Y-A League football coaches recognize 2017 All-Stars
Around the rest of District 3 and all of Pennsylvania, high school football is still being played.
It'll be that way well into December.
After a disappointing showing in the first weekend of the District 3 playoffs, football around the York-Adams League has come to an end.
It's been that way for more than a week now.
But, that doesn't take away from the fact that there were a number of standout individual performances on the gridiron this season, with those players and coaches helping their teams reach great heights.
Recently, the 23 coaches of the Y-A League released their 2017 Y-A League all-stars in all three divisions.
Division I: In Division I, Dallastown and York High both exceeded preseason expectations to grab co-Division I championship honors.
The Wildcats finished 8-2 in the regular season, while the Bearcats went 9-1, but, in league play, both finished 6-1. So, it's not surprising that those teams accounted for the Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Dallastown junior running back Nyzair Smith was named the Division I Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in rushing with 2,055 yards in 11 games. He was the only player to eclipse 2,000 yards on the season and broke the Dallastown single-season rushing record by Week 9. He also scored 32 touchdowns on the year, including five in back-to-back games during Weeks 9 and 10.
York High's dynamic junior Rob Rideout earned Defensive Player of the Year honors after being a cornerstone in the Bearcats' secondary. York High allowed just 21.5 points per game and only 112.9 yards passing, while generating 22 takeaways.
Coach of the Year was given to the Wildcats' Kevin Myers, after he guided the program to an 8-3 overall record. After routinely making the district playoffs under the old, four-class format, Myers' squad missed out on the 6-A postseason in 2016 with a 7-3 record. However, he coached up a strong team and, as the season progressed, Dallastown got better, resulting in a co-Division I title and return to the district playoffs.
Division II: In Division II, West York junior running back Ay'Jaun Marshall was named the Offensive Player of the Year, Dover senior lineman Chase Heath was the Defensive Player of the Year and Steve Wiles of Susquehannock was the Coach of the Year.
Marshall finished fifth in the Y-A League in rushing with 1,227 yards and averaged 7.4 yards per carry. After getting off to a slow start to the season due to playing much bigger teams, Marshall came on strong during league play. His big-play ability helped the Bulldogs be more competitive within the league.
Heath was a force on the defensive line for the Eagles, as they made a run for the Division II crown. As a team, Dover finished 6-4 overall and a loss in Week 10 to Susquehannock prevented it from capturing the Division II title. The Eagles ranked fifth in the league in defense, allowing 266.1 yards per game and were third in pass defense.
Like the division title, the Coach of the Year honor likely came down to the winner of the Week 10 match-up between Dover and Susquehannock. With both teams experiencing strong turnarounds, the Warriors edged the Eagles to go a perfect 6-0 in league play. That was enough to earn Wiles the honor, while he also guided Susky into the postseason for the first time in a decade. Overall, the Warriors went 8-3 on the season, their first winning season in more than 10 years.
Division III: In Division III, the two Catholic schools — York and Delone — took home the individual Player of the Year honors, while a longtime coach earned himself Coach of the Year recognition.
Starting on offense, Fighting Irish senior Kyle Dormer was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while Squires senior Zach Schussler was named the division's Defensive Player of the Year. Littlestown head man Mike Lippy wrapped up Coach of the Year.
Dormer had a big hand in turning around York Catholic this season and helping it earn co-Division III title honors and make a fifth consecutive District 3 championship game.
After starting the year at running back, he was moved into the starting quarterback role during the team's fifth game of the season. Sitting at 2-2 at that point, the Fighting Irish rattled off six consecutive wins to close out the regular season, before losing in the District 3 2-A title game to Newport, finishing 8-3 overall. Dormer racked up 853 yards on the ground and accounted for 12 rushing touchdowns.
For Schussler, the linebacker was huge in helping Delone stay relevant in Division III, despite graduating a number of key players from the 2016 team. The Squires went 8-2 overall, which didn't earn them a Division III title or a berth in the District 3 2-A championship game. However, Delone did still have the top defense in the Y-A League, allowing 189.3 yards per game and it also allowed the second-fewest points per game at 13.2.
Lippy completed his 15th season with the Thunderbolts and guided the team to a 9-1 record in the regular season, helping them capture a co-Division III championship, along with York Catholic. In the District 3 3-A playoffs, a four-point loss to No. 2 Wyomissing kept Littlestown from playing for a district title and capped a strong 9-2 season, a slight improvement on last year's 8-3 team.
YORK-ADAMS LEAGUE COACHES' ALL-STAR TEAMS
Division I
Offensive Player of the Year: Nyzair Smith, Dallastown
Defensive Players of the Year: Rob Rideout, York High
Coach of the Year: Kevin Myers, Dallastown
First Team
Quarterback: Cade Pribula, Central York
Running back: Nyzair Smith, Dallastown; Khalid Dorsey, York High; Delunche Shaw, South Western
Wide receiver: Owen Buhr, New Oxford; Rob Rideout, York High; Dayjure Stewart, York High; Time Sturgis, Central York
Tight End: Ben Ward, Dallastown
Center: Raymond Christas, Dallastown
Offensive guard: Elijah Alexander, Northeastern; Jonah Miller, Dallastown
Offensive tackle: Aaron Graser, Dallastown; Zerick Nease, Red Lion
Punter: Daniel Simpson, Spring Grove
Return Specialist: Dayjure Stewart, York High
Kicker: Elijah Workinger, Red Lion
Defensive end: Seth Bernstein, York High; Steve Werner, Dallastown
Defensive tackle: Raymond Christas, Dallastown; Nate Phillips, York High
Inside linebacker: Josiah Smallwood, York High; Elijah Workinger, Red Lion
Outside linebacker: Jamel Foster, Red Lion; Wyatt Hughes, Northeastern
Defensive back: Rodrick Farley Jr., Central York; Connor Reed, Spring Grove; Rob Rideout, York High; Max Teyral, Dallastown
Second Team
Quarterback: Zach Throne, Red Lion
Running back: Zach Crossland, Red Lion; Hunter Werner, Central York; Nigel Williams, York High
Wide receiver: Denny Dennison, Red Lion; Connor Reed, Spring Grove; Taemar Willis, Northeastern; Sean Wolfe, South Western
Tight end: Seth Bernstein, York High
Center: Jake Waldrup, Red Lion
Offensive guard: Jared Miller, Red Lion; Quinten Slyder, Dallastown
Offensive tackle: Devin Gaffney, Central York; Dalton Stacho, South Western
Punter: Mitch Groh, Dallastown
Return specialist: Taemar Willis, Northeastern
Kicker: Nick Basile, Central York
Defensive end: Ian McNaughton, Central York; Evan Paules, Red Lion
Defensive tackle: Elijah Alexander, Northeastern; Nick Taylor, Red Lion
Inside linebacker: William Anderson, Dallastown; Kollin Vaught, Central York
Outside linebacker: Quinn Bacha, Central York; Dayure Stewart, York High
Defensive back: Justin Atwood, Dallastown; Jalen Bryant, York High; Denny Dennison, Red Lion; Darnell Johnson, Central York
Honorable Mention
Quarterback: Micah Anciso, York High; Brayden Long, New Oxford; Brett Smith, Dallastown
Running back: Braden Brandt, Spring Grove; Elijah Workinger, Red Lion
Wide receiver: Briar Foltz, Spring Grove; Jamel Foster, Red Lion; Max Teyral, Dallastown
Tight End: Nate Eyster, Northeastern
Center: Nick Duncan, New Oxford; Xjavier Ramos, York High
Offensive guard: Trey Bernstein, York High; Brian Edwards, Dallastown; Antonio Jones, York High; Cody Smith, New Oxford; Adrien White, South Western
Offensive tackle: Dahmier Banks, York High; Dwayne Beady, York High; D.J. Hopper, Dallastown
Return specialist: Zach Crossland, Red Lion; Delunche Shaw, South Western; Max Teyral, Dallastown
Kicker: Mitch Groh, Dallastown; Wes Sneeringer, South Western
Defensive end: Patrick Anderson, Spring Grove; Reid Hershner, Central York; Blake King, York High; Lucas Skelly, Dallastown, Adam Zarfoss, Northeastern
Defensive tackle: Ben Bartkowski, Central York; Richard Cole III; William Molina, York High; Dalton Stacho, South Western
Inside linebacker: Dylan Forbes, New Oxford; Kaiden Gaylord, South Western; Eric Glass Jr., Spring Grove; Dalton Ream, Northeastern; Cole Stremmel, South Western; Ben Ward, Dallastown
Outside linebacker: Nate Downey, Dallastown; Mason Figdore, Dallastown; Josh Higdon, South Western; Shareef Jakes, South Western
Defensive back: Obi Anyatonwu, Central York; Owen Buhr, New Oxford, Zach Crossland, Red Lion; Yazir Dixon, Dallastown; Joey Sauers, Central York; Josh Sebastian, Dallastown; Dionte Wilson, York High
Division II
Offensive Player of the Year: Ay'Jaun Marshall, West York
Defensive Player of the Year: Chase Heath, Dover
Coach of the Year: Steve Wiles, Susquehannock
First Team
Quarterback: Justin Johnson, Dover
Running back: Ay'Jaun Marshall, West York; Ammon Robinson, Gettysburg; Dan Clapp, Susquehannock
Wide receiver: Andrew LaManna, West York; Derek Arevalo, Dover; Charles Warren, Gettysburg; Demonte Martin, Eastern York
Tight end: Ethan Schammel, Susquehannock
Center: Jason Snelbaker, Dover
Offensive guard: Chase Heath, Dover; Luke Ohmann, Susquehannock
Offensive tackle: Tanner Harkins, Kennard-Dale; Shad Murphy, Dover; Wyatt Hogan, Susquehannock
Punter: Ethan Schammel, Susquehannock
Return specialist: Ay'Jaun Marshall, West York
Kicker: Devin Crone, Dover
Defensive end: Nick Spadafora, West York; Ethan Schammel, Susquehannock
Defensive tackle: Chase Heath, Dover; Wyatt Hogan, Susquehannock
Inside linebacker: Brandon Lawyer, Dover; Austin Heiser, Gettysburg
Outside linebacker: Dalton Stike, Kennard-Dale; Jake Taylor, York Suburban
Defensive back: Ay'Jaun Marshall, West York, Laion Shelton, Gettysburg; Brady Fouchie, Gettysburg; Justin Wetzel, West York
Second Team
Quarterback: Zach Ketterman, Gettysburg
Running back: Logan Kline, Eastern York; Dalton Stike, Kennard-Dale; Savion Harrison, York Suburban; Brandon Lawyer, Dover
Wide receiver: Wyatt Cairns, Kennard-Dale; Willie Batty, York Suburban; Jamal Anderson, West York; Ben Trego, Susquehannock
Tight end: Thomas Hoover, York Suburban
Center: Logan Carbaugh, Gettysburg
Offensive guard: Alig Johnson, York Suburban; Jerome Chemelli, Kennard-Dale
Offensive tackle: Tyler Gallagher, Gettysburg
Punter: Jahshim Snyder, York Suburban
Return specialist: Ammon Robinson, Gettysburg
Kicker: Jacob Bridel, Gettysburg
Defensive end: Tanner Harkins, Kennard-Dale; Codi Hower, Gettysburg
Defensive tackle: Pat Lichty, West York; Jerome Chemelli, Kennard-Dale; Logan Carbaugh, Gettysburg
Inside linebacker: Marcos Valdes, York Suburban; Kyle Orndorff, Susquehannock
Outside linebacker: Eli Bentzel, West York; Alec Kramer, Susquehannock; Jahshim Snyder, York Suburban
Defensive back: Savion Harrison, York Suburban; Demonte Martin, Eastern York; Shawn Hinkle, Dover; Chris Norris, Susquehannock
Honorable Mention
Quarterback: Corey Wise, West York; Hunter Sentz, Susquehannock; Mitchell Galentine, Eastern York
Running back: Wyatt McCleary, Kennard-Dale; Nate Banks, York Suburban; Bryce Newman, Gettysburg; Daron Brown, Susquehannock
Tight end: Codi Hoover, Gettysburg
Center: Chase Bonitz, Susquehannock; Pat Lichty, West York; Carl Carbaugh, Eastern York
Offensive guard: Austin Coy, West York
Offensive tackle: Patrick Maloney, Kennard-Dale; Ja'Vontae Johnson, West York
Return specialist: Derek Arevalo, Dover
Kicker: Craig Potts, Kennard-Dale
Punter: Craig Potts, Kennard-Dale; Derek Arevalo, Dover
Defensive end: Jacob Schaub, Gettysburg; Tyler Sengia, Dover; Johnathan Brown, Kennard-Dale; Keyvon Wright, York Suburban; Justin Griffith, York Suburban
Defensive tackle: Eloy Rojo, Susquehannock; Aliq Johnson, York Suburban; Garth Barclay, York Suburban; Tyler Gallagher, Gettysburg
Inside linebacker: Gunner Pennington, Gettysburg; Drew Robinson, West York; Wyatt McCleary, Kennard-Dale
Outside linebacker: Simeon Davis, Gettysburg; Josh Paul, Gettysburg; Allan Clapp, Susquehannock; Marcus Howell, Dover; Brennan Beach, Kennard-Dale
Defensive back: Willie Batty, York Suburban; Ben Trego, Susquehannock; Wyatt Cairns, Kennard-Dale; Brady Bowman, Dover; Daron Brown, Susquehannock; Nate Banks, York Suburban; Griffith Shultz, Gettysburg
Division III
Offensive Player of the Year: Kyle Dormer, York Catholic
Defensive Player of the Year: Zach Schussler, Delone Catholic
Coach of the Year: Mike Lippy, Littlestown
First Team
Quarterback: Chase Dull, Bermudian Springs
Running back: Ryan Hart, Delone Catholic; Justin Barnes, Hanover; Charlie Burnett, Fairfield
Wide receiver: Kolt Byers, Bermudian Springs; Ryan Malinowski, Delone Catholic; Jacob Thomas, Littlestown; Riley Brennan, York Catholic
Tight end: Jon Pierce, Delone Catholic
Center: Jake Nicholls, Fairfield
Offensive guard: Brent Hayes, Biglerville; Liam Landis, York Catholic;
Offensive tackle: Malachi Fodor, Littlestown; Matt Knauer, York Catholic
Punter: Noah Aeppli, Bermudian Springs
Return specialist: Ryan Hart, Delone Catholic
Kicker: T.J. McGraw, York Catholic
Defensive end: Malachi Fodor, Littlestown; Matt Knauer, York Catholic
Defensive tackle: Brent Hayes, Biglerville, Seth Leonard, Delone Cathlic; Liam Landis, York Catholic
Inside linebacker: Trace Grim, Bermudian Springs; Zach Schussler, Delone Catholic
Outside linebacker: Darren Beall, Bermudian Springs; Ryan Hart, Delone Catholic; Jarred Kohl, York Catholic
Defensive back: Evan Brady, Delone Catholic; Austin Watters, Littlestown; Massimo Antolick, York Catholic; Riley Brennan, York Catholic
Second Team
Quarterback: Jakob Lane, Littlestown
Running back: Ryan Curfman, Bermudian Springs; Corbin Brown, Littlestown; Andrew Snelbaker, York Catholic
Wide receiver: Damian Manzo, Biglerville; Nick Wheeler, Fairfield; Terrance Romey, York Catholic
Tight end: Noah Aeppli, Bermudian Springs
Center: Zach Schussler, Delone Catholic; Harris Kohl Jr., York Catholic
Offensive guard: Nate McCollum, Bermudian Springs; Andrew Shipley, Delone Catholic
Offensive tackle: Paul Asper, Biglerville; Zach Groft, Delone Catholic
Punter: Justin Barnes, Hanover
Kicker: Everett Kenworthy, Hanover
Defensive end: Nate McCollum, Bermudian Springs; Paul Asper, Biglerville; Andrew Shipley, Delone Catholic
Defensive tackle: Jake Nicholls, Fairfield; Harris Kohl Jr., York Catholic
Inside linebacker: Dylan Morey, Littlestown; Carter Sinclair, York Catholic
Outside linebacker: Garrett Stadler, Fairfield; Richard Pokrivka, York Catholic
Defensive back: Chase Wood, Bermudian Springs; Cody Pfaff, Delone Catholic; Joey Quealy, Fairfield; Terance Romey, York Tech
Honorable Mention
Quarterback: Evan Brady, Delone Catholic; Kyle Dormer, York Catholic
Running back: Darren Beall, Bermudian Springs
Offensive guard: John Macharsky, Fairfield
Kicker: Marcello Malvone, Delone Catholic
Punter: Nick Wright, Biglerville
Defensive end: John Macharsky, Fairfield
Inside linebacker: Dylon Stair, Hanover
Outside linebacker: Jon Pierce, Delone Catholic
— Reach Patrick Strohecker at pstrohecker@yorkdispatch.com