2008-09 Top Players in District 4

Andrew Shoop, Senior QB, Danville Area HS – Danville is a pass-happy, run-and-gun offensive football team, and the phrase “running game” is certainly not in the Ironmen’s vocabulary. That type of offense benefits a quarterback like Shoop, or, for that matter, any quarterback. Shoop completed 179-of-298 passes for 2,583 yards and 32 touchdowns. A quarterback passing for 30 or more touchdowns in a season is a rarity in high school football, and the Ironmen QB might just hit that number in back-to-back seasons, assuming Danville doesn’t abandon its pass-first mentality.

Austin Carpenter, Senior RB/DB, Southern Columbia Area HS – Carpenter was on the last Tigers’ team to win a state championship in 2006, and last season was the first time in his high school career that he did not advance past the District 4 playoffs. In an offense built around upwards of 4, 5, or 6 different running backs, you’d think it would be tough to build up rushing totals. Carpenter has made the most of his opportunities, though, and has piled up 953 career rushing yards and added 189 through the air while scoring 18 touchdowns. He even made an impact from his defensive backfield position, intercepting 2 passes last year.

Jarron Smithgall, Junior HB/S, Jersey Shore HS – The District 4 “AAA” runners-up saw Smithgall turn in an impressive sophomore season in 2007. Perhaps impressive should be replaced with solid, but, still, the Bulldog running back saw extended playing time that some sophs only dream about. Smithgall ran for 758 yards and 6 touchdowns, including a season-best and current career-high 142 yards against Mifflinburg. He averaged over 4.4 yards per carry.

Marcus Wasilewski, Senior QB, Mount Carmel Area HS – Take away a season-ending ankle injury and a rough start to Wasilewski’s 2006 season, and he’s had a pretty decent career for the red and white. Wasilewski passed for 1,739 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2007, but his best season came in 2005, when, as a freshman, he lit District 4 on fire for 1,832 yards and 22 touchdowns. For his career, the Red Tornadoes’ field general has completed 270 passes for 3,953 yards and 36 touchdowns. Would Wasilewski have to be considered the best Tornado quarterback to never win a District 4 crown? Mount Carmel fans probably hope they don’t have to ask that question.

Matt Moroz, Senior WR, Mount Carmel Area HS – Prior to the start of 2007, Moroz was listed as an “inexperienced receiver.” Well, it was a fitting title, considering he only caught 8 passes for 77 yards and 1 touchdown in the two years previous. Let’s just say that the Red Tornado receiver gained a ton of experience in 2007. Moroz caught 52 passes for 806 yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging a cool 15.5 yards per reception and a touchdown catch every 8th reception.

Michael Smith, Senior TE, Danville Area HS – Finding a quarterback who passes for 30 touchdowns is rare – finding a tight end who finishes a season with more than 600 receiving yards is equally rare. But that’s exactly what Smith did during his junior season, as he snagged 59 passes for 798 yards and 12 touchdowns. Smith averaged 13.5 yards per reception, and should see plenty of passes thrown his way in 2008.

PJ Paloskey, Senior QB, Bucktail HS – It’s something about quarterbacks who play for teams nicknamed the Bucks and offensive leaders who play efficient football. There was Mike Ohriel of CB West, now Miller Holmes with Dunmore, and, in District 4, PJ Paloskey. Paloskey has thrown for 1,476 career yards and 16 touchdowns, and just for good measure, added 178 rushing yards and 4 additional touchdowns on the ground. The Bucks’ field general has averaged 738 passing yards and 8 touchdowns per season for the past two years.

Robbie Wright, Senior WR, Loyalsock Township HS – Wright is the third known returning 1,000-yard receiver from the 2007 season, and boy, was ’07 a memorable season for Loyalsock. The Lancers, once the laughingstock of District 4, won the D4 “AA” championship and made a run all the way to the PIAA semi-finals. Wright snared 56 passes for 1,097 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, averaging 19.6 yards per reception.

Shane Carey, Senior QB, Loyalsock Township HS – Carey directed a Lancer offense which rolled up an impressive 450 points in 15 games a season ago, an average of 30 points per game. Carey was also a 2,000-yard passer in ’07, making him the only the second quarterback to accomplish that feat within the District. Carey completed 119-of-238 passes (exactly 50 percent) for 2,274 yards and 21 touchdowns. Loyalsock averaged over 151 yards passing per game last season, and could have a quarterback reach the 2,000-yard passing mark for the third straight season if Carey can hit that plateau in 2008.

Shane Raupers, Senior ATH, Athens Area HS – Shane Raupers is a true example of a team MVP. Who knows where the Wildcats would be if their all-everything athlete went down with an injury? Raupers has run for over 600 career yards, thrown for over 3,100 yards and 30 touchdowns, but he also makes his presence known on defense and special teams. He plays a pretty tough defensive back position for the Wildcats, and also handles the kicking and punting chores for Athens. Raupers averages 33.6 yards per punt, and has connected on 114 extra points and 14 field goals in his career, which has seen him score 298 points.

Steve Roth, Senior RB/DB, Southern Columbia Area HS – Roth is not coach Jim Roth’s son, but he is a relative of the great Tigers’ coach. Roth, like his teammate Austin Carpenter, has had a solid career while in Catawissa, posting nearly 500 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2006 and then following that up with a team-best 864 yards on 144 attempts with 7 more touchdowns. Roth has run for 1,362 yards in his career, and has posted three 100-yard rushing games, including a career-high 207 yards against Danville in a narrow 21-17 Tiger victory last year.

TJ Hertzog, Junior FB/ILB, Shikellamy HS – Shikellamy hasn’t had much football success recently, and only has had 1 playoff appearance in the past several years. Hertzog, though, is probably the most solid returning statistical player from the ’07 team. The 5’10, 200-pound bruiser finished with 166 yards of offense, but he made his living on the defensive side of the ball, where he totaled 94 tackles, of which 68 were solos. He averaged 10.4 tackles per contest, and posted 7 games with 10+ tackles, including an impressive 10 solo tackles against Shamokin Area.

Tony Cascio, Senior OL, Montoursville HS – Tony Cascio is bananas when it comes to offensive linemen across the state of Pennsylvania. The 6’5, 270-pound behemoth played on the line as a freshman, and became a starter in his sophomore year (2006), earning 1st Team All-State honors that season. The 2006 season was to be one the Warriors wouldn’t soon forget, as Cascio and the line helped pave the way for a powerful Wing-T attack which chewed up over 300 rushing yards per game. During his time as a starter on the Warrior line from 2006 on, Cascio has helped open holes for five 1,000 yard rushers. Montoursville won District 4 “AA” titles in 2005 and 2006, and reached the 2005 “AA” Eastern Finals. Cascio has not received any official D-1 offers, but conventional thinking would lead you to believe that a player of his size and talent will receive some offers soon.