Nine Maples named all-conference
When it came to the Tri-County South this season, Mapletown couldn’t be beat. The situation was the same when the conference awards were revealed.
The Maples led all teams with nine selections to the Tri-County South all-conference team, including a league-best five on the first team, and their coach, George Messich, was named the conference Coach of the Year.
“It was a great year for us and the kids really worked hard,” Messich said. “No one worked any harder than these kids did to succeed. They deserved everything they got.”
Messich had a feeling back before the season began that the Maples could be on the verge of an extraordinary year.
“We went 5-5 last year despite some injuries and had a couple close losses, and I knew we had a lot of players coming back,” Messich said. “I could tell this was going to be a special group of kids.”
California and Jefferson-Morgan, who finished second and third in the conference, respectively, each put eight players on the team.
Mapletown senior Ryan Geisel, the area’s rushing and scoring leader, was named to the first team as a running back, as was his brother, sophomore Brandon Geisel, as a wide receiver. Other first-team members for the Maples were seniors Brad Hartley (tight end) and Matt Jones (offensive line) and junior Wes Loring (offensive and defensive line).
Also on the team from Mapletown were senior Jon Caldwell and juniors Travis Menear, Zach Novak and Randy Pritchard.
The Trojans, Rockets joined Monessen and West Greene as team’s with four players on the first team.
California’s Donte Valentino, the area’s second-leading rusher and scorer, was named to the first team as a defensive back. Also on the first team for the Trojans were junior Nicholas Balla (offensive line), senior Steve Chester (linebacker) and sophomore Matt Hartman (defensive line).
On the first team for J-M were seniors Steve Yourchik (offensive and defensive line) and Mack Kline (kicker), and juniors Cody Ketchem (linebacker) and Jarrod Moskola (running back).
On the first team for Monessen were senior Stoycho Stoychev (punter) and juniors James Billick (offensive line), Joe Heath (defensive back) and Aaron Mikita (defensive line).
On the first team for West Greene were seniors Josh Anderson (defensive line), Cody Miller (linebacker) and A.J. Wilson (defensive back), and junior Marcus Simms (wide receiver).
Filling out the first team was Geibel Catholic senior Mitch Erdely (quarterback).
Carmichaels, which was the conference’s fourth playoff qualifier, had five selections, but none on the first team. Representing the Mikes were seniors Paul Martin and Bobby Virgili, junior Logan Phillips, and sophomores Phil Judy and Ethan Virgili.
Other members of the team were senior Drew Dunlevy, juniors Waugh Carter and J.D. Hawk and sophomore Brandon Rossi of California; seniors Tony Battaglini and Paul Sabo, and junior Joe Kulikoski of Frazier; seniors Josh Lawrence and Jeremy Weaver, junior Bill Sweeney and sophomore Justin Falcon of Jefferson-Morgan; and seniors Aaron Crable and Marcus Popelas of Monessen.