2024 District 11 Top Returning Players Week 1

Written by: Duke Helm on Thursday, August 29th, 2024. Follow Duke Helm on Twitter.

DISTRICT 11 NOTES (week 1):   

RUNNINGBACKS: 

Luke Miller of North Schuylkill rushed for 198 yards and 4 td’s in their win over Mount Carmel and was the top rusher reported in week 1. Sophomore Rory Dixon of Marian Catholic was a close 2nd with his 191 yards rushing vs Hanover. Gabe Green of Liberty scored 4 td’s in their win over Pennridge which included two 90 yard kick-off returns.

QUARTERBACKS:

Matt Bodnar of Notre Dame threw for 604 yards and 7 td’s in their 71-64 win over Garden Spot. The yardage is a new District record, breaking fellow Crusader Collin Quintano’s old record of 501 yards that he threw vs Jim Thorpe in 2021. Bodnar’s 7 td passes breaks the old school record of 6 td passes that Quintano threw in the same Jim Thorpe game, and Cole DeFranco threw vs Saucon Valley in 2018. The District record for a game is held by Brendan Nosovitch of Central Catholic who threw 8 td passes vs Valley View in 2011. Bodnar threw td passes to 7 different players which is also a District record. Other quarterbacks to throw 7 td’s in a game were Jim Kugler of Saucon Valley vs Pen Argyl in 1968 and Tony Gomez of Pottsville vs Emmaus in 2000. Sophomore Aiden Reilly of Catasauqua in his first varsity start threw for 313 yards and 4 td’s in their win over Mahanoy Area. His yardage falls just short of the school record of 325 yards that Zack Bradley threw vs Palisades in 2013. Dante Carr of Minersville threw for 270 yards and 4 td’s in their win over Halifax. Carr went over 2,500 career passing yards (2,582) and the junior has 32 career td passes. Cole Lazorick of Jim Thorpe threw for 266 yards and 4 td’s in their win over Palmerton. The junior went over 2,000 career passing yards (2,173) and has thrown 21 career td passes. There are 4 other current qb’s that also threw for their 21st career td pass mark in week one. They are Peyton Falzone of Nazareth, Ben Kreitzer of Nativity, Luke Kane of Tamaqua, and Cayden Vassa of Bethlehem Catholic. Kane also went over 2,000 yards passing in his career (2,167). Shane Leh of Northwestern threw his 25th career td pass vs Wilson in week 1. The junior needs 84 yards to go over 2,000 yards passing for his career. There were 5 more qb’s to throw for 200 yards or more in week 1. Chase Walker of Freedom threw for 262 yards, Colton Sams of Southern Lehigh threw for 228 yards, Ivan Laubach of ES South threw for 212 yards, Brady Strause of Blue Mountain threw for 202 yards, and Rocco Delgiudice of PM East threw for an even 200 yards.

RECEIVERS:

Manny Bolmer of Catasauqua caught 5 passes for a school record 269 yards and 4 td’s in week 1. Miguel Hernandez held the old record when he had 240 receiving yards vs Notre Dame in 2017. Bolmer’s 4 td catches tied the school record that Ian Juica set last year, also in week 1. Bolmer added a 5th td on a fumble recovery and is the first Rough Rider to score 5 td’s in a game. Andrew Olesh of Southern Lehigh caught 3 passes for 153 yards and a td in a week 1 win over Quakertown. Olesh went over 1,500 career receiving yards and now has 1,508 yards. Noah Dolbin of Nativity caught 2 passes for 101 yards and 2 scores in week 1 and in the process broke the school’s career td reception record. Dolbin now has 18 career td grabs breaking the old record of 17 that Jeff Yordy set in 2014 (his only year playing varsity football). Dolbin also joins the 2,000 yard receiving club with his school record 2,054 yards. Xzavier Pusateri of ES South caught 8 passes for 152 yards and a td in week 1 vs Abington Heights. Justin Yescavage of Jim Thorpe went over 1,500 yards receiving for his career (1,508) in week 1 and Logan Hutsko of Minersville went over 1,000 career receiving yards (1,036).

Gavin Mentzer of North Schuylkill kicked a 49 yard field goal in their win over Mount Carmel. Carson Long holds the Spartans school record for the longest field goal when he kicked a 54 yarder in 1972 which was also vs Mount Carmel (24-3 loss).

TIDBITS:

1st 1,000 yard rusher in school history (a few each week)

Bangor – Dave Menecola 1985 (1,004 yards)

Blue Mountain – Jeff Zimmerman 1965 (1,077 yards)

Mahanoy Area – Dan Lucyk 1963 (1,089 yards)

North Schuylkill  – John Rosella 1968 (1,438 yards)

Southern Lehigh – Sam Hess 1972 (1,032 yards)

Wilson Area – Jeff Lilly 1973 (1,040 yards)

2024 single-game highs: ( ) is the week the player accomplished the stat

Single Game Touchdowns (4)

5 (1) Manny Bolmer (Catasauqua)  *School Record*

4 (1) Luke Miller (North Schuylkill)

4 (1) Gabe Green (Liberty)

Single Game Rushing Yardage (200)

none

Single Game Passing Yardage (200)

604 (1) Matt Bodnar (Notre Dame)  **DISTRICT RECORD**

313 (1) Aiden Reilly (Catasauqua)

270 (1) Dante Carr (Minersville)

266 (1) Cole Lazorick (Jim Thorpe)

262 (1) Chase Walker (Freedom)

228 (1) Colton Sams (Southern Lehigh)

212 (1) Ivan Laubach (ES South)

202 (1) Brady Strause (Blue Mountain)

200 (1) Rocco Delgiudice (Pocono Mountain East)

Single Game TD Passes (4)

7 (1) Matt Bodnar (Notre Dame)  *School Record*

4 (1) Aiden Reilly (Catasauqua)

4 (1) Dante Carr (Minersville)

4 (1) Cole Lazorick (Jim Thorpe)

Single Game Receptions (10)

none

Single Game Reception Yardage (140)

269 (1) Manny Bolmer (Catasauqua)  *School Record*

153 (1) Andrew Olesh (Southern Lehigh)

152 (1) Xzavier Pusateri (ES South)

Single Game Reception TD’s (3)

4 (1) Manny Bolmer (Catasauqua)  *Ties School Record*

Field Goals (40 yards)

49 (1) Gavin Mentzer (North Schuylkill)

 

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