2009 News-Item All-Area football team

In a perfect world, a team's quarterback manages the offense, doesn't make mistakes and in key moments completes the necessary passes. Townsend, in his first year as a starter, did all of those things for Jim Roth's Tigers. A mark of 17 touchdowns on the year shows he understood the offense, and from throwing only seven interceptions against teams not named Loyalsock, Townsend proved he could manage the complicated offense as well as anyone.

Whether Bastian wore No. 22 or any other number in a game, the other team always had to keep all eyes on the senior tailback. Kindly listed at 175 pounds on Lourdes' opening roster, the Red Raider led the area with a 115 rushing yards per game, and 17 touchdowns. In the six games after Lourdes' bye week, Bastian eclipsed the 100-yard mark six times, and added eight catches for 99 yards. He also had three interceptions on defense.

Pellowski accounted for 45.5 percent of the Red Tornadoes' offensive yardage, and three-fifths of their scoring. All this came as opposing teams knew what was coming, and he still led the area in rushing with 1,242 yards and 17 touchdowns. Pellowski, who coach Bob Chesney said lived in the weight room, also made 24 tackles and one interception as a starter on defense.

While it might seem that just because you're Southern Columbia's starting fullback, you're a shoe-in for a 1,200-plus yard season, Morton made it look easy at times. Southern has a right to be excited about next year after Morton turned in a 1,500-yard, 21-touchdown performance in '09.

Former Berwick coach George Curry, now a radio broadcaster, raved after seeing Marciniak and the Eagles in the District 4 title game. The junior wideout caught six passes for 70 yards as Southern Columbia threw every defender it could at the lanky 6-foot-3 target. For the season, Marciniak caught 23 passes for 348 yards and two scores. He also nabbed two interceptions and made 13 tackles.

Shoop came into the season never having caught a pass in a varsity game, and like so many other first-year Tigers' starters, he exceeded expectations. Shoop caught 18 passes for 306 yards and five touchdowns. Add in 30 tackles, three interceptions and one fumble recovery, and his selection is a no-brainer.

An offense that runs for 3,800 yards needs a good offensive line, and that line needs an anchor - enter Witcoskie. Witcoskie opened a lot of the holes Morton and Co. ran through on the way to a District 4 title.

A starter on the Spartans' offensive and defensive lines, Skinner was a quiet, but important, part of the turnaround in Fountain Springs. On defense, he logged 64 tackles, six sacks, nine tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.

Line Mountain has made a killing lately on turning undersized kids into extremely productive linemen. Maybe it's the strength program, maybe the wrestling background of the school, or maybe it's just dealing with the gnats on the practice field, but Forry is another great example. At only 175 pounds, he led the team with seven sacks and was third on the team with 36 tackles.

How does a team give up only a little over 1,800 yards on defense through 14 games? It starts on the line, and more specifically with the defensive tackles. Dean was a disruptive force at the position, as well as a road-grading blocker on offense, for the Spartans. Dean had 41 tackles, but more importantly, had one very big interception to send the Spartans to the District 11 title game.

After achieving good success on the wrestling mat following the '08 football season, Tillett used what he learned in the circle to his advantage. Listed at 265 pounds, Tillett added the title of technician to his size, according to Indians' head coach Dan Foor. Tillett also led the charge on the Indians' defensive line all season.

Abuomar was the definite anchor on the offensive and defensive lines for Mount Carmel, but what gives him the edge on defense is his tenacity in making nine sacks in 12 games. Add in two fumble recoveries and Abuomar was downright dominant all season, in just his third season. It's no wonder why colleges' appetities are whetted at the prospect of Abuomar playing for them.

There are kids who grab your attention, whether it's because the coaches are screaming for them to specifically make a play in tight situations, or because when called upon, they actually make them. Martz was a lot like that this year for the Eagles. He made 30 tackles and had five sacks, but in big games seemed to have a knack for playing in the other team's backfield on defense.

The Schetroma name is quickly becoming a fixture on the Tigers' defensive line and on this all-area list. This year, Ken's younger brother Tom, only a sophomore, makes the cut with 58 tackles and 3.5 sacks. A high-energy player who always seems to be around the ball, Schetroma will be a force for years to come.

It's a tossup whether Pavalko was more beneficial to the Spartans on offense or defense. On offense, you have 913 yards and 18 touchdowns. On the other side, you have 66 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, three strips, and a very important tipped ball in the Panther Valley playoff game. Whatever side of the ball, Pavalko couldn't be kept off the field, and with that kind of production, why would you want to try?

The numbers can be overwhelming when considering Flail's year. None of them are amazing by themselves, but put together, they are impressive. There was 497 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, three catches for 40 yards, 57 tackles, 12 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, three interceptions, one forced fumble and four fumble recoveries. What jumps out the most is three defensive touchdowns and a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Lourdes' defense was stingy enough this year to give it an All-American Conference championship. With defections from last year's team, and injuries on this year's, Menapace seemed to take the lead and fill in the gaps. Menapace matched Bastian's three interceptions for the Raiders.

When you lead a No. 1 district seed in rushing and tackling, the postseason honors usually roll in. And for good reason for Moore, he was that good this year. Who knows what the Eagles' year would have been without Moore, but with his 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing, along with 57 tackles on the other side of the ball, the Eagles were again very close to winning a district championship.

After playing on the defensive line last year, a new coaching staff meant a change of position for Forbes, and after an initial feeling out period, he finished the year with about 80 tackles as the Indians finished strong after a slow start. Forbes was also the go-to player on Shamokin's offense with 920 rushing yards, seven touchdowns and three-straight 100-yard games.

This is how good Parnell was - he made Rick Geist, the run-loving coach of the Spartans, think about throwing the ball deep more this year than in past years. And when the Spartans went to Parnell early, he gave defenses a reason to shake, and even when he was double-covered, he still made a way to make 12 catches for 295 yards and three touchdowns. Showing a nose for the ball, Parnell made three interceptions on defense. Not bad for a kid who hadn't played since youth football.

It was a rough year for the Indians' passing attack, in particular Tim Bousson, who made 35 catches last year. But while the number of receptions this year didn't come close to last year's, Bousson still showed up on defense for the Indians, often being assigned to the opposition's best receiver. Bousson made two interceptions and supported the run game from his cornerback position, and was the Indians' main kick and punt returner.

Imagine offensive coordinators seeing Hogan, listed at 5-8 and playing cornerback, and licking their chops. Hogan made just about everyone who threw in his direction look foolish, though. With seven interceptions and one returned for a touchdown, Hogan led a Spartans' secondary that probably made more catches than it allowed all season.

If ever there were a sure-fire home-run threat, then Klinger is it. Everyone knew he had speed, but Klinger showed a knack for finding a seam and using that speed. In three consecutive weeks, Klinger returned a kick for a touchdown of increasing length (82, 84 and 95 yards). He scored once every six times he touched the ball on offense.