Williams Valley celebrates with the District 11 trophy and placard after beating Schuylkill Haven 34-31 in the Class AA championship game Friday at Blue Mountain's Eagles' Nest (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

This season was a mirror image of 2024

Task: Write a wrap-up column on the 2025 high school football season for our local teams.

Observation: I think I’ve already done this … last year at this time.

When you take a step back and look at how Schuylkill County’s high school football teams fared in 2025, it was almost a mirror image of 2024.

** Williams Valley was again the last local team standing as the Vikings won a third straight District 11 Class AA title before dropping their first game in the PIAA playoffs.

** Schuylkill Haven had a dominant regular season, winning a second straight Schuylkill-Colonial Blue Division title. Like 2024, the Hurricanes crushed two teams in the District 11 Class AA playoffs before losing to Williams Valley in the title game at Blue Mountain’s Eagles’ Nest.

** Tri-Valley won its second straight District 11 Class A crown, again beating Marian in the subregional semifinals and earning the district title when Nativity lost in the other subregional semifinal. Then, for the second straight year, the Dawgs trekked up Interstate 81 to Factoryville and got blown out by Lackawanna Trail in the District 2/11 Class A subregional championship game.

** North Schuylkill again fielded a strong team with a powerful offensive line and got great seasons from Luke Miller and Caden Mengel. Again, however, the Spartans saw their season end with a loss to Northwestern Lehigh … this time it was the District 11 Class 3A semifinals, not the championship game like in 2024.

** For the third straight year, that same Northwestern Lehigh team reached the PIAA Class 3A championship game. This year, however, the Tigers weren’t the only team from the Schuylkill-Colonial cooperative to reach Cumberland Valley as Southern Lehigh made a magical run in Class 4A.

While Northwestern Lehigh came up short in a rematch with Avonworth, Southern Lehigh earned its first state championship by beating Twin Valley. Kudos to Coach Sams and his Spartans.

In reflection, 2025 from a team standpoint was a mirror image of 2024.

We already know 2026 will be different with a new league structure, a drastic change in scheduling and some teams changing classifications for districts.

Let’s hope this time next year we’re talking about one of the Schuylkill League’s teams making a magical run to Cumberland Valley.

Shining Moments

One guy’s thoughts:

Play of the Year — Has to be Dante Carr’s run for a touchdown against Pen Argyl in the District 11 Class AA playoffs. Here’s WPPA play-by-play man Matt Freiler’s call of that play, meshed to video by D-11 Sports Robbie McGrath:

Luke Miller’s touchdown against Northwestern Lehigh is a close runner-up.

Game of the Year — Mahanoy Area 44, Shenandoah Valley 43, Oct. 24 in Shenandoah.

Of the games I covered this season, this one stood out. Just an old-fashioned Coal Region slobberknocker. … The 117th meeting all-time between the schools brought a loud and raucous crowd. …. Each team had about 20 players dressed on the sideline … Kyler Quick rushed for 320 yards and three touchdowns … Shenandoah Valley’s Ethan Bench kept throwing bombs for touchdowns as the Blue Devils nearly ended a lengthy losing streak. … After the teams combined for 1,030 total yards, Mahanoy Area made a final defensive stand to win it, then celebrated with the Damato-Szematowicz Trophy like they had won the Super Bowl.

It was just a great, small school high school football game with two teams playing for the love of the game. Loved the atmosphere.

Schuylkill Haven’s win over Blue Mountain and Williams Valley win in the District 11 Class AA championship game are next on the list.

Individual Honors

The Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association unveiled its Big School and Small School all-star teams Sunday. You can read the SCFCA’s selections here: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/12/07/hs-football-scfca-unveils-county-all-star-teams/

Here at T102 Sports Now, we will unveil our first-ever T-102 Tremendous 33 Team on Sunday, Dec. 21. The 33-player squad will feature a Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Lineman of the Year, 15 offensive stars and 15 defensive stars. T-102 postseason awards will also be presented to a Coach of the Year and Team of the Year.

Mark your calendars.

Statistical Leaders

Local players once again racked up big numbers on the gridiron in 2025. There were nine players who rushed for more than 1,000 yards, while 10 quarterbacks threw for more than 1,000 yards.

Schuylkill Haven junior Colton Reber finished as the area’s leading rusher with 2,875 yards and 38 rushing touchdowns. He was also the area’s leading scorer with 47 total touchdowns and 310 points. It’s the second year in a row a Haven running back led the area in rushing after Niko Carestia ran for 2,702 yards and 38 rushing TDs in 2024.

FINAL LEADERS: Get the complete list of the final 2025 area high school football statistical leaders here: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/12/11/hs-football-final-2025-area-statistical-leaders/

Williams Valley’s Brady Shomper was the area’s top passer for the second straight year, completing 101-of-160 passes for 2,080 yards and 30 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. In 2024, Shomper threw for 2,413 yards and 35 touchdowns.

There were two quarterbacks — Minersville’s Dante Carr and Panther Valley’s Brody Breiner — who rushed for 1,000 yards and passed for 1,000 yards. Carr threw for 1,822 yards and ran for 1,396, while Breiner threw for 1,406 and ran for 1,003.

Other 1,000-yard rushers were Luke Miller (2,563), Williams Valley’s Fletcher Thompson (1,839), Tamaqua’s Terrence McDowell (1,740), Lehighton’s Lucas Croizier (1,130), Marian’s Rory Dixon (1,023) and Blue Mountain’s Carter Smith (1,005).

Other 1,000-yard passers included Jim Thorpe’s Cole Lazorick (1,721), Blue Mountain’s Cohen Kirby (1,630), Lehighton’s Jayse Lawrence (1,471), Pottsville’s Andrew Allen (1,256), Shenandoah Valley’s Ethan Bench (1,252), North Schuylkill’s Caden Mengel (1,180) and Schuylkill Haven’s Max Heim (1,160).

Minersville’s Paiten LaPoint was the area’s top receiver in receiving yards, hauling in 47 passes for 733 yards and 12 touchdowns. Panther Valley’s Gavin Yuricheck had the most receptions with 57, edging teammate Chase McArdle, who had 54.

Defensively, Tri-Valley’s Cole Gemberling led the area with 178 tackles, one of nine players with 100 or more stops.

Marian’s Tyler Price, Marian’s Rory Dixon and Tri-Valley’s Trey Porter tied for the top spot with five interceptions, Schuylkill Haven’s Chase Williams had an area-best 27 tackles for loss and the Hurricanes’ Niko Castillo led the area with 11 sacks.

Kicker Stats

One of the season’s amazing moments came in Week 11 when Tri-Valley’s Nathan Hillard booted a 50-yard field goal for the game’s only points in the Dawgs’ Class A win over Marian for the District 11 Class A championship. Hillard finished the season with four field goals, while four other players had two.

Williams Valley’s Quin Smeltz led the area in kicker scoring with 76 points. The kicker stats for each team are at the bottom of the statistical leaders list (See link to final stats above).

Coaching vacancies

There will be at least two new head coaches in Schuylkill County next season as North Schuylkill and Williams Valley are seeking new leaders.

Shout out to Wally Hall, who stepped down after winning 115 games and three District 11 titles in 13 seasons at North Schuylkill. Not too many coaches in our area have a passion for high school football as strong as Hall. His shoes will be big ones to fill.

FULL STORY: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/12/03/hs-football-hall-steps-down-as-head-coach-at-north-schuylkill/

In the sports writing business, you develop great relationships with the people you have to deal with on a consistent basis. It’s one of the best things about the job. I will miss the yearly sessions in the coaches’ room at North Schuylkill “shooting the breeze” with Hall and his staff.

With Williams Valley … you can’t go any further without complimenting athletic director Ben Ancheff and his staff for the great job they did battling through the adversity the Vikings faced in 2025 to win another District 11 championship.

Guys like Paul Herb and Ray Archer were instrumental pieces in the Vikings’ success after head coach Stephen Sedesse and defensive coordinator Mike Sedesse resigned following a Week 7 win over Panther Valley. The whole situation was a mess, and Ancheff, his assistants and the players deserve kudos for not letting it blow up their season.

The school is publicly advertising for a new head coach. It’s tough to be the AD and the football coach, especially with a young one at home, but it can be done, just sayin’.

Division I darlings

Schuylkill County had four players sign NCAA Division I letters of intent over the past two weeks to play college football — Minersville’s Dante Carr (UCF), Schuylkill Haven’s Niko Castillo (Minnesota) and North Schuylkill linemen Aiden Zilker (Temple) and Kaiden Knox (Stonehill).

SPARTANS’ STORY: Zilker, Knox sign Division I letters: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2025/12/03/hs-football-north-schuylkill-linemen-sign-ncaa-division-i-letters/

North Schuylkill’s Luke Miller is also going to compete at the Division I level in college, but not in football. Miller has verbally committed to run track and field at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

Here’s a look at Carr’s speech during his signing ceremony at Minersville:

Odds and Ends

Blue Mountain junior wide receiver/defensive back Chase Guers has been selected to play in the Military Appreciation Bowl in Frisco, Texas. Part of a week-long series of events, the bowl game will be played Sunday, Dec. 21, at the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Guers hauled in 35 passes for 535 yards and six TDs this season. He’s already received Division I offers from Lehigh, Cincinnati, Syracuse and Coastal Carolina.

Blue Mountain finished 7-5 this season, losing to eventual state champion Southern Lehigh in the District 11 Class 4A semifinals. With Guers and Kirby among a bevy of returning starters, the Eagles stand a good chance to be ranked as the top local team heading into 2026 season.

** Chase’s older brother Gaige Guers is a member of the unbeaten Kutztown University football team that will host Harding (Ark.) in an NCAA Division II semifinal at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Andre Reed Field.

Guers, a true freshman wide receiver, has played in two games on special teams.

Pottsville’s Jason Fermaintt is a redshirt junior defensive lineman for the Golden Bears (14-0), playing in all 14 games and compiling 23 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss.

** Another Blue Mountain grad, Joey Zelinsky, will play his final college game Saturday, Dec. 27, when Pittsburgh (8-4) faces East Carolina (8-4) in the Go Bowling Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. and will be televised by ESPN.

Zelinsky, a fifth-year senior defensive end from Cressona, has compiled 23 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 11 games for the Panthers, who were 6-2 in the ACC. East Carolina was 6-2 in the American Conference.

** Kudos to Jim Misstishin on his first TD Tips championship. Dominating run through the postseason, like usual. For me, another top-three finish. Ugh.

Final thoughts

You can never predict when a major injury to a star player will occur. When it’s their senior year, it has an even bigger impact.

Two of the area’s top running backs from 2024, Schuylkill Haven’s Niko Carestia and Pottsville’s JuJu Bainbridge, had their 2025 seasons cut short by injury. Carestia suffered a broken leg in Haven’s win Sept. 12 over Mahanoy Area, while Bainbridge suffered a serious leg injury in the Tide’s loss Sept. 19 to Southern Lehigh.

Both backs didn’t play again in 2025.

Carestia, who (as stated above) rushed for 2,702 yards and 38 touchdowns as a junior, worked hard to return. He dressed and got on the field in the final seconds of Haven’s regular-season finale and first two District 11 playoff games to participate in victory formation plays. He dressed for the Hurricanes’ clash against Williams Valley but did not see action. It was a common perception that if Haven had defeated Williams Valley, Carestia could return for the state playoffs.

One of the lasting images I have from the 2025 season involves Carestia. As Williams Valley is celebrating its victory over the Hurricanes in the district final, Carestia and his dad, assistant coach John Carestia, shared a long, tear-filled embrace near midfield.

If you’re a parent, you’ve been there. No matter how young or old they are, you’ve experienced those moments where all you could do was hug your child. It was one of those images that really pulled at the heartstrings.

It was a subtle reminder that sports are full of “What ifs,” …. specific plays, officials’ calls, coaches’ decisions, injuries, weird sequences, etc. that have an impact on the game and sometimes alter its outcome in an indirect way.

It’s also a reminder that one valuable characteristic that high school sports teaches us is the ability to overcome adversity. The senior seasons for both Carestia and Bainbridge didn’t turn out like they expected. But they became stronger men by battling through the adversity, learning life lessons that they will carry with them forever.