Here is your 2022 Centre Daily Times football offensive All-Centre team
For the first time, the Centre Daily Times has put together an All-Centre Football Team selected from both the choices of coaches and the weight of statistics.
We asked coaches from each Centre County school district with Mid-Penn and All-Mountain awards (Bald Eagle, Penns Valley and State College) to nominate players. Although players from Bellefonte and Philipsburg-Osceola were not selected for Mountain League awards, their statistics were considered in developing this list.
From the coaches’ nominations, statistics were the main driver in creating the full teams.
Fourteen players were selected to the first team and two players were named co-offensive players of the year. Among those first-team players are two quarterbacks, a running back (due to the co-offensive players being two running backs), two wide receivers, two all-purpose players that include either a slot receiver or a player that plays multiple positions on offense, five offensive linemen, a kicker and a kick returner. Due to offensive linemen not having statistics, the number of rushing yards that team gained behind them were taken into heavy consideration.
Coach of the year was decided by the number of wins a coach had and a team’s improvement from year-to-year by the CDT.
Without further ado, here are the CDT’s All-Centre Football offense teams for the 2022 season. There is more to come with a defensive team and an Iron Man Award earned by the player who excelled the most on both sides of the ball.
Co-Offensive Players of the Year
D’Antae Sheffey, State College freshman, running back
There’s no doubt that Sheffey was one of the most dynamic, if not the most electric, freshman running backs in Pennsylvania. In 14 games played, he had 223 carries for 1,725 rushing yards (7.7 yards per carry) with 10 games over 100 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns. Sheffey added 17 receptions for 167 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He additionally added a kick return for a touchdown and amassed 1,892 total yards on the year.
“It feels really good,” Sheffey said of winning the honor. “I’m just really trying to help my team and to get these awards on the way and things like that are great.”
Coaches and teammates alike were in awe of Sheffey’s dynamism at the running back perspective. Senior defensive end Stephen Scourtis recalled the freshman’s first game at Williamsport: “I remember being a freshman in my ninth grade year being moved up to play varsity by coach (Matt) Lintal and I had size for my age and I played football for a long time, but I was nowhere near the spot that Sheffey had reached this year.”
Ty Watson, Penns Valley junior, running back
The Penns Valley running back took another large step forward in his illustrious career with the 2A program. Watson had 221 carries on the season for 1,438 rushing yards, popping off 6.5 yards per carry and 24 rushing touchdowns. He finished with seven games with over 100 yards rushing. Watson added in 24 receptions for 376 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns on the year in 13 games.
“That’s crazy,” Watson said Sunday of the honor. “I just found out. I didn’t know what to really think about it, but I don’t know. It’s so many kids in the county. It feels great. It just feels good to meet my goals and everything that I’ve been working toward the whole season paid off and it shows. That makes me feel happy and I’m very proud of myself.”
Coach of the Year
Matt Lintal, State College
State College head coach Matt Lintal has accomplished a great deal since taking over the team from Al Wolski in 2014. He’s put together a 83-29 record (.741 winning percentage) in nine seasons at the helm. After taking the Little Lions to the PIAA Class 6A state semifinals in 2021, he did the same again in 2022 with a 13-1 record. State College improved from its 8-6 record last season.
“It’s an honor for sure,” Lintal said on Monday. “I see that as a tribute to our entire program — our kids, our coaches, our families and supporters. I’m grateful to be a part of it and helping to make sure that these kids have the best opportunity that they can to compete week in and week out and hopefully to have an opportunity to leave here better than when we found them and go out and do great things in the world. I believe that our coaching staff is one of the best coaching staffs in the state of Pennsylvania and beyond. I’m so blessed to have those guys as role models for our kids.”
First team
Carson Nagle, Bald Eagle sophomore, quarterback
Nagle had one of the best sophomore seasons in recent memory at the quarterback position in Centre County. He went 202-for-312 (64.7%) on passes for 2,810 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Jackson Romig, Penns Valley junior, quarterback
Romig continued to build his impressive resume at Penns Valley with a big season. The junior quarterback went 150-for-232 on passes (64.7%) for 2,446 yards, 31 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. He additionally rushed 95 times for 351 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Tre Greene, Bald Eagle senior, running back
Greene finished off his senior year with 108 carries, 820 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also provided a threat as a receiver out of the backfield with nine catches for 141 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Cam Watkins, Bald Eagle junior, wide receiver
Watkins was ever dangerous as a wideout in his junior season. The 6-foot-2 receiver had 50 receptions for 854 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on the season.
Miles Brooks, Penns Valley senior, wide receiver
Brooks was a dynamic playmaker at the receiver position. The senior caught 62 passes for 1,011 yards, averaging 16.3 yards per reception and finished with 14 receiving touchdowns to cap off his high school career.
Kahale Burns, Bald Eagle junior, all-purpose
Burns continued to be a dangerous slot receiver as a junior. He hauled in 65 receptions for 903 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Finn Furmanek, State College senior, all-purpose
Furmanek might have been the quarterback for State College, but he did a bit of everything on the offensive side of the ball. He went 113-for-187 (60.4%) on passes for 1,593 yards, 15 touchdown passes and six interceptions. The senior was equally dynamic with his legs, picking up 589 yards on the ground on 96 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per carry and rushing for seven touchdowns. He added 15 catches for 170 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Eric Clark, Bald Eagle Area junior, offensive lineman
Clark, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound offensive lineman for Bald Eagle Area, started in all 12 games his team played. The Eagles rushed 307 times for 1,482 rushing yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 15 rushing touchdowns on the season. Bald Eagle averaged 123.5 rushing yards per game. Clark was at the head of their push forward.
Michael Dincher, State College senior, offensive lineman
The Dincher twins are one of the most physical duos of guards. First up, there’s Michael Dincher. He’s a 3-star interior offensive lineman and the 34th-ranked player in Pennsylvania. He was part of a road-grading offensive line unit that pummeled opponents, generating 3,230 rushing yards on 485 rushes (6.7 yards per carry), 230.7 rushing yards per game and 48 rushing touchdowns.
Logan Milito, State College senior, offensive lineman
Milito played center for a State College offensive line that pushed forward an elite running game. While he made second-team All-Mid-Penn Conference, he’s solidly a first-teamer in the CDT’s Offensive All-Centre team.
Thomas Dincher, State College senior, offensive lineman
Just as his brother Michael drove opponents downfield with punishing blocks, he did the same. Thomas is a 6-3, 290-pound offensive lineman and has offers from Robert Morris, Lafayette and New Hampshire, per 247Sports. All well-deserved offers.
John Brighton, State college senior, offensive lineman
Brighton is often smiling while beating the brakes off of opponents in the trenches. The senior offensive tackle is one of the best bookends to a tough, physical and well-rounded group of offensive linemen in the state.
Katejan Kaszubowski, State College senior, kicker
State College had one of the best kicking units in the state and much of it was due to Kaszubowski’s leg. The senior had 21 kickoffs, accounting for 951 yards and averaged 45.3 yards on kickoffs. He went 47-for-51 (90%) on extra points and made seven of his eight field goals attempted (90%) for a long of 42 yards.
Miles Brooks, Penns Valley senior, kick returner
Brooks had an opportunity to make things happen with his speed on special teams, namely as a kick returner. He had 15 kickoff returns for 358 yards, averaging 23.9 yards per attempt.
Second team
Owen Yerka, State College junior, quarterback
Dalton Barger, Philipsburg-Osceola junior, running back
Jakodi Jones, Philipsburg-Osceola junior, running back
John Meyer, Penns Valley junior, wide receiver
Donte Nastasi, State College senior, wide receiver
Hunter Lyons, Penns Valley senior, all-purpose
Michael Gaul, State College sophomore, all-purpose
Gavin Ryan, Penns Valley senior, offensive lineman
Devyn Suhoney, Philipsburg-Osceola senior, offensive lineman
Kieran Jodon, Bald Eagle senior, offensive lineman
Sam Mayer, State College sophomore, offensive lineman
Kaden Burns, Bald Eagle junior, kicker
Kahale Burns, Bald Eagle junior, kick returner
Honorable Mention
Matt Wall, State College senior, running back
Sam McDonald, Philipsburg-Osceola sophomore, running back
Danin Kerstetter, Penns Valley junior, wide receiver
Carson Long, Philipsburg-Osceola sophomore, kicker
This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 4:22 PM.
