North Schuylkill's Aiden Zilker (Photo by Justin Reed / Skook News)

Zilker headed to Temple; Knox to play at Stonehill

FOUNTAIN SPRINGS — A pair of standout North Schuylkill linemen finalized their college choices during a ceremony Wednesday morning.

Aiden Zilker (Temple) and Kaiden Knox (Stonehill) signed official NCAA Division I letters of intent Wednesday as part of the NCAA’s early signing period for football. Zilker had verbally committed to the Owls over the summer, while Knox announced his decision last week.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Zilker and the 6-5, 305-pound Knox anchored North Schuylkill’s offensive line the past four seasons, helping the Spartans put together a 35-14 record with two appearances in the District 11 Class 3A title game in that span.

This season, North Schuylkill went 8-4, falling to Northwestern Lehigh 49-21 in the Class 3A district semifinals. The Spartans averaged 287.8 yards rushing this season.

While this season’s postseason awards have yet to be handed out, both linemen figure to take home some hardware. Last year, Zilker was named to the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ Class 3A squad and was the Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association Big School Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Zilker and Knox are two of four Schuylkill County football players who officially signed NCAA Division I letters of intent Wednesday. Schuylkill Haven’s Niko Castillo signed with Minnesota (his ceremony will be Monday), while Minersville’s Dante Carr signed with Central Florida (see related story).