JEFF REINHART | Sports WriterThe first of three spring all-star football events is on tap for this weekend, and kicking things off will be a pair of PSFCA East-West games.
Fifteen senior players and three coaches from the Lancaster-Lebanon League will be in action.
Here’s a preview …
WHAT: PSFCA East-West all-star football games.
WHERE: Rocco Ortenzio Stadium at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg.
WHEN: Sunday. Small school game kicks off at noon; big school game starts at 5 p.m.
SMALL SCHOOL LOWDOWN: The East small school team is skippered by Annville-Cleona’s Matt Gingrich, and one of his assistants is Hamburg coach Matt Hoffert. They will lead 10 L-L League players into action: Hamburg QB Xander Menapace, Berks Catholic K-P Andrew Kurtas, Lancaster Catholic WR-DB Jaevon Parker, Hamburg RB Pierce Mason, Lancaster Catholic DE Ed Dresch, Annville-Cleona LB Alex Long, Berks Catholic RB-DB Josiah Jordan, Hamburg DE Charles Sheppard, Wyomissing long snapper Brock Kistler, and Wyomissing K-P Ian Levering. … Kane’s Todd Silfies is skippering the West small school squad.
BIG SCHOOL TIDBITS: Muhlenberg coach John Lorchak is an assistant coach under Coatesville’s Matt Ortega, who is guiding the East big school squad. There are four L-L League standouts on that roster: Elizabethtown WR Braden Cummings, Ephrata RB Andre Weidman, Manheim Central DT Wyatt Kupres, and Cocalico DE Chuckie Drain. Meanwhile, Solanco DB Elijah Cunningham is slotted to play for the West big school team. … State College’s Matt Lintal is coaching the West big school squad.
NOTABLES: The PSFCA East-West game began back in 2001. … Gingrich, the reigning Section 5 Coach of the Year, led A-C into the District 3 Class 2A championship game this past fall; the Little Dutchmen fell to Trinity. … Kistler and Levering helped Wyomissing cap off a D3-3A four-peat in 2022. … Drain, the Section 4 Defensive Lineman of the Year last fall, helped Cocalico claim the D3-5A crown and reach the state semifinals, while Kupres and Manheim Central went to the D3-4A finale, falling to Bishop McDevitt. … Weidman, the Section 3 Outstanding Back and Offensive Back of the Year in 2022, finished his prep career as Ephrata’s all-time leading rusher (3,142 stripes) with a program-best 37 TD runs. Weidman also snared Lions Club Section 3 Player of the Year honors last season. … Cummings, the Section 3 Receiver of the Year last fall, paced all L-L League pass-catchers with 65 receptions, 1,563 receiving yards and 17 TD grabs. … Jordan was the Section 4 Defensive Back of the Year this past season, helping Berks Catholic win an Eastern Conference playoff game. … Sheppard claimed Section 5 Outstanding Lineman and Defensive Lineman of the Year honors in 2022 for Hamburg. … Parker was the Section 5 Receiver and Defensive Back of the Year last fall for Lancaster Catholic, which had a snazzy 10-0 regular-season ride in 2022. … Long was the Section 5 Linebacker of the Year and a Mini Max Award winner, and he helped A-C go to the D3-2A title game. … Menapace also garnered a Mini Max Award repping Hamburg.
NEXT: Tri-County/L-L League all-star game is set for Friday, May 26 at 7 p.m. at Manheim Central.
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