Pennsylvania

Vote for Pennsylvania’s high school football player of the week for games played Sept. 21-Sept. 23

Published

1 year ago

September 24, 2023

Vote for Pennsylvania’s high school football player of the week for games played Sept. 21-Sept. 23

The fifth week of Pennsylvania’s high school football season is in the books, and it was filled with some big-time individual performances.

But who had the best showing?

Sign up for PennLive’s new high school sports newsletter here .

Check out the list below and then vote in the poll at the bottom to let us know who you think Pennsylvania’s top player was for games played Sept. 21- Sept. 23

The poll, sponsored by Renewal by Andersen of Central PA, will be closed at noon Wednesday. Nearly 33,000 votes were cast in last week’s contest.

Check out this week’s top performances below:.

Harrisburg vs Cumberland Valley in high school football

Carson Nagle, QB, Bald Eagle Area — Nagle threw for 425 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another score in a 42-20 win over Phillipsburg-Oscela.

Shawn Lee Jr., QB, Harrisburg — Lee Jr. accounted for 423 yards — 338 passing, 85 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 42-7 win over Cumberland Valley.

Mason Campagna, QB, Claysburg-Kimmel — Campagna accounted for 409 yards — 289 rushing, 120 passing — and six touchdowns in a 55-20 win over Curwensville.

Kye Harting, QB, Garden Spot — Harting accounted for 368 yards — 218 passing, 150 rushing — and seven touchdowns in a 48-21 win over Fleetwood.

Brad Birch, QB, Gateway — Birch threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-14 win over Plum.

Will Domico, QB, Clearfield — Domico accounted for 354 yards — 216 passing, 138 rushing — and five touchdowns in a 44-20 win over Huntingdon.

Jaivin Peel, QB, Western Beaver — Peel threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-18 win over Ellwood City.

Marcus Quaker, QB, West Perry — Quaker set the Mustangs’ program passing yardage record, throwing for 313 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for 19 more in a 47-13 win over James Buchanan.

Matt Machalik, QB, Palmerton — Machalik accounted for 309 yards — 236 passing, 73 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 41-26 win over Notre Dame.

Derek Gibney, QB, Susquenita — Gibney threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-21 loss to Line Mountain.

Sam McCracken, QB, Ephrata — McCracken accounted for 302 yards — 287 passing, 15 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Daniel Boone.

Mechanicsburg at Gettysburg in high school football actionMark Pynes

Eli Reider, QB, Mechanicsburg — Reider accounted for 298 yards — 271 passing, 27 rushing — and a touchdown in a 41-20 loss to Gettysburg.

Paul Johnson, QB, Mercyhurst Prep — Johnson accounted for 290 — 197 passing, 93 rushing — and seven touchdowns in a 66-6 win over Franklin.

Tristyn Tavares, QB, Norwin — Tavares threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-23 loss to Woodland Hills.

Julian Dugger, QB, Penn Hills — Dugger accounted for 288 yards — 268 passing, 20 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 34-9 win over North Hills.

Mister Ham, QB, Sharon — Ham accounted for 287 yards — 143 passing, 144 rushing — and three touchdowns in an 18-0 win over Wilmington.

Tyler Dunn, QB, Curwensville — Dunn accounted for 280 yards — 180 passing, 100 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 55-20 loss to Claysburg-Kimmel.

Luke Spang, QB, Parkland — Spang threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Allentown Central Catholic.

Hayden Johnson, QB, Manheim Township — Johnson threw for 278 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Hempfield.

Brodie Kuzior, QB, Burgettstown — Kuzior accounted for 278 yards — 145 passing, 133 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 39-0 win over Chartiers-Houston.

Carson Bellinger, QB, Avonworth — Bellinger threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-0 win over South Park.

Blayze Myers, QB, McDowell — Myers threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns in a 56-39 loss to Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Ohio).

Braylon Wagner, QB, Redbank Valley — Wagner accounted for 264 yards — 215 passing, 49 rushing — and five touchdowns in a 65-6 win over Ridgway/Johnsonburg.

Bishop McDevitt vs Cedar Cliff in high school football

Stone Saunders, QB, Bishop McDevitt — Saunders was 15 of 17 passing for 261 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Cedar Cliff.

Gavin Trish, QB, Hanover — Trish threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-34 win over Fairfield.

Brady Jones, QB, Penn Cambria — Jones threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-6 win over Central Cambria.

Grayson Mahla, QB, Richland — Mahla threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-14 win over Forest Hills.

Cocoa Bean Bowl: Hershey vs. Milton Hershey in high school football

Jason Burney, QB, Milton Hershey — Burney accounted for 259 yards — 228 passing, 31 rushing — and a touchdown in a 33-22 loss to Hershey.

Tyler Gee, QB, Loyalsock Township — Gee accounted for 257 yards — 140 rushing, 117 passing — and two touchdowns in a 24-7 win over Williams Valley.

Brady Heiser, QB, Gettysburg – Heiser accounted for 256 yards — 155 passing, 101 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 41-20 win over Mechanicsburg.

Danny Darno, QB, Notre Dame Green Pond — Darno accounted for 252 yards — 173 passing, 79 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 41-26 loss to Palmerton.

Jake Wolfe, QB, Montour — Wolfe accounted for 250 yards — 226 passing, 24 rushing — and and four touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Ambridge.

Gavyn Ayers, QB, Coudersport — Ayers accounted for 246 yards — 124 passing, 122 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 26-14 win over Cameron County.

Matt Caro, QB, General McLane — Caro threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-15 win over Corry.

Steven Rutherford, QB, Central Valley — Rutherford threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more scores in a 42-14 win over New Castle.

Dante Carr, QB, Minersville — Carr accounted for 235 yards — 204 passing, 31 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 41-28 win over Panther Valley.

Aric Campbell, QB, Dover — Campbell accounted for 234 yards — 140 passing, 94 rushing — and a touchdown in a 28-14 win over Susquehannock.

Caiden Leszczynski, QB, Plymouth Whitemarsh — Leszczynski accounted for 230 yards — 190 passing, 40 rushing — and three touchdowns in a 48-14 win over McCaskey.

Aiden Bingaman, QB, Upper Dauphin — Bingaman threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-6 win over Newport.

Luke Goodworth, QB, Mars — Goodworth threw for 229 yards and a touchdown in a 26-23 loss to Moon.

Derek Burk, QB, Deer Lakes — Burk threw for 226 yards and a touchdown in a 24-7 win over Southmoreland.

Maddox Hetrick, QB, Punxsutawney — Hetrick accounted for 220 yards — 197 passing, 23 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 49-7 win over St. Marys.

Alex Erby, QB, Steel-High — Erby threw for 219 yards and three touchdown passes while rushing for two more in a 46-7 win over Big Spring.

Caleb Wray, QB, Trinity — Wray threw for 218 yards and five touchdown passes in a 47-14 win over Boiling Springs.

Greg Campbell, QB, Bangor — Campbell accounted for 216 yards — 145 rushing, 71 passing — and three touchdowns in a 41-0 win over Wilson Area.

Cole Spears, QB, Mount Carmel — Spears accounted for 214 yards — 176 passing, 38 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 69- 20 win over Bloomsburg.

Landen Eichhorn, QB, Mifflin County — Eichhorn threw for 214 yads and two touchdowns in a 20-10 win over Palmyra.

Wyatt Ehrenzeller, QB, Juniata — Ehrenzeller accounted for 212 yards — 117 passing, 95 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Halifax.

Ryan Messina, QB, Elizabeth Forward — Messina threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-0 win over Knoch.

Brady Zapoticky, QB, Dallas — Zapoticky accounted for 207 yards — 189 passing, 18 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 45-0 win over Wyoming Valley West.

Zac Hahn, QB, Manheim Central — Hahn threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Warwick.

Charlie Krug, QB, Brookville — Krug accounted for 202 yards — 150 passing, 52 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 34-20 win over DuBois.

Idriz Ahmetovic, QB, New Oxford — Ahmetovic accounted for 201 yards — 176 passing, 25 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 35-14 win over York Suburban.

John Wetzel, QB, Greater Latrobe — Wetzel accounted for 200 yards — 159 passing, 41 rushing — and two touchdowns and also had an interception in a 37-0 win over Laurel Highlands.

Quentin Goode, QB, Aliquippa — Goode threw for 199 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-22 win over West Allegheny.

Tyree Turner, QB, Greensburg Central Catholic — Turner accounted for 178 yards — 120 rushing, 58 passing — and five touchdowns in a 60-14 win over Springdale. He also had an interception.

Evan Myers, QB, Twin Valley — Myers accounted for 172 yards — 94 passing, 78 rushing — and four touchdowns in a 49-8 win over Elizabethtown.

Menage Lucas, QB, Highlands — Lucas ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns and threw another in a 28-21 win over Indiana.

Tasso Whipple, RB, Penn-Trafford — Whipple accounted for 353 yards — 300 rushing, 53 receiving — and four touchdowns in a 41-18 win over Hempfield Area.

Hunter Baumgardner, RB, West Scranton — Baumgardner accounted for 335 yards — 317 rushing, 18 receiving — and two touchdowns in a 41-34 win over Hazelton Area.

Ethen Knox, RB, Oil City — Knox ran for 295 yards and five touchdowns in a 68-7 win over Northwestern.

Luke Stevenosky, RB, Minersville — Stevenosky accounted for 291 yards — 272 rushing, 19 receiving — and three touchdowns in a 41-28 win over Panther Valley.

Angel Cabrera, RB, Hershey — Cabrera ran for 258 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-22 win over Milton Hershey.

Dajoure Hollingsworth, RB, Cathedral Prep — Hollingsworth ran for 255 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-13 loss to Clarkson North (Canada).

Jared Porter, RB, CD East — Porter rushed for 240 yards and a touchdown while also picking off a pass in a 28-7 win over Altoona.

Billy Whitlatch, RB, West Greene — Whitlatch ran for 234 yards and three touchdowns in a 39-6 win over Bentworth.

Austin Johnson, RB, Muncy — Johnson ran for 231 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-19 win over North Penn-Mansfield.

Elijah Faulkner, RB, Pittsburgh Central Catholic — Faulkner ran for 229 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-22 win over North Allegheny.

Donald Barksdale, RB, Steel Valley — Barksdale ran for 221 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Ligonier Valley.

Camden Lowery, RB, Somerset — Lowery ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-0 win over Bishop McCort.

Elijah Palmer-McCane, RB, Ellwood City — Palmer-McCane ran for 216 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-18 loss to Western Beaver.

Julian Walker, RB, Perry Traditional — Walker ran for 211 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-24 overtime loss to Brashear.

Jaxon Covell, RB, Titusville — Covell had 206 yards — 171 rushing, 35 on two catches — and four touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Seneca.

Harrison Watson, RB, Avon Grove — Watson ran for 203 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-7 win over Sun Valley.

Aiden Myers, RB, Schuylkill Haven — Myers ran for 200 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-7 win over Palisades.

Zier Williams, RB, Deer Lakes — Williams ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-7 win over Southmoreland.

Dorian Smith, RB, Susquehanna Township — Smith ran for 199 yards and a touchdown in a 28-19 win over Shippensburg.

Tyshawn Jones, RB, Harbor Creek — Jones ran for 195 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Girard.

Garon Quillen, RB, Dover — Quillen ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns and had 12 tackles, too, in a 28-14 win over Susquehannock.

Cael Harter, RB, Annville-Cleona — Harter ran for 192 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-7 win over Columbia. He also had five tackles and an interception.

Anthony Leonardi, RB, Central Bucks South — Leonardi accounted for 191 yards — 173 rushing, 18 on four catches in a 24-13 win over Pennsbury.

Tyson Florence, RB, Western Beaver — Florence accounted for 190 yards — 147 rushing, 43 receiving — in a 41-18 win over Ellwood City.

Preston Burnett, RB, Gettysburg — Burnett ran for 189 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-20 win over Mechanicsburg.

Waynesboro defeats Northern 29-28 in high school football

Cole Bartram, RB, Northern — Bartram ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-28 loss to Waynesboro.

Tyler Benford, RB, Fairview — Benford accounted for 187 yards — 144 rushing, 43 receiving — and three touchdowns in a 49-15 win over Warren.

Trey Tremba, RB, Parkland — Tremba ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-14 win over Allentown Central Catholic.

JaVaughn Moore, RB, Bethel Park — Moore ran for 185 yards and two touchdowns in a 50-13 win over Baldwin.

Ryan Welka, RB, Fort LeBoeuf — Welka ran for 183 yards in a 14-7 loss to North East.

Zack Fox, RB, Nanticoke Area — Fox ran for 181 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-0 win over Lake-Lehman.

Boyd Skarbek, RB, Pope John Paul II — Skarbek ran for 175 yards and a touchdown in a 49-7 win over Upper Perkiomen.

Christian Joy, RB, Trinity — Joy accounted for 174 yards — 149 rushing, 25 receiving —and a touchdown and also returned a punt 70 yards for a score in a 47-14 win over Boiling Springs.

Will Murray, RB, Carmichaels — Murray ran for 172 yards and a touchdown in a 27-8 win over Mapletown.

Josh Vinton, RB, Western Wayne — Vinton ran for 170 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-0 win over Carbondale.

Elijah Cunningham, RB, Lancaster Catholic — Cunningham ran for 164 yards and a touchdown in a 34-13 win over Northern Lebanon.

Everett Baker, RB, Plymouth Whitemarsh — Baker accounted for 164 yards — 127 rushing, 37 receiving — in a 48-14 win over McCaskey.

Isaac Roberts, RB, West York — Roberts ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-20 loss to Kennard-Dale.

Alex Achenbach, RB, Williams Valley — Achenbach ran for 163 yards and a touchdown in a 24-7 loss to Loyalsock Township.

Caden Henritzy, RB, Northampton — Henritzy ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-0 win over East Stroudsburg South.

Bryce Danish, RB, Mount Union — Danish ran for 160 yards and three touchdowns in a 42-0 win over Moshannon Valley.

Drew Forrey, RB, Wyomissing — Forrey ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 win over ELCO.

Aaryn Longenecker, RB, Cocalico — Longenecker ran for 155 yards and a touchdown in a 24-10 win over Lampeter-Strasburg.

Braxtin Risser, RB, Palmyra — Risser accounted for 154 yards – 127 rushing, 27 on three catches — in a 20-10 loss to Mifflin County.

Colby Lebarron, RB, Warrior Run — Lebarron ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 54-8 win over Northwest Area.

Ronald Burnette, RB, Steel-High — Burnette rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown in a 46-7 win over Big Spring.

Skylar Olmstead, RB, Union City — Olmstead ran for 152 yards and a touchdown in a 20-7 win over Saegertown.

Andrew Sharp, RB, Baldwin — Sharp ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns in a 50-13 loss to Bethel Park.

Owen Bish, RB, UACV — Bish ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-0 win over Kane.

Zykir Moore, RB, Woodland Hills — Moore ran for 146 yards and a touchdown in a 30-23 win over Norwin.

Noah Hillis, RB, Bangor — Hills ran for 145 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-0 win over Wilson Area.

Jack Fennell, RB, North Catholic — Fennell ran for 145 yards and a touchdown in a 28-7 win over Kiski Area.

Nate Whysong, RB, Chestnut Ridge — Whysong ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-0 win over Bedford.

Brycen Armold, RB, Manheim Central — Armold ran for 144 yards and a touchdown in a 49-0 win over Warwick.

Landyn Wommer, RB, Muncy — Wommer ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-19 win over North Penn-Mansfield.

Deakon Schaeffer, RB, Mifflin County — Schaeffer ran for 142 yards and a touchdown in a 20-10 win over Palmyra.

Kameron Mong, RB, Titusville — Mong ran for 142 yards and a touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Seneca.

Colm McGroarty, RB, Mahanoy — McGroarty ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-28 loss to Riverside.

Ryan Navarra, RB, South Side — Navarra ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-7 win over Quaker Valley.

Zach Welsh, RB, Canon-McMillan — Welsh ran for 138 yards in a 14-7 win over South Fayette.

Cooper Karycki, RB, Mount Carmel — Karycki ran for 135 yards and two touchdowns in a 69-20 win over Bloomsburg. He also had a sack.

Jake Williams, RB, ELCO — Williams ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-14 loss to Wyomissing.

Evan McCracken, RB, Richland — McCracken ran for 129 yards and three touchdowns in a 44-14 win over Forest Hills. He also had eight tackles.

Ty Sander, RB, Palmerton — Sander ran for 125 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-26 win over Notre Dame.

Kyler Quick, RB, Mahanoy — Quick ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-28 loss to Riverside.

Luke Blessing, RB, Mount Carmel — Blessing ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a 69-20 win over Bloomsburg.

Nazir Brookins, RB, Moon — Brookins ran for 123 yards and a touchdown in a 26-23 win over Mars.

Anthony Boyd, RB, McKeesport — Boyd ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-7 win over Trinity.

Adam Johnson, RB, Northern Bedford — Johnson ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-16 win over Berlin Brothersvalley. He also had one interception.

Brandon Way, RB, Lancaster Catholic — Way ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-13 win over Northern Lebanon.

Dimajio Locante, RB, Keystone Oaks — Locante ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns, passed for a touchdown and caught one, in an 18-0 win over Sto-Rox.

Kahale Burns, WR, Bald Eagle Area — Burns caught 11 passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-20 win over Phillipsburg-Osceola.

Elias Coke, WR, Harrisburg — The Cougars’ star wideout brought in seven passes for 193 yards, scoring three times in a 42-7 win over Cumberland Valley.

Jacob Zietz, WR, General McLane — Zietz caught seven passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-15 win over Corry.

Andrew Alston, WR, Montour — Alston had three catches for 180 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Ambridge. He also had an interception.

Josh Smith, WR, Mechanicsburg — Smith caught nine passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns and also returned a kick 90 yards for a score in a 41-20 loss to Gettysburg.

Gavin Harrold, WR, Penn Cambria — Harrold caught seven passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-6 win over Central Cambria. He also had 13 tackles and an interception.

Carter Freeland, WR, Clearfield — Freeland had six catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-20 win over Huntingdon.

Dorian Doubet, WR, Maplewood — Doubet caught seven passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-6 win over Reynolds.

Jason Salman, WR, Thomas Jefferson — Salman caught five passes for 166 yards and a touchdown in a 24-19 win over Belle Vernon. He also intercepted a pass.

Austin Yarnick, WR, Richland — Yarnick had nine catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-14 win over Forest Hills.

Landon Kennel, WR, Manheim Township — Kennel caught nine passes for 155 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Hempfield.

Damian Tyminski, WR, Pen Argyl — Tyminski accounted for 155 yards — 93 rushing, 62 on six catches — and two touchdowns in a 36-14 win over Catasauqua.

Evan Laybourn-Boddie, WR, Wilkes-Barre Area — Laybourn-Boddie caught seven passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-21 win over Berwick.

Mikey Crawford, WR, Western Beaver — Crawford had seven catches for 149 yards in a 41-18 win over Ellwood City.

Andrew Kuban, WR, Avonworth — Kuban caught seven passes for 147 yards and a touchdown in a 38-0 win over South Park.

Colin Torres, WR, Easton — Torres caught five passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in a 20-19 loss to Bethlehem Catholic.

Joey Wilkinson, WR, Hanover — Wilkinson caught seven passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-34 win over Fairfield.

Isaiah Turner, WR, Elizabeth Forward — Turner caught eight passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns and intercepted a pass in a 22-0 win over Knoch.

Carter Marr, WR, Warrior Run — Marr had five catches for 136 yards and two touchdowns in a 54-8 win over Northwest Area. He laso had two interceptions.

Cody Patterson, WR, Freedom — Patterson had 135 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a 21-7 win over Riverside.

Brennan Holmes, WR, New Oxford — Holmes caught three passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-14 win over York Suburban.

Jeremiah Knowles, WR, Ephrata — Knowles accounted for 132 yards — 119 on four catches, 13 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Daniel Boone.

Carter Vassa, WR, Bethlehem Catholic — Vassa caught five passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-19 win over Easton.

Chase Regan, WR, Bishop McDevitt — The speedy Crusader wideout had five catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns as McDevitt topped Cedar Cliff 48-7.

Rico Scott, WR, Bishop McDevitt — Scott accounted for 125 yards — 80 rushing, 45 on four catches — and two touchdowns in a 48-7 win over Cedar Cliff.

Tyler Erdley, WR, Upper Dauphin — Erdley caught three passes for 114 yards and a score in a 30-6 win over Newport.

Ty Salazer, WR, State College — Salazer brought in 10 passes for 113 yards in a 31-13 win over Central Dauphin.

Aaron Enterline, WR, Manheim Central — Enterline caught six passes for 112 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Warwick.

Ian Goodling, WR, West Perry — Goodling caught six passes for 110 yards, scoring three times in a 47-13 win over James Buchanan.

Jack Pete, WR, Brookville — Pete caught seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in a 34-20 win over DuBois. He was also in on five tackles.

Noah Weaver, WR, Punxustawney — Weaver had two catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-7 win over St. Marys.

Devon Hildebrand, ATH, Northwestern Lehigh — Hildebrand caught four passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns and returned an interception 70 yards for a score in a 49-0 win over Lehighton.

Nazye Boggs, ATH, Plymouth Whitemarsh — Boggs accounted for 171 yards — 91 rushing, 80 receiving — and tree touchdowns in a 48-14 win over McCaskey. He was also in on four tackles and had an interception.

Jack Robertson, ATH, Saucon Valley — Robertson accounted for 130 yards — 97 receiving, 33 rushing — and two touchdowns in a 21-9 win over Pottsville. He also had four tackles, a sack and an interception.

Geno Calgaro, LB, Canon-McMillan — Calgaro had 17 tackles, five for loss, and two sacks in a 14-7 win over South Fayette.

Hunter Steel, DE, Mount Union — Steel had eight tackles and three sacks in a 42-0 win over Moshannon Valley.

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Pennsylvania

Wegmans expands to new market with upcoming store

Published

7 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Wegmans expands to new market with upcoming store

Wegmans on Monday announced plans to build a location in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

The 115,000-square-foot store will sit on 13 acres on Cool Springs Drive, adjacent to the UPMC Lemieux Sport Complex, an outpatient sports medicine facility and the primary training home for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.

“We’ve received thousands of requests for a Wegmans in the Pittsburgh region since opening our first Pennsylvania store over 30 years ago,” Dan Aken, vice president of real estate and store planning, said in a statement. “We’re excited to have finally found the right location to bring Wegmans to the Pittsburgh area.”

The new location will be part of the Cranberry Springs mixed-use development, which includes luxury single-family homes and apartments, Class A office buildings and other retail operations, including restaurants.

How many jobs expected at new Wegmans?

The company expects to hire 400 to 500 employees, the majority of them local.

Timeline for new Wegmans

A timeline for construction and opening has not yet been determined.

How many stores does Wegmans have?

Headquartered in Rochester, Wegmans has 111 stores along the East Coast.

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.

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Pennsylvania

‘The labor shortage will only get worse:’ Trump deportation plans could hit Pa. agriculture hard • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Published

15 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

‘The labor shortage will only get worse:’ Trump deportation plans could hit Pa. agriculture hard • Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Pennsylvania is home to an estimated 155,000 undocumented migrants, according to the American Immigration Council. And around 30,000 of them may work in the state’s agricultural sector, according to estimates from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

With the state’s agriculture industry already facing a workforce shortage, President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to begin a mass deportation program at the start of his term next week could exacerbate the problem.

Lerae Kroon, a supervising attorney at the Pennsylvania Farmworker Project, said that a mass deportation program like Trump has pitched would “cause chaos and pain for everyone in the community.”

“Many undocumented workers live with and support multi-generational and mixed status families, who will be in economic distress,” Kroon said. “The labor shortage will only get worse as folks are swept up in raids – and even documented workers may decide that the risk is not worth it and leave agricultural jobs.”

According to Kroon, increased hostility towards immigration is already being felt in Pennsylvania.

“We have heard from clients and community partners who are scared,” Kroon said. “Anti-immigrant rhetoric is already driving folks further into the shadows, and we expect that will continue.”

Pennsylvania elected officials are urging the incoming Trump administration to proceed with caution, ensuring that any changes to the immigration system ensure that seasonal workers are able to enter the country legally.

Gov. Josh Shapiro addresses reporters at the Pa. Farm Show on Jan. 8, 2025 (Ian Karbal/ Capital-Star)

‘Let’s see what the president-elect actually decides to do’

Speaking to a crowd at the Pennsylvania Farm Show last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro called filling workforce shortages in the state’s agriculture sector “critically important.”

Shapiro said his administration has made investments in agricultural education and apprenticeship programs to bring younger people into the workforce. He also said it’s important to ensure that immigrant and seasonal workers, who make up a large share of the agricultural workforce, are able to work in the country legally.

Though Shapiro didn’t mention Trump by name, the president-elect has repeatedly promised to enact “the largest mass deportation program in American history,” which he’s said will begin on his first day in office in less than a week. Trump has also floated ending birthright citizenship and potentially deporting entire families with mixed immigration status.

“We also need a thoughtful, responsible immigration reform at the federal level that prioritizes the needs of our ag industry,” Shapiro said. “I hope our federal partners will be able to come together to accomplish that.”

Asked during a news conference after his speech how he would support agricultural workers and business owners if Trump takes a more extreme approach to his deportation plans, Shapiro was noncommittal.

“Let’s see what the president-elect actually decides to do here — he’s said a lot of different things,” Shapiro said. “Our administration will be prepared.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has estimated that nearly half of Pennsylvania’s crop farm workers, roughly 30,000 people, may be undocumented immigrants, according to 2017 census numbers. The American Immigration Council, an immigration advocacy group, estimates that immigrants, both documented and undocumented, make up around 9.7% of the state’s total workforce, according to 2022 data, and that a large share work in the agricultural sector generally.

According to Bailey Fisher, the federal affairs specialist at the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, some Pennsylvania industries that rely heavily on migrant labor include dairy, mushroom, fruit and Christmas tree farms.

“The jobs that foreign-born farm workers fill are specialized, technical and grueling,” said Kroon, speaking to why migrant workers are so prominent in the agricultural sector. “They are also historically low-paying. As labor shortages in agriculture continue to grow, the work still has to be done and some undocumented workers are willing to do it.”

Trump has said at times that he would focus his early deportation efforts on criminals. He also told NBC’s Meet The Press after winning election that he would be open to deporting all undocumented immigrants in the country over the course of his next term.

‘A devastating impact’

Shapiro’s response to Trump’s statements are similar to other remarks he’s made since Trump’s election in November. Other Democratic governors have taken a more hard-line stance, saying they will try to block deportation efforts or instruct law enforcement in their states not to cooperate with federal agents.

As governor, Shapiro could take a leading role in shaping the state’s response to any deportation plans enacted by Trump. And he has some history of pushing back on Trump’s immigration policies. When he was Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Shapiro joined a multistate lawsuit to stop Trump’s family separation policy that saw young children taken from their parents. He also pushed back on Trump’s attempts to ban Muslims traveling to the United States and his first administration’s policies that made it more difficult for immigrants living in the U.S. to change their immigration status.

Pennsylvania state House Rep. Jose Giral (D-Philadelphia), vice chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus and a member of the House Labor and Industry Committee, called for more measured immigration reform.

“President-Elect Trump’s mass deportation plan would have a devastating impact on our agriculture industry – our largest industry generating tens of billions of dollars in revenue and economic activity every year – and losing these workers would send everyone’s grocery bill skyrocketing,” Giral told the Capital-Star in a statement. “The federal government should focus on immigration reform instead of targeting hardworking and essential farm workers.”

But some Democrats, like Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, have shown more willingness to work with Republicans on immigration reform. Fetterman recently signed on as a cosponsor of the GOP-led Laken Riley Act, named for a young Georgia woman whose murder by an undocumented immigrant who had previously been arrested for shoplifting and endangering a child became a rallying cry for the Trump campaign’s immigration proposals. The vote in Pennsylvania’s House delegation was bipartisan. Democratic Reps. Brendan Boyle and Chris Deluzio voted for the bill along with all Republicans from the state. The Senate has yet to take a final vote on the bill.

The bill would require Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents to detain undocumented immigrants who are charged with theft-related crimes like burglary and shoplifting, regardless of whether they’re convicted. It would also give state attorneys general greater power to sue the federal government for harm to their citizens caused by undocumented immigrants.

Recent polling shows that support for deporting undocumented immigrants has grown among the American public.

U.S. Sen Dave McCormick (R-PA) toured the Pennsylvania Farm Show on Jan. 11, 2025. (John Cole/Capital-Star)

Pennsylvania’s recently-elected Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) also addressed immigration at the Farm Show on Saturday, saying that immigration reform should follow efforts to increase border security and slow immigration.

“Job one has to be closing the border, but I’m hopeful that as we get a little further into the president’s term, we’ll also be able to return to legal immigration reform,” McCormick said.

Speaking specifically to the needs of Pennsylvania farmers, McCormick said, “in this community in particular, there are needs for H-2A and other reforms that allow us to have legal agricultural workers,” McCormick told the Capital-Star. “And these are jobs that are not replacing American workers. These are jobs that are left unfilled unless we have legal immigration reform

‘We’re already struggling to get enough workers’

As it stands, the H-2A visa program, which allows U.S. employers to bring in foreign workers to fill temporary agriculture jobs, may not be able to bring in enough people to make up for the loss of undocumented workers if Trump enacts a broad deportation program.

“The H-2A program, in its current capacity, I don’t know if it could handle that,” said Fisher, the federal affairs specialist at the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “We’re already struggling to get enough workers through the program.”

Fisher said the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau isn’t taking a stance in debates over immigration, but is talking with the incoming Trump administration to convey the seriousness of the worker shortage and seasonal migrant workers’ roles in filling it.

The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau is advocating to let visa holders work for a full year, as opposed to just six months, and to make it easier for farmers to apply for the program.

Fisher also said that getting enough workers isn’t the only issue with the program. Employers relying on it have to fill out a hefty amount of paperwork, sometimes requiring them to hire specialized consultants. And with strict housing standards and transportation requirements, hiring seasonal workers can become expensive.

“We of course want to make sure employees feel safe and healthy,” Fisher said. “But we also want to have some practicality to it.”

But ultimately, Fisher said, reform may be difficult.

“The H-2A program is such a beast,” Fisher said.

And there’s another issue. “We understand immigration is related to ag labor with the H-2A visa program, but whenever you bring up immigration it turns into this politicized topic and you can never get anything done.”

Fisher said she’s begun to hear concerns from business owners in the Pennsylvania agricultural sector about the potential impacts of a deportation program. But, like Shapiro, she’s telling them, “wait and see what happens. Right now a lot of this can be just rumors.”

Capital-Star reporter John Cole contributed.

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Pennsylvania

Wegmans Announces Plans For Pittsburgh Location

Published

23 hours ago

January 13, 2025

Press Room

Wegmans Announces Plans For Pittsburgh Location

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA — Wegmans, the supermarket chain known for its customer service, restaurant foods and one-stop shopping, is about to enter the Pittsburgh market.

Wegmans, which has 111 stores on the East Coast, announced Monday that it will open a 115,000-square-foot store in Cranberry, on 12 acres of land on Cool Springs Drive next to the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

A timeline for construction and opening was not disclosed. The supermarket will be part of the Cranberry Springs development, which includes commercial, residential, office, and retail space.

“We’ve received thousands of requests for a Wegmans in the Pittsburgh region since opening our first Pennsylvania store over 30 years ago,” Dan Aken, Wegmans vice president of real estate and store planning, said in a statement. “We’re excited to have finally found the right location to bring Wegmans to the Pittsburgh area.”

Said Cranberry Manager Dan Santoro: “Cranberry Township is home to many exceptional businesses that enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. We are delighted that Wegmans has chosen Cranberry Township as its first location in the Pittsburgh area.”

Wegmans will hire 400 to 500 employees for the new store, with the majority hired locally. Wegmans has ranked highly on FORTUNE magazine’s list of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For” for 27 consecutive years.

According to its website, Wegmans operates more than 100 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and Delaware. There are 19 Wegmans stores in Pennsylvania, with the closest ones to Pittsburgh being in Erie and State College.

The privately owned company was launched more than a century ago and has more than 54,000 employees. Wegmans says it generates $12.5 billion in annual sales.

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