 15-0. He also rushed for 1,042 yards and 20 touchdowns, including four scores in the Tigers' 35-0 rout of Rochester in the PIAA championship game.
Latorre is getting interest from many Division I-AA programs, notably Bucknell and Richmond. He would like to play at Villanova but, so far, the Wildcats haven't called.
Latorre played the season with a heavy heart. Two teammates, Eric Barnes and Tarik Leghlid, drowned in a July 28 swimming accident.
"Everything we did this season was for them," Latorre said. "We'd give back our state title and I'd give back this award in a heartbeat if it would bring Eric and Tarik back."
Latorre is one of four Southern Columbia first team all-staters, along with linemen Kevin Beishline and Josh Marks and linebacker Bob Admire. Beishline helped Southern Columbia rush for over 4,000 yards while Admire was the Tigers' leading tackler and Marks had a team-high 12 sacks.
While Rochester was steamrolled in the state final, the Rams finished a surprising 10-4 and won their fourth District 7 (WPIAL) title in five seasons despite starting five sophomores — and losing their first two games. Their unexpectedly good season made Gene Matsook the coach of the year by a narrow margin over Southern Columbia's Jim Roth, a three-time winner who was chosen each of the previous two seasons.
Matsook has won four WPIAL titles and two PIAA championships in six seasons since replacing his brother Dan, a former AP coach of the year who retired to become a school administrator. Gene Matsook has a 67-16 career record.
"I've been fortunate enough to coach in four state championship games in six years and I would say, without a doubt, this team overachieved much more than the other three," Matsook said. "Nobody expected us to get to the state championship game when the season started. Our guys got better every week, though, and that's a tribute to their work ethic and the great assistant coaches we have."
Berlin Brothersvalley's Eric D'Carrion is a first-team pick as a running back for a second straight season after rushing for 1,789 yards and 26 touchdowns. Also in the first-team backfield are Curwensville's Nate Sipes (District 9 record 2,237 yards rushing) and Clairton's Dana Brown, an Iowa recruit who rushed for 2,137 yards.
Pius X's Quintin Lopez and Camp Hill's Nick Powden are the wide receivers, while T.J. Taylor of Fairview is the tight end.
Shenandoah Valley's Frank Carduff, a West Virginia recruit, and Chartiers-Houston's Elliott Bates, an Akron recruit, moved up to the first-team offensive line after making second team last season. Bowling Green recruit Shane Steffy of Riverview rounds out the offensive line, along with Curwensville's Brad Sopic and Beishline.
Rochester's Brent Whiteleather and Duquesne's Shane Brooks are the offensive specialists. Whiteleather rushed for 2,023 yards and 28 touchdowns and Brooks finished with 1,545 yards and 13 scores.
Cardinal Brennan's Nick Graf is a first-team defensive lineman after being a first-team offensive lineman last season. Graf, who had 11 1/2 sacks, is joined by Marks, Camp Hill's Jake Fackler and Berlin Brothersvalley's Shane Hankinson.
Admire heads a linebacker corps that includes Monessen's Ernest Williams, Western Beaver's Jordan Blinn (Lafayette recruit) and Mount Union's Trey Rogers. Williams was a second-team pick last year.
Defensive back Trey McClain of Mount Union repeats as a first-team defensive back after making 153 tackles. He is joined by Bellwood-Antis' Derrick Hoffer, Reading Holy Name's Matt Raquet and Germantown Academy's Tyler Stampone.
Bishop Carroll's Chris Kline (17 1/2 sacks) and Scotland School's Jarmel Ruffin, a Wisconsin recruit, are the defensive specialists. Camp Hill's Adam Smith is the kicker and Reading Holy Name's Ryan Nye (41.8 yards average) is the punter.
Southern Columbia also placed running back Henry Hynoski on the second team.
"THE CHOPS".
12/21/2004.
The Associated Press :
(AP) — Dan Letorre put up some impressive statistics in leading Southern Columbia to its third consecutive PIAA Class state championship. However, one set of numbers stood out above the rest.
His two-year record — 29-1 — sums up Latorre, and is a big reason why he leads The Associated Press' Class A all-state team as the player of the year.
"Winning this award just caps an unbelievable year for both myself and the team," Latorre said. "It couldn't have worked out any better. I was able to have a really good year but it all was the result of playing on a great team with a great line and a great coaching staff."
The senior quarterback passed for 1,732 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing 91 of 146 attempts while being intercepted only twice as Southern Columbia went 15-0. He also rushed for 1,042 yards and 20 touchdowns, including four scores in the Tigers' 35-0 rout of Rochester in the PIAA championship game.
Latorre is getting interest from many Division I-AA programs, notably Bucknell and Richmond. He would like to play at Villanova but, so far, the Wildcats haven't called.
Latorre played the season with a heavy heart. Two teammates, Eric Barnes and Tarik Leghlid, drowned in a July 28 swimming accident.
"Everything we did this season was for them," Latorre said. "We'd give back our state title and I'd give back this award in a heartbeat if it would bring Eric and Tarik back."
Latorre is one of four Southern Columbia first team all-staters, along with linemen Kevin Beishline and Josh Marks and linebacker Bob Admire. Beishline helped Southern Columbia rush for over 4,000 yards while Admire was the Tigers' leading tackler and Marks had a team-high 12 sacks.
While Rochester was steamrolled in the state final, the Rams finished a surprising 10-4 and won their fourth District 7 (WPIAL) title in five seasons despite starting five sophomores — and losing their first two games. Their unexpectedly good season made Gene Matsook the coach of the year by a narrow margin over Southern Columbia's Jim Roth, a three-time winner who was chosen each of the previous two seasons.
Matsook has won four WPIAL titles and two PIAA championships in six seasons since replacing his brother Dan, a former AP coach of the year who retired to become a school administrator. Gene Matsook has a 67-16 career record.
"I've been fortunate enough to coach in four state championship games in six years and I would say, without a doubt, this team overachieved much more than the other three," Matsook said. "Nobody expected us to get to the state championship game when the season started. Our guys got better every week, though, and that's a tribute to their work ethic and the great assistant coaches we have."
Berlin Brothersvalley's Eric D'Carrion is a first-team pick as a running back for a second straight season after rushing for 1,789 yards and 26 touchdowns. Also in the first-team backfield are Curwensville's Nate Sipes (District 9 record 2,237 yards rushing) and Clairton's Dana Brown, an Iowa recruit who rushed for 2,137 yards.
Pius X's Quintin Lopez and Camp Hill's Nick Powden are the wide receivers, while T.J. Taylor of Fairview is the tight end.
Shenandoah Valley's Frank Carduff, a West Virginia recruit, and Chartiers-Houston's Elliott Bates, an Akron recruit, moved up to the first-team offensive line after making second team last season. Bowling Green recruit Shane Steffy of Riverview rounds out the offensive line, along with Curwensville's Brad Sopic and Beishline.
Rochester's Brent Whiteleather and Duquesne's Shane Brooks are the offensive specialists. Whiteleather rushed for 2,023 yards and 28 touchdowns and Brooks finished with 1,545 yards and 13 scores.
Cardinal Brennan's Nick Graf is a first-team defensive lineman after being a first-team offensive lineman last season. Graf, who had 11 1/2 sacks, is joined by Marks, Camp Hill's Jake Fackler and Berlin Brothersvalley's Shane Hankinson.
Admire heads a linebacker corps that includes Monessen's Ernest Williams, Western Beaver's Jordan Blinn (Lafayette recruit) and Mount Union's Trey Rogers. Williams was a second-team pick last year.
Defensive back Trey McClain of Mount Union repeats as a first-team defensive back after making 153 tackles. He is joined by Bellwood-Antis' Derrick Hoffer, Reading Holy Name's Matt Raquet and Germantown Academy's Tyler Stampone.
Bishop Carroll's Chris Kline (17 1/2 sacks) and Scotland School's Jarmel Ruffin, a Wisconsin recruit, are the defensive specialists. Camp Hill's Adam Smith is the kicker and Reading Holy Name's Ryan Nye (41.8 yards average) is the punter.
Southern Columbia also placed running back Henry Hynoski on the second team.
"THE CHOPS".