There is ample time now during this chilly Holiday season to reconnect with some of the top overall performers of the 2013 high school football season. The memories, of course, were every bit as thrilling as the players who constructed them.
From Lower Dauphin's rise to the District 3-AAAA title, Steel-High's push to the Class A semifinals, and Bishop McDevitt's ascent to its third Class AAA final in four seasons, all-state players and unsung heroes regularly surfaced throughout the majestic 16-week stretch.
As we do every Holiday season, members of the PennLive prep football coverage team gathered to select the Top 35 football players of the '13 campaign. And for the first time, players from the Lancaster-Lebanon League are included in our selections.
All made lasting impressions, so thanks for a fantastic season, boys. Here we go.
Quarterback
Andrew Ford, Cedar Cliff – 6-3, 195 senior: Bound for Virginia Tech to enroll early in January, the Colts’ southpaw threw for 2,778 yards and 35 touchdowns in 11 games. Ford completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for a Cedar Cliff team that shared the Keystone Division title and finished 9-2. Capable of making every throw and football smart, Ford threw for nearly 6,000 yards in two years as a full-time starter.
Mark Pyles, Lebanon – 6-0, 215 senior:You only need one reason to know why the Cedars went from 0-10 in 2012 to a District 3-AAAA playoff team that won seven games in 2013. Pyles deserves most of the credit. The Bucknell recruit accounted for nearly 4,000 yards of total offense with 48 touchdowns. The two-way standout threw for 2,824 yards and 32 touchdowns. Pyles also rushed for 1,084 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Troy Spencer, Lower Dauphin – 5-11, 180 senior: By the middle of the season it was clear the Falcons were sticking to the ground game and Spencer was the main engine that powered this offense. Lower Dauphin claimed its second District 3-AAAA title in school history with Spencer rolling up nearly 1,400 yards on the ground and 21 touchdowns. He averaged 6.1 yards a carry and added five touchdowns and 348 yards through the air.
Running back
Chase Edmonds, CD East – 5-9, 185 senior: Early in the season the Panthers attempted to become a more balanced offense. When that didn’t work, CD East went with the sure thing in Edmonds. Against defenses that were geared to slow the Fordham recruit down, the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Offensive POY responded with 2,154 yards and 23 touchdowns. The dynamic inside the tackles runner also chipped in 22 receptions for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Andre Robinson, Bishop McDevitt – 5-11, 205 junior: Among the top FBS recruits in the 2015 class, the Pennsylvania Class AAA Player of the year is only the second Crusaders running back to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season. The other is Philadelphia Eagles’ star LeSean McCoy. Robinson finished with more than 3,200 all-purpose yards for the PIAA Class AAA runner-up. He rushed for 2,336 yards on 263 carries with 29 touchdowns.
Marc Royer, Manheim Central – 5-9, 180 senior: Packs a powerful punch for his size. Royer run extremely hard and is quicker than you think in the open field. Led the Lancaster-Lebanon League with 2,265 yards and 25 touchdowns for a Barons squad that finished 13-1, won Section 2 and played for the District 3-AAA title.
Wide Receiver
Swahneek Brown, Mechanicsburg – 6-2, 160 senior: On an offense loaded with weapons in the passing game, Brown made the most of his 42 catches in 10 games. One in three of his grabs went for touchdowns and he averaged 20.3 yards per catch. Brown finished with 853 receiving yards.
Jake Scott, Cedar Cliff – 5-10, 175 senior: One of the benefits of playing with a high-end FBS quarterback recruit is college coaches get to see the guys catching the ball. Scott’s exceptional route running and hands have garnered him some deserved attention. With four or five receivers in the mix on a consistent basis, Scott led the way with 48 catches for 751 yards and eight touchdowns. In a tight spot, Scott was the go-to guy.
Kobay White, Bishop McDevitt – 6-0, 185 sophomore: In his first-year as the No. 1 target, you could see White develop into a more complete receiver over the course of the season. A pure burner, White is going to be a monster the next two seasons. Finished with 61 catches for 1,144 yards and 15 touchdowns in 16 games for the PIAA Class AAA runner-up.
Offensive Line
Jordan Mosley, Bishop McDevitt – 6-2, 280 senior: Thrown into the fire late his sophomore season, Mosley developed into an athletic and diverse tackle that helped open up options offensively for the Crusaders. One of three McDevitt offensive linemen named to the Mid-Penn Conference first team all stars, the Crusaders offense averaged more than 400 yards a game.
Tanner Unger, Hempfield – 6-4, 285 senior: Helped the Black Knights reach heights it had not experienced recently. Hempfield’s offense was basic but efficient and was good enough to win a District 3-AAAA playoff game. Unger is big, but his push and motor are what stand out. Helped the Black Knights average 360 yards a game – 227 on the ground and 133 passing.
Brent Wagner, Cumberland Valley – 6-2, 210 senior: Obviously not the biggest beast up front, but he more than makes up for that in technique and his ability to pull and block in the open field. His best asset is probably his work in space when it’s one-on-one. All you need to know is the Eagles had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers.
David Wuestner, Lower Dauphin – 5-11, 220 senior: Leader of a group up front that made huge strides overall during the 15-week season. You don’t see too many pulling centers leading the way on a consistent basis. Size isn’t necessary for that role. But you need to be athletic and understand how to find someone to block on the move. For Wuestner, that combination was no problem for the District 3-AAAA champions.
Chad Zunich, Manheim Central – 6-3, 315 junior: The junior was tabbed as Lancaster-Lebanon Section 2 Lineman of the Year and helped Barons lead the league in total offense at better than 400 yards per game. He led the way for a 2,000-yard and 1,000-yard back. With another year left, is the best offensive lineman in the league.
Kicker
Joe Julius, Lower Dauphin – 5-11, 200 senior: Affectionately known simply as “The Leg”, Julius is the best kicker in District 3 the last 25 years. A two-time All-State kicker, Julius is a Division I scholarship soccer player who is considering football as an option. Connected on 11 of 18 field goals with a long of 54. Half of his misses were from 50-plus. And 58 of his 72 kickoffs went for touchbacks.
Offensive Athlete
Charles Bell, Penn Manor – 6-1, 220 senior: One of those rare do-everything players who led his team on both sides of the ball. In addition to his 100-plus tackles on defense, Bell accounted for 1,852 total yards and 26 touchdowns for the Comets. He carried the ball 174 times for 1,473 yards and 22 touchdowns. Bell also had 22 catches for 379 yards and four additional scores.
John Ford, Red Land – 6-0, 186 senior: The all-time leading rusher for the Patriots was not only a weapon on offense for a Red Land team lacking in diversity in terms of offensive punch, but the Keystone Division all-star did some serious damage on special teams. Ford rushed for 1,449 yards on 206 carries this season with 16 rushing touchdowns.
James Warren, Steel-High – 5-11, 170 senior: Stepped up and played quarterback when its clear this is not his natural position on offense. It was a role that needed filled and Warren’s reward was a District 3-A title. Lethal in the open field, Warren rushed for 938 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. He also threw for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns to account for nearly 1,800 yards of offense.
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