Henry Hynoski had plenty of time to stand on the sidelines and do math tricks in his head.
The Southern Columbia senior fullback never played a full game as the Tigers went 16-0 and won their state-record fifth consecutive PIAA Class A football title. Their average margin of victory was 39 points.
“Sometimes, I’d think about the number of yards I had rushed for and, just for fun, I’d double it,” Hynoski said.
Hynoski’s statistics were impressive enough as the Pitt recruit rushed for 2,407 yards and 42 touchdowns on 206 carries, an average of 11.7 yards per attempt. The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder finished sixth in Pennsylvania history with 7,165 yards rushing while also scoring 113 touchdowns in his career.
So it’s no surprise Hynoski was a runaway choice in balloting by state sports writers and broadcasters for The Associated Press Pennsylvania Class A player of the year award. He was also a first-team pick last year and was a second-teamer as a sophomore.
Playing fullback runs in the family. Hynoski’s father, also named Henry, was an all-state pick in 1970 at Mount Carmel, starred at Temple and spent the 1975 season with the Cleveland Browns.
Hynoski can’t wait to play at Pitt.
“(Coach) Dave Wannstedt wants to build the program around playing power football and I think I fit his system perfectly,” Hynoski said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how I do at the next level.”
Hynoski is one of four Southern Columbia players on the first team along with offensive lineman Cody Jones, defensive lineman Josh Marks and defensive back Tom Admire. Marks, a Penn State recruit, is a first-teamer for a third consecutive season.
West Middlesex saw what Hynoski could do in the PIAA title game as he ran for 126 yards, added 109 yards receiving and scored three touchdowns in a 56-14 rout. However, West Middlesex’s surprising 15-1 finish during a season in which it wasn’t expected to win the District 10 championship landed Brian Hoffman the Class A coach of the year award.
Hoffman has a 25-12 record in three seasons after spending seven seasons as an assistant. He took part in the turnaround of a program that had a 29-game losing streak from 1994-96.
Kolten Hoffman led the way for West Middlesex by passing for 2,399 yards and 25 touchdowns, allowing him to finish his career with 5,052 yards.
Joining Hynoski at running back is Bellwood Antis’ Josh Kleinfelter, also a first-team repeater, and Steelton-Highspire sophomore Jeremiah Young. Kleinfelter had 2,289 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns and finished his career with 5,925 yards. Young ran for 2,001 yards this season.
Rochester’s Derek Moye, another three-time all-state performer, and Coudersport’s Chris Cavallari were chosen as the offensive specialists. Moye, a first-team pick last season, scored 31 touchdowns to raise his career total to 77. He rushed for 1,017 yards and caught 16 passes for 430 yards. Cavallari ran for 1,798 yards and 21 touchdowns, scored three touchdowns on pass receptions and had 14 sacks as a linebacker.
Pius X’s Wade Williams and Shenandoah Valley’s Korey Kaplafka are the first-team wide receivers. Williams had 66 receptions for 1,047 yards and 19 touchdowns plus 557 return yards. Kaplafka, a second-teamer a year ago, had 48 receptions for 744 yards and eight touchdowns and added nine interceptions as a defensive back.
Reading Central Catholic tight end Colin Naugle made the most of his 22 receptions as the Delaware recruit had 519 yards and nine touchdowns.
Joining Jones on the offensive line are Marian Catholic’s Mike Ryan, a Connecticut recruit; Old Forge’s Mike Finnerty; Meyersdale’s Doug Hersch; and Glendale’s Matt Irvine.
In addition to Marks, the first-team defense is highlighted by five players who were on the second team last year: linebackers Nick Sipes of Curwensville, Josh Kotula of Windber and Sal Ruggeri of South Side Beaver, and backs Donte Valentino of California and Brandon Boyd of Ligonier Valley.
Sipes had 109 tackles and was exceptional on offense with 1,995 yards and 31 touchdowns, pushing his career yardage total to 5,971. Kotuala had 146 tackles, and Ruggeri was the Big Seven Conference’s defensive player of the year for a second straight season. Valentino had four interceptions and contributed 1,643 yards of total offense as a quarterback and running back. Boyd broke up 10 passes and made 58 stops.
Also chosen on defense were West Middlesex linebacker Steve Andrusky and Lackawanna Trail defensive back Stoney Van Horn, who made 10 interceptions.
Marks headlines a defensive line that includes Clairton’s Marcel Washington, Line Mountain’s Shawn Fausey and Millersburg’s Ryan Gonder. Scotland School’s Lamar McLean was chosen as the defensive specialist after making 84 tackles and intercepting five passes.
The kicker is Jeremy Ditzler, who had seven field goals for Iroquois, while Bishop Carroll’s James McCombie is the punter.
Bellwood-Antis offensive lineman Anthony Jenkins and kicker Evan Celmo were chosen to the Second Team.
