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High School Roundup

5 Riverside standouts playing Dream Game High School Roundup

TOM ROBINSON For The Times Leader

Five Riverside football players who earned Associated Press all-state recognition will be together again, playing for the County against the City in the 75th Dream Game, July 29 at Scranton Memorial Stadium.

Princeton-bound linebacker Kevin Sochovka, running back Joe Klebon and defensive back Matt Talerico all gained first-team Class A all-state honors from the AP after helping Riverside win the Lackawanna Football Conference Division 2 title and take an unbeaten record into the state quarterfinals. Quarterback Jay Velehoski and defensive lineman Tom Bennie, a pair of second-team selections, are also among the selections announced for the County roster.

Vince Tuzze, a linebacker from Lakeland who was selected in Class AA, gives the County a fourth player who was a first-team, all-state selection last season.

The City has just two all-state players on its roster, but both were first-team selections.

Scranton tight end Shane Glacken was honored in Class AAAA while Dunmore offensive lineman Ryan Eitutis was picked in Class AA.

Honesdale’s John Marichak, the former Scranton coach, will lead the County team. Dick Bagnall, who has 149 wins in his career at Susquehanna, will coach the City team.

The Scranton Lions Club-sponsored game features graduated players from Lackawanna Football Conference teams. Proceeds benefit programs to prevent blindness.

The County draws well over half of its roster from the three LFC division champions. It has nine players from Riverside, four from Division 1 champion Abington Heights and seven from Division 3 champion Old Forge along with players from Honesdale, Lackawanna Trail, Lakeland, Mid Valley, Valley View and Western Wayne.

Dunmore has five players in the game to lead the City roster. The Bucks advanced to the state Class AA quarterfinals last season after reaching the state final in 2007.

There are also 16 players from the three teams behind Abington Heights in the Division 1 standings – seven from Delaware Valley, six from Scranton and three from Wallenpaupack.

The rest of the roster features players from Holy Cross, Montrose, North Pocono, Scranton Prep, Susquehanna and West Scranton.

The County players, by school, are:

Abington Heights – QB/SS Pat Griffin, WR/DB Paul Ofcharsky, RB/DB Eric Ofcharsky and T/DT Colin Bremer.

Carbondale – WR/DB Josh Cino and OL/DE Steve Borick.

Honesdale – FB/LB Luis Rivero and FB/LB Peter Mesko.

Lackawanna Trail – T/DT Kyle Locker.

Lakeland – RB/LB/K Randy Nichols, G/LB Vince Tuzze and T/DT Josh Burge.

Mid Valley – TB/CB Jason Karlavige, FB/NT Brandon Chorba, T/DT Jason McConnell, G/LB Nick Capoocia and C/DT Joe Miles.

Old Forge – WR/DB Dustin Slack, WR/DB Bob Vieira, WR/DB Gabe Wilson, FB/LB Jon Kaville, FB/LB Anthony Pero, G/DE Ed Dolinish and TE/DE Nick Manetti.

Riverside – QB Jay Velehoski, WR/DB Ryan Chisdock, TE/LB Kevin Sochovka, RB/DB Matt Talerico, OL/DL Tom Bennie, C/DL Ryan Mickavitz, DE Shayn Collins and OL/DE Mike Sobolewski.

Valley View – WR Cory Mitchko and FB/LB Thomas Chesko.

Western Wayne – T/DT Mike McDonnell.

The City players, by school, are:

Delaware Valley – TB/FS Hank Neuroter, FB/SS Dan Saita, FB/LB Mike Schuster, OL/LB Kyle Lutz, OL/DL Chris Horner, OL/DL Darius Glover and TE/DE Mark Pike.

Dunmore – QB Miller Holmes, T/DT Justan Mitchell, T/DT Ryan Eitutis, C/LB Matthew Gentile and TE/LB Greg Lukasik.

Holy Cross – C/DE Michael Heffernan and G/DT Paul Madarano.

Montrose – WR/DB Andy Burgh and WR/DB Kyle Bonnice.

North Pocono – QB Nick Raven, K Ryan Willie, T/DT Mike Stefanelli and WR/DB Billy Helton.

Scranton – QB Brian Dunleavy, TE/LB Shane Glacken, TB/SS Fabby Desir, OL/DL Ian Hoban, G/DL Jeff Poveromo and WR/DB Cleveland Cook.

Scranton Prep – TB/CB Rob Evans, FB/LB Joe Gianacopolous, QB/FS Matt McGrath and TE/DE Henry Sallusti.

Susquehanna – T/DT Tim Gall.

Wallenpaupack – CB/WR Will Dyson, LB Jovaughn Johnson and T/DT Jason Gardepe.

West Scranton – RB/LB Shawn Bodtmann and RB/LB Gabe Gilgallon.

All-State

Abington Heights had girls receive all-state recognition in soccer, track and field and softball.

Penn State recruit Julie Hubbard was selected all-state by the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association despite being limited to 10 games because of injuries.

Hubbard shared the scoring lead on the District 2 Class AAA champion Lady Comets with 13 goals and three assists after missing all of her junior season to have reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee.

Hubbard had already committed to play at Penn State, the 11-time defending Big Ten women’s soccer champion, prior to her knee injury.

While announcing Hubbard as one of five members of her 2009 recruiting class, Penn State coach Erica Walsh described Hubbard as “one of the best and most hard-working players in the country.”

Wyoming Valley Conference Division A coaches named Hubbard their Player of the Year for her performance in the eight league games she played.

Junior Jordan Hoyt of Abington Heights was one of two Lackawanna Track Conference athletes honored when the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association named their all-state team, combining both classifications.

Hoyt was selected to the third team in the 200 meters and was joined on that squad by Lakeland senior shot putter April Doyle.

Abington Heights senior shortstop Sinea Gallagher was one of 10 Lackawanna County players to be recognized and was one of the four first-team selections on the Pennsylvania Softball Coaches Association all-state teams.

Gallagher led in batting average (.423), runs (22), triples (four) and home runs (four) on the Abington Heights team that had the only unbeaten record in Lackawanna League play while winning the Division 1 title. She was named to the Class AAA first-team infield.

Three members of Old Forge’s state finalist team made the first-team in Class A.

Junior pitcher Jess Armillay, junior infielder Chrissy Belko and senior outfielder Allyson Marianelli were the first-team picks. Armillay had back-to-back perfect games in the state tournament. Belko, the league’s top power hitter, smashed 10 home runs.

Six players received honorable mention. Abington Heights senior pitcher Emily Orr, senior catcher Kristen Mattern and sophomore infielder Katie Stevens were mentioned in AAA; Riverside sophomore infielder Breanna Jones and Mid Valley junior outfielder Diana Butash in AA; and Old Forge sophomore catcher Andi Alsalahat in A.

Soccer All-Stars

Five players from Lackawanna County’s two entries in the WVC girls’ soccer league gained first-team, all-star recognitions from the league’s coaches.

Hubbard and junior goalie Mariah Deibert were first-team choices for Abington Heights in Division A.

North Pocono senior goalie Nancy Dunn, senior defender Alyssa DePietro and junior midfielder Ciara Cawley were first-team picks in Division C.

Senior midfielder Meghan Lenahan, junior midfielder Justine Leininger and freshman forward Emma Black made the second team from Abington Heights.

Seniors Alicia Quinn and Lexy Hynak, sophomore Maria Cardoso and freshman Desirae Santarsiero made the second team from North Pocono.

Junior defender Sarah Holmes, sophomore defender Christine Colman and junior midfielder Katie Hock were honorable mention for Abington Heights.

Corinne Glassman, Sarah Wicker and Kate Lavelle were honorable mention for North Pocono.

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