HS Football: Spartans’ Mentzer, Miller, Stokes named to PFN Coaches 3A All-State Team
North Schuylkill's Luke Miller runs the ball during a game against Northwestern Lehigh this season. (Photo by Justin Reed / Skook News)
Three North Schuylkill players were honored Thursday when they were named to the PA Football News Coaches Select Class 3A All-State Team.
Senior Gavin Mentzer was named to the first-team offense at kicker, while senior Sander Stokes (offensive guard) and junior Luke Miller (offensive athlete) were named to the second team.
The PFN Coaches Select All-State teams feature a first team and a second team that are chosen through nominations and voting done by more than 250 coaches from across the state. Ties were not broken. The PA Football News did not have any influence on nominating or voting.
The PA Football News released its All-State teams in Class A, 3A and 5A on Thursday. PFN Coaches Select All-State teams in Class 2A, 4A and 6A will be unveiled Friday.
It’s the second All-State honor in two weeks for both Mentzer and Miller, who were named to the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ Class 3A All-State Team last week.
Mentzer has been the Spartans’ kicker for four seasons, making 198-of-214 extra points, 21 field goals and booming 114 touchbacks. This season he converted 35-of-36 extra points and 10-of-14 field goals, scoring 65 points. Two of his made field goals were from 49 and 51 yards.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder had 45 touchbacks out of 67 kickoffs in 13 games. Also the Spartans’ punter, he averaged 39.5 yards on 34 punts, putting 17 inside the 20-yard line with a long of 65 yards.
He was twice honored nationally by Kohl’s Kicking and is ranked as the No. 5 punter in the country by Nation’s Elite. Mentzer was selected to the WNEP Dream Team and is the school’s football scholar-athlete.
Miller was the offensive catalyst for the Spartans, as the 5-11, 160-pound junior emerged as the team’s No. 1 tailback and excelled at both running with the ball and catching it out of the backfield.
Miller rushed 202 times for 1,283 yards and 20 touchdowns while hauling in 31 passes for 441 yards and four TDs despite suffering season-ending injury in Week 10 win over Pottsville. He finished with a single-season school-record 25 TDs.
Miller also played defensive back on defense, collecting 41 tackles and four interceptions, one of which was returned for touchdown. He was named the Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association Big School Offensive Player of the Year.
