This year’s OTH-Era All-Star Football Team looks a bit different with Pennsylvania representing every spot due to New York not playing football during the fall.
But that doesn’t take away from the explosive offensive play and tough defensive performances that were put on display south of the Big 30 border this season. Like the offensive team, this year’s defensive all-star unit contains 11 Pennsy players who made their presence known week in and week out.
This group consists of five seniors, three juniors and three sophomores.
Starting up front, the defensive line is represented by Bradford’s Ryan Hughes, Coudersport’s Cale Ayers, Kane’s Reese Novosel and Jake Constanzo and St. Marys’ Alex Lukaschunis.
Lukaschunis, a sophomore, tallied 14 tackles with a sack and helped the Dutchmen finish the regular season unbeaten before falling in the District 9 AAA title game to Clearfield.
Costanzo, who played nose guard and defensive end, led the Wolves in tackles as a junior this season with 55, including 15 for loss. His teammate, Novosel, recorded 27 tackles, including seven for loss, and a half sack along with a forced fumble. Novosel was also named this year’s District 9 Large School North Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Ayers was a force up front for the Falcons, racking up a team-leading 49 tackles and three sacks, helping Coudy to a 4-2 season and district playoff appearance.
In addition to being named to the OTH-Era All-Star Team, Ayers is also this year’s Big 30 Defensive Player of Year. He also won this year’s District 9 Small School North Defensive Lineman of the Year award.
Hughes, a two-year starter for the Owls, was a solid contributor on both the offensive and defensive lines, coming up with 44 tackles, three sacks, 10 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries in his senior season.
“Ryan is very deserving of this honor,” Bradford coach Jeff Puglio said. “He’s worked extremely hard and I am proud of him. He was our most consistent player on defense. Playing the strong side defensive end requires strength, patience and knowledge of your opponent, all of which Ryan had week in and week out.”
A deep linebacker class also makes up this list with five representing the position in Coudy’s Hayden Keck, Smethport’s Travis Cooney, Port Allegany’s Blaine Moses, Ridgway’s Cam Marciniak and St. Marys’ Sean Lathrop.
Lathrop, who played a vital role in St. Marys’ success and District 9 Large School North’s Defensive MVP, compiled a team-high 63 total tackles, including nine tackles for loss and four sacks for the D9 AAA runner-up Dutchmen, while Marciniak tallied 38 tackles, six tackles for loss and a pick-six as a junior for the Elkers during the fall.
Moses, a sophomore, made 104 tackles and three sacks for the Gators in a season in which Port won its final three regular season games to end the year with a 3-4 record.
“He can play the whole field for us and anybody that’s ever watched him play football knows that when he comes to tackle you, he’s going to make sure you know who No. 16 is when you’re done,” Port coach Justin Bienkowski said of Moses.
In addition to Moses, fellow Port sophomore Noah Archer also cracked the OTH-Era team at defensive back after finishing third on the team in tackles with 27 and hauling in an interception. Both Archer and Moses have incredibly high ceilings, are very coachable and representent the program well both on and off the field, according to Bienkowski.
“(Archer’s) versatile,” Bienkowski said. “He played the No. 3 receiver/running back out of the backfield. He covered the No. 3 receiver wheel routes or in routes. He could cover the No. 1 receiver on the edge and run with them.”
Cooney led the Hubbers with 42 tackles, nine tackles for loss, a sack and fumble recovery, helping Smethport to a 6-1 season that ended with a loss to Redbank Valley in the D9 A title game.
Keck, who also starred at quarterback for the Falcons and is this year’s District 9 Small School North Defensive MVP, capped his high school football career with 31 tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception on the defensive side of the ball.
“In 10 years of coaching, I have no more respect for any player than Hayden Keck because those two games last year, I spent the most time game planning in my life and he still smoked us,” Redbank Valley coach Blane Gold said following the Coudy-Redbank Valley playoff game in October.
