JOHNSTOWN —
All-star teams in any sport always seem to provide plenty of fodder for discussion among the masses (especially when you can do so anonymously on any kind of message board).
What you generally find is that you are never going to please all of the people all of the time, you can only try.
The Pennsylvania Football News is the latest organization to release its all-state teams along with honorable mention candidates.
The PFN All-State Team was formulated through online nominations/submissions by the head coaches; submissions by selected media and recruiters; and, the PFN staff’s own observations, MaxPreps statistics and the PFN Keystone Club.
The area is well represented with 41 players on the list including 18 in Class A, 20 in Class AA and three in AAA, all from Greater Johnstown.
School wise, there are five players from Ligonier Valley and four each from Portage and Bishop McCort. Greater Johnstown, Windber, Penn Cambria, Bedford and Westmont Hilltop all have three players on the different squads.
In Class A, Bishop McCort senior offensive lineman Zach Rugg (6-foot-5, 285 pounds), Windber senior running back Colin Bryan (6-0, 188) and Berlin senior defensive linemen Jacob Craig (6-2, 220) were first team selections.
Ligonier Valley senior defensive back Anthony Tutino (5-11, 160) and Penn Cambria junior linebacker Mac Behe (6-2, 175) were on the first team in Class AA.
Greater Johnstown senior Alkwan Williams (6-1, 218) was a first-team linebacker on the Class AAA squad.
On the second team in Class A was North Star junior wide receiver Tony Strasiser. Bishop McCort junior placekicker Jordan Spangler, North Star senior quarterback Max Strasiser and Portage senior linebacker Jesse Kreutzberger were Class A third-team members.
In Class AA, Bedford senior defensive lineman Brad Swartz was a second-team selection while senior placekicker Austin Crimmins of Central Cambria and senior defensive lineman Josh Duplin of Westmont Hilltop were third-team choices on the third team.
Honorable mention choices in Class A were: Evan Price, Jake Bryja and Dean Bimle of Portage; Shane Almodovar, Tim Tallyen and Wolf Otten of Windber; Jordan Shroyer and Grant Speigle of Conemaugh Township; Jerqual Wilson and Christian Leech of Bishop McCort; Drew Glotfelty of Berlin; and Justin Donaldson of Meyersdale.
In Class AA, honorable mention choices included: Brandon Layden, Maddy Grimm, Ryan Torrance and Russell Markosky of Ligonier Valley; John Rizzo and Matt Shaffer of Richland; Devin Lawhead and Jordan Fuller of Penn Cambria; Noah McQuillan and Ryan Burnheimer of Westmont Hilltop; Marcus Shippey and Luke Campbell of Bedford; Justin Gdula of Forest Hills; Brad Hengst of Chestnut Ridge and Tyler Gironda of Central Cambria.
Brock Eisenhuth and Gervon Simon of the Trojans were honorable mention in Class AAA.
Cory Isenberg is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.
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