Complete Top Performer List
Another week of Pennsylvania high school football produced outstanding defensive performances, highlighted by Octorara Area’s Logan Smith recording 25 tackles, Lackawanna Trail’s Kaylix Douglas collecting four sacks, and Gettysburg’s Mark Carothers returning an interception 95 yards for a touchdown.
Bethlehem Catholic’s Jonathon Ayache also delivered an impressive performance with 20 tackles, while Manheim Central’s Jevin Carbonneau followed with 18.
The defensive scoring highlights included three 89-yard fumble returns for touchdowns, two interception-return touchdowns by Chester’s Ja’sayin Mallory-Grandberry, and a 92-yard blocked field goal return by Conestoga Valley’s Zanyae Brooks-Brice.
Smith Leads Defenders with 25 Tackles
Octorara Area’s Logan Smith delivered the week’s top reported tackling performance, finishing with 25 tackles.
Smith also recorded three tackles for loss, making him one of the week’s most productive defenders.
Bethlehem Catholic’s Jonathon Ayache followed with 20 tackles, while Manheim Central’s Jevin Carbonneau finished with 18.
Jersey Shore’s Aiden Patts recorded 17 tackles.
Schuylkill Haven’s Brayden Shappell, Line Mountain’s Caden Carson, Great Valley’s Dean Kosmalski, Delaware Valley’s Dylan Bannon and Notre Dame-Green Pond’s John Hull each finished with 16 tackles.
Line Mountain’s Cade Feger and Minersville’s Derek Derenzo followed with 15 tackles apiece.
Derenzo also recorded 3.5 tackles for loss.
Line Mountain, Minersville and Shikellamy Have Multiple Tackling Leaders
Line Mountain had several players among the week’s defensive leaders.
Carson recorded 16 tackles, while Feger finished with 15. Garrett Cockeril added 10 tackles.
Minersville’s Derenzo led his team with 15 tackles, while Justin Cutler finished with 11.
John Lutsky, Jose Farrell and Omir Ballard each added 10 tackles for Minersville.
Shikellamy also had several defenders reach double figures.
Brady Kurtz led the way with 14 tackles, while Chase Swartz recorded 11 tackles and four tackles for loss.
Avery Karge and Willie Bender each finished with 10 tackles.
Jersey Shore’s Patts led his team with 17 tackles, while Zeke Sechrist added 11 and Isaac Shirey finished with 10.
Several Defenders Record 14 Tackles
Shikellamy’s Kurtz, Milton Area’s Brady O’Rourke, Ephrata’s Caleb Rice, Tri-Valley’s Robert Schwartz, Annville-Cleona’s Tyler Gingrich and Central Dauphin’s Will Guigma each finished with 14 tackles.
Gingrich also recorded three tackles for loss.
Milton Area’s Brody Locke and Archbishop Wood’s Cole Wiberley each recorded 13 tackles.
Tri-Valley’s Landon Horoschak, Cocalico’s Rocco Colatta-Rigney, Great Valley’s Yousif Albazaz and Wyomissing Area’s Zander Westwood each finished with 12 tackles.
Albazaz added three tackles for loss.
More Defenders Reach Double Figures
Pequea Valley’s Andrew Blank, Shikellamy’s Chase Swartz, Roman Catholic’s Jayden Thompson, William Allen’s Jaylen Walker, Minersville’s Justin Cutler, La Salle College High School’s Zykee Scott and Jersey Shore’s Zeke Sechrist each recorded 11 tackles.
The 10-tackle group included Delaware Valley’s Anthony Boo and Joey Barone, Shikellamy’s Avery Karge and Willie Bender, Upper Perkiomen’s Braeden O’Donnell, Corbin Engle and Parker Munio, Souderton’s Chase Hart, Octorara Area’s Chase Sutton, Chambersburg’s Deakon Snavely, Notre Dame-Green Pond’s Drew Boyd, Line Mountain’s Garrett Cockeril, Palmerton Area’s Gaven Meixsell, Central Dauphin’s Gavin Hershey and Xaivion Allen, Jersey Shore’s Isaac Shirey, Marple Newtown’s Jack Dreger and Ryan Miller, Pine Grove Area’s Jacob Newswanger, Minersville’s John Lutsky, Jose Farrell and Omir Ballard, Bloomsburg’s Julius Serrano, Malcolm Tagba and Shane Frey, and Dallas’ Owen Oldt.
Eight Players Record Two Interceptions
Eight players shared the reported interception lead with two apiece.
Montoursville’s Brayden Burkett, Ridley’s Chase Bonnes, Conwell-Egan’s Dane Austerberry and Riccardo Torres, Chester’s Ja’sayin Mallory-Grandberry, Central Bucks East’s Liam Hoey, Penn Manor’s Leo Sweeney and Big Spring’s Parker Hamman each intercepted two passes.
Austerberry, Mallory-Grandberry and Sweeney also returned interceptions for touchdowns.
Mallory-Grandberry had an especially productive performance, scoring twice on interception returns.
Carothers Returns Interception 95 Yards for Touchdown
Gettysburg’s Mark Carothers delivered the longest reported interception return for a touchdown, taking one back 95 yards.
Exeter’s Nick Kozik followed with an 87-yard interception return for a score.
Chester’s Ja’sayin Mallory-Grandberry returned an interception 80 yards for a touchdown and added another scoring return of 45 yards.
His two interception-return touchdowns covered a combined 125 yards.
Conwell-Egan’s Dane Austerberry scored on a 64-yard interception return, while Northwest Area’s Ben Bonham went 61 yards.
Line Mountain’s Kaden Dunkelberger returned an interception 56 yards for a touchdown, while Wilson’s Braydon Farrell scored on a 55-yard return.
Hughesville’s Chase Shrewder and Lewisburg’s Jaylen Walker each returned interceptions 52 yards for touchdowns.
Dunmore’s Xavier Burke added a 49-yard scoring return, while Penn Manor’s Leo Sweeney returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown.
Oxford’s Landon Willey also scored on a 45-yard interception return.
Interception Returns Continue to Produce Touchdowns
Williams Valley’s Gabe Rodriguez returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown, while Schuylkill Valley’s Anthony Batista scored on a 36-yard return.
Manheim Township’s Jackson Smyth returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, while Souderton’s Brandon Alderfer went 34 yards.
Nazareth Area’s Matt Leluga added a 32-yard interception return for a score.
Carbondale Area’s Nick Roman scored on a 29-yard return, while Manheim Township’s Jaiden Simmons finished with a 25-yard touchdown return.
Malvern Prep’s Alex Kumpon and Annville-Cleona’s Danny Shay each scored on 23-yard interception returns.
Northwestern Lehigh’s Fritz Scheirer returned an interception 21 yards for a touchdown, while teammate Nolan Koehler scored on an 18-yard return.
Twin Valley’s Camren Ludwig added a 16-yard interception return for a score.
Annville-Cleona’s Max Ortwein rounded out the group with a six-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Douglas Leads Sack Category with Four
Lackawanna Trail’s Kaylix Douglas delivered the week’s top reported sack performance, recording four sacks.
Pequea Valley’s Andrew Blank followed with three sacks.
Blank also finished with 11 tackles and three tackles for loss, making him one of the week’s most productive defensive players.
Five Players Record Four Tackles for Loss
Palmerton Area’s Carson Eckhart, Shikellamy’s Chase Swartz, Conwell-Egan’s Jacob Primich, Central York’s Wayne Scott and Chester’s Zyon Santana shared the reported lead with four tackles for loss apiece.
Minersville’s Derek Derenzo followed with 3.5 tackles for loss.
Pequea Valley’s Andrew Blank, Palmerton Area’s Colson Ruzicks, Mason Konze and Michael Garey, Cedar Crest’s Damyen Derr, Annville-Cleona’s Danny Shay and Tyler Gingrich, Wyomissing Area’s Diamante Strong, Garnet Valley’s Dylan Perry, Vaux’s Hamid Griffin, Blue Mountain’s Landon Daubert, Octorara Area’s Logan Smith, Schuylkill Haven’s Triston Davis and Great Valley’s Yousif Albazaz each recorded three tackles for loss.
Palmerton Area placed four players among the tackles-for-loss leaders, with Eckhart recording four and Ruzicks, Konze and Garey adding three apiece.
Three Players Return Fumbles 89 Yards for Touchdowns
Souderton’s Chase Hart, Conestoga Valley’s Perry Boyd and Great Valley’s Sonny Baldino each delivered an 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
The three players shared the lead for the longest reported fumble-return touchdowns of the week.
Mifflinburg’s Landon Moser followed with a 25-yard fumble return for a score.
Twin Valley’s Grant Moser returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown, while Dallas’ Hunter Pitcavage scored on a 15-yard return.
Northwestern Lehigh’s Nicholas Whitney added a 13-yard fumble return for a touchdown.
Pottsville’s Gino Joy, Scranton Prep’s Henry Barrett, Bonner-Prendie’s Josiah Adams, East Pennsboro’s Julius Brannock Snyder, Tri-Valley’s Landon Horoschak, Line Mountain’s Luke Malfara and Perkiomen Valley’s Luke Tuterice each recovered a fumble for a touchdown without a return.
Brooks-Brice Goes 92 Yards on Blocked Field Goal
Conestoga Valley’s Zanyae Brooks-Brice delivered one of the week’s most exciting special teams plays.
Brooks-Brice returned a blocked field goal 92 yards for a touchdown.
The long return highlighted the impact that a defensive stop on a field goal attempt can have on a game.
Conestoga Valley also had an 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Perry Boyd, giving the team two of the week’s longest reported defensive scoring plays.
Blocked Punts Produce Two Touchdowns
Exeter’s Braylon Reiner scored on a five-yard blocked-punt return.
Donegal’s Leelan Baughman also scored a touchdown on a blocked punt recovery.
Both plays added to a week filled with defensive and special teams touchdowns.
Defensive Standouts Deliver Another Memorable Week
Another week of Pennsylvania high school football produced impressive defensive performances, with several players making game-changing plays.
Smith led the reported tackle totals with 25, followed by Ayache with 20 and Carbonneau with 18.
Douglas recorded four sacks for Lackawanna Trail, while Blank finished with three sacks, 11 tackles and three tackles for loss.
Carothers led the interception-return category with a 95-yard touchdown, while Mallory-Grandberry scored twice on interception returns.
Hart, Boyd and Baldino each returned fumbles 89 yards for touchdowns, and Brooks-Brice delivered a 92-yard blocked field goal return.
From defenders making stops behind the line of scrimmage to players turning turnovers into touchdowns, Pennsylvania’s top defensive performers once again demonstrated how important defense can be in determining the outcome of a game.