The Big 25: The best of the best in Lancaster-Lebanon League football
A new football landscape for 37 teams in Berks, Lancaster and Lebanon counties deserves a new all-star team: Say hello to the first-annual Big 25.
The team, selected by Jeff Reinhart of LNP/LancasterOnline.com and Mike Drago of MikeDragoSports.com, includes the 25 best players in the league. It was determined weighing the Lancaster-Lebanon League’s five all-section teams and top awards, college potential, statistics and personal observation.
Each player’s overall game was considered and two- and three-way players were given special consideration. Each player is listed on the Big 25 at just one position in order to include as many of the league’s top players as possible.
The Big 25 roster includes the Outstanding Lineman from four of the L-L’s five sections, the Outstanding Back from three sections, four section Defensive Lineman of the Year picks and four section Offensive Lineman of the Year.
It includes four Division I recruits and a fifth player drawing heavy interest.
Offensive lineman Jven Williams of Wyomissing and tight end Joey Schlaffer of Exeter are committed to Penn State. Kick returner Cam Jones of Wilson is headed to Holy Cross. Offensive lineman Anthony Caccese of Exeter is commited to Delaware.
Offensive lineman Deyvid Palepale of Hempfield, a junior and driving force in the Black Knights’ drive to the Section 1 title, is drawing heavy major college interest, with offers from Penn State, Miami, Maryland, Pittsburgh and others.
Jones, Schlaffer, Williams and Garden Spot’s Tyler Hurst were each All-State picks as juniors.
There are players from 15 different schools, with eight players from Section 2 and eight from Section 4. Exeter and Manheim Central, which reached District 3 championship games, each have four selections; Cocalico, which won the district title in Class 5A, has three.
The team includes four juniors, three from Manheim Central: Quarterback Zac Hahn, wide receiver Aaron Enterline and running back Brycen Armold, plus Palepale of Hempfield.
Hahn led the league’s passers with 29 touchdowns and had one of the league’s highest passing efficiency ratings; he threw for 2,210 yards.
Armold led the league with 2,242 rushing yards and 34 rushing TDs; he averaged 8.46 per carry. Annville-Cleona’s Phoenix Music was the league’s only other 2,000-yard rusher, finishing with 2,227 yards and 28 TDs.
Hamburg’s Pierce Mason missed several games at midseason due to injury but was spectacular when on the field, with 23 rushing TDs in just eight games and 132 carries. He averaged 10.36 yards per carry, second-best among backs with 50 or more carries.
Elizabethtown’s Braden Cummings led the league with 1,563 receiving yards and 17 TD catches, shared the league lead with 65 receptions (in 11 games) and averaged 24 yards per catch. Enterline averaged nearly 24 yards per catch and had 12 TD receptions; his 994 receiving yards were second-most in the league.
Jones was unparralled in the kicking game: He took five punts back for touchdowns this season and returned a dozen kicks for scores over the past two seasons.
Big 25 Offense
| QB | Zach Hahn | Manheim Central | Jr. |
| RB | Brycen Armold | Manheim Central | Jr. |
| RB | Pierce Mason | Hamburg | Sr. |
| RB | Phoenix Music | Annville-Cleona | Sr. |
| WR | Braden Cummings | Elizabethtown | Sr. |
| WR | Aaron Enterline | Manheim Central | Jr. |
| TE | Joey Schlaffer | Exeter | Sr. |
| OL | Weston Nolt | Ephrata | Sr. |
| OL | Lucas Palange | Exeter | Sr. |
| OL | Deyvid Palepale | Hempfield | Jr. |
| OL | Chase Tucker | Cocalico | Sr. |
| OL | Jven Williams | Wyomissing | Sr. |
| KR | Cam Jones | Wilson | Sr. |
Big 25 Defense
| DL | Anthony Caccese | Exeter | Sr. |
| DL | Chuckie Drain | Cocalico | Sr. |
| DL | Tyler Hurst | Garden Spot | Sr. |
| DL | Kyle Lash | Exeter | Sr. |
| LB | Tyler Angstadt | Cocalico | Sr. |
| LB | Rocco Daugherty | Manheim Central | Sr. |
| LB | Nick DeFrancesco | Solanco | Sr. |
| LB | Matt Kramer | Wyomissing | Sr. |
| DB | Josiah Forren | Solanco | Sr. |
| DB | Josiah Jordan | Berks Catholic | Sr. |
| DB | Hunter Hildenbrand | Lampeter-Strasburg | Sr. |
| DB | Jaevon Parker | Lancaster Catholic | Sr. |
