The Olean Times Herald Big 30 Football Committee did its job in
2009.
Traveling to every corner of the Big 30 area, the group
evaluated players on all 24 schools that put football teams on the
field this year. Two schools dropped their football programs after
the 2008 season.
When the all-star selection meeting was held on Nov. 1 at the
Olean Middlle School, four coaches had opted not to submit any
player names because of poor seasons.
That left the committee with 20 teams to pick players from and
when the final 31-man roster was completed, 18 of those teams were
represented.
Bradford, which began the season 6-0 and then went into a
four-game, season-ending slump, led all voting with four players
named to the elite squad.
Making the offensive unit for the second year was junior running
back Pat Pascarella who rushed for over 1,000 yards, senior Jimmy
Grove, a lineman, and kicker/punter Cody Nuzzo, also a senior.
On the defensive side of the ball, senior Mike Marasco was
placed at defensive end.
Three teams, Cameron County, Port Allegany and Portville, all
placed three players on the squad.
For the Red Raiders, who are 10-1 and advanced to the District 9
Class A semifinals with a win last Friday night, junior Jason Blose
(quarterback) and senior Andy Lippert (running back) landed berths
on the offense and junior Andrew Fragale (linebacker) was placed on
the defense. Fragale also made the team last season as a
sophomore.
The Gators, meanwhile, had senior Lucas Kline (wide receiver)
placed on the offense and senior Ryan Bodamer (defensive back) and
junior Seth Lowery (linebacker) on the defense.
The Panthers landed junior Jordan Spehar (lineman) on the
offense and senior Justin Taylor (linebacker) and junior Tyler
Yarnes (lineman) on the defense.
Four schools – Coudersport, Kane, Randolph and Wellsville – all
had two players voted onto the team.
The Falcons (8-2), who also won their first-round District 9
Class A playoff game last Friday to advance to the semifinals,
landed senior Luke Ditzler (center) on the offense and senior Dirk
Cowburn (linebacker) on the defense.
The Wolves landed both of their players, senior Arie Paup
(secondary) and junior Marty Niklas (end), on the defensive side of
the ball.
The Cardinals, who are 10-1 and still alive in the New York
playoffs, put senior Matt Hettenbaugh (running back) on the offense
and senior Tyler Mendell (linebacker) on the defense.
And, the Lions, who had their best season in several years at
6-3, placed both of their players on the defense – senior Matt
Brown (linebacker) and sophomore Mike Berardi (secondary). Berardi
was the only sophomore named to this year’s Big 30 team.
West Valley was one of just three teams that had a player named
to the squad for the second year. Senior Ben Boberg was returned to
the offense at running back.
The other two teams with repeat players were Bradford
(Pascarella) and Cameron County (Fragale).
Completing this year’s all-star team roster were nine additional
teams with one player each.
They are:
Allegany-Limestone – Eric Seeley (senior, linebacker)
Cuba-Rushford – Bruce Doyle (senior, offensive lineman)
Ellicottville – Pat Folland (senior, wide receiver)
Elk County Catholic – Ricky Pearsall (junior, running back)
Johnsonburg – Steve Carnessali (senior, offensive lineman)
Olean – Ryan Carney (senior, wide receiver)
Otto-Eldred – Zach Williams (senior, defensive end)
Ridgway – Joe Chittester (senior, offensive lineman)
Salamanca – Carmen Papa (senior, running back)
The team will be recognized at the annual Big 30 Testimonal
Dinner on Wednesday at the Robert Livingston Center in Allegany,
N.Y. At that time the top individual awards will also be presented
including coach of the year.
