Hamburg’s Xander Menapace will cap wave of Berks football talent headed to D1 (updated)
For Joey Schlaffer and Jven Williams, the recruiting process ended quickly. Schlaffer, the 6-7 tight end from Exeter, committed to Penn State during his junior season. Williams, the hulking offensive lineman from Wyomissing, committed to James Franklin’s program a couple months after his junior season ended.
They’re blue-chip prospects and already enrolled at Penn State where they’re taking classes and working out with their new teammates to get ready for the spring practice in a couple months.
For other top Berks players, such as Xander Menapace and Amier Burdine, the process took a lot longer and a lot more patience.
Menapace, who quarterbacked the Hamburg to one of its best seasons, got a lot of attention and a lot of nibbles but didn’t get a Division I offer until the final day of December. Burdine, the quarterback at Reading High, didn’t get an official offer until January.
“It was a blessing,” said Burdine, who will head to Sacred Heart to play safety. “It felt amazing to wake up knowing that I’m going to be committed to a college.”
Menapace will know that feeling come Thursday morning. He plans to announce his college choice and sign an NCAA Letter of Intent Wednesday afternoon. He’ll choose between Columbia, Albany, Monmouth and Texas A&M Commerce.
He’ll be one of at least nine Berks seniors to accept a Division I offer, seven of them to FCS schools.
Wilson’s Cam Jones, a two-time All-State defensive back from Wilson, announced his commitment to Holy Cross in the summer.
Exeter lineman Anthony Caccese also announced prior to his senior season, selecting the University of Delaware.
Gov. Mifflin defensive back Ayden Martin was an early signee, also, opting for Monmouth.
Wyomissing, which won its fourth straight District 3 Class 3A championship, will send four players to the Division I level.
Defensive back Charlie McIntyre accepted an offer from Bucknell, lineman Pacen Ziegler one from Sacred Heart.
A number of players, including Schlaffer and Williams, took advantage of the NCAA’s early signing period for football, Dec. 21-23, to sign. Most of the rest plan to sign on the first day of the regular signing period, which starts Feb. 1 and ends April 1.
Schlaffer, a two-time All-State pick, left Exeter as Berks’ all-time leader in career receiving yards (2,504) and TD receptions (31), and with 122 career receptions. He follows his half-brother Michal Menet, who was a center and captain for the Nittany Lions.
Williams will go down as one of the best offensive linemen in Berks history, and easily one of the most heavily recruited. He got eight Division I offers in a single week early in his junior season and was ranked the No. 1 prospect in his class in Pennsylvania. He was an anchor on the offensive line the past two seasons and collected the Outstanding Lineman and Offensive Lineman of the Year awards in Section 2 of Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Menapace, an All-Berks at quarterback, passed for a Berks-leading 1,833 yards with 16 TDs and just four interceptions. He completed 63.7 percent of his passes and rushed for 594 yards and 14 TDs as he led the Hawks to nine wins, second-most in program history.
Burdine was a true dual-threat QB who ran for 720 yards and six TDs and passed for 1,202 yards. His best position is in the secondary, where he anchored a Reading pass defense that was ranked No. 1 in Section 1 of Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Jones was named Berks Player of the Year after an unprecedented season which saw him earn all-league first-team honors at four positions and return five punts for touchdowns — on six attempts.
He was the Outstanding Back, Offensive Back of the Year and Defensive Back of the Year in Section 1 of Lancaster-Lebanon League.
Caccese was one of the anchors on an offensive line that carried Exeter to its first district championship last season, back to the finals again this season, and to a program-record 12 wins.
Martin suffered a toe injury and struggled throughout his senior season. He earned a reputation as a devastating blocker and freakish athlete as a junior, playing in the shadows on Nick Singleton, and committed to Monmouth two months before his senior season.
McIntyre also played in the shadows of Williams and the other top-shelf talent at Wyomissing but college coaches obviously liked what he had to offer. He was one of the fastest players in Section 4 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League and displayed it as a shutdown cornerback and by averaging 10.9 yards per carry, tops in the entire league.
Ziegler was part of a devastating offensive line, along with Williams and junior tight end Caleb Brewer, also a Division I prospect.
Click here for a full list of Berks football commitments.
