For more from The Era’s 2016 Year in Review, see:
Story of the Year: Bradford High joins AML
After every Kane win, Wolves head coach Todd Silfies tells his players to add another layer of armor which makes them, as a team, bullet-proof.
The Wolves were just that in 2016, finishing with an undefeated season for the second time in as many years and again found themselves hoisting the District 9 champions plaque – the school’s third in a row and first in Class AA.
The total team mentality, coupled with success on the field and sportsmanship shown by the players is the reason why the Kane Wolves football team is The Era’s Team of the Year.
Kane raced through an early season schedule behind a strong defense – the Wolves allowed more than 14 points on just three occasions all year – and balanced offense led by quarterback Reed Williams, running back Erik DeLong and receivers Davis Gardner and Ray Maze and a powerful offensive line.
Maze (wide receiver), Gardner (defensive back) and offensive lineman Keaton Rounsville were named to the Pennsylvania Football Writers Class AA all-state team. DeLong won the Jim Kelly Award as D9Sports.com’s district MVP, while Rounsville was the offensive lineman of the year.
Threatened by Otto-Eldred in the Allegheny Mountain League title game, Kane pulled away to finish off a 10-0 regular season. A 55-7 blowout win against Moniteau preceded the 21-14 district championship win over Clarion.
“They put time in in the offseason,” Silfies said after the D-9 title game, noting 342 days ago their season ended in the 2015 state playoffs. “About three-and-a-half months ago, we met for the first time as a team and we talked about how hard it was going to be because we are going to get everybody’s best shot week in and week out, not just in the title game, but every single time we take the field.”
In the first round of states against Chestnut Ridge, running back Frank Truden scored three times on the ground while Gardner found the end zone twice through the air in Kane’s 34-12 win, its second-ever state playoff victory.
In the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals at Slippery Rock, District 10 champion Wilmington used a combination of big plays and a strong defense in a 41-0 victory over the Wolves.
Kane placed six players on the Big 30 team, while DeLong set the program’s single-season rushing mark at 1,734 yards. The defense held their opposition under 10 points seven times and gave up an average of just 11.9 points per game.
