Deyvid Palepale’s change of heart spells bad news for Hempfield’s Section 1 rivals
2023 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
By Logan Moyer — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Division I football prospects aren’t usually born in Alaska, but don’t tell that to Hempfield standout Deyvid Palepale.
The 6-2, 315-pound defensive lineman lived in Anchorage until he was 14. His family decided to move to Lancaster County to be closer to relatives and so that Deyvid would receiver more football exposure.
“(Alaska) is home for me,” Palepale said. “That was all I knew for 14 years.”
Last month Palepale, ranked a three-star prospect by 247Sports.com, announced his decision to play collegiate football at USC, picking the Trojans over other traditional powerhouses such as Penn State and Michigan.
Palepale attributed his decision primarily to academics. He said USC was the first school to have him speak to a professor during his official visit.
“That stood out a lot to me,” he said. “I want to major in accounting, and I also want to intern as a real estate agent.”
When Palepale arrives in Los Angeles in 2024 the Trojans will be full-time members of the Big 10, having announced a move from the Pac-12 last year. The conference move was a big factor in his decision, he said.
“For my family to be able to see most of games means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s perfect.”
Deyvid’s uncle, who was an offensive lineman at Michigan State, assisted Deyvid in the recruiting process. Deyvid said that it was nice to pick his brain throughout the process.
Palepale – raised as a Dallas Cowboys fan – said that his dream is to some day play at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
As a senior he will be the anchor of a Black Knights defense that lost 10 starters from their Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 championship team. Hempfield is again expected to challenge Manheim Township and Wilson for the title.
“We expect to cause havoc up front,” said Hempfield coach George Eager. “When you’re as good as he is, you’re a leader, whether you want to be or not. I expect him to lead by example.”
Palepale, named both the Offensive and Defensive Lineman of the Year in Section 1 as a junior, is regarded by many as the best player in the Lancaster-Lebanon League. He knows that he’ll be in the spotlight.
“When I was a sophomore, I personally targeted players who had the Division I spotlight,” he said. “I definitely think for sure that people are coming after me, but I know that’s what comes with this territory. I’m ready for it.”
Palepale considered not spending his senior season in Landisville. In December he announced that he was transferring to IMG Academy in Florida for his last year of high school eligibility.
IMG plays a national schedule; it opens the season against Philadelphia powerhouse St. Joseph’s Prep.
“For me, it was really just preparation for the college lifestyle,” Palepale of his reasons for considering IMG. “Being away from home, living in the dorms. Just playing a high level of competition.”
He never took a physical tour of IMG’s facilities and a month after his announcement he reversed course and said he would stay at Hempfield.
“Two days before I was supposed to leave (for Florida), I was on the phone with (Hempfield) quarterback (Jackson Landis),” Palepale said. “We were up all night, just talking. I was like, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ After that, I kept contemplating, and then I texted my mom that I was going to stay.”
Eager wasn’t very happy with how Palepale was treated.
“I think that they prey on kids,” he said of private, sports-oriented academies such as IMG.
Eager said that while he understands the appeal of playing for a nationally-recognized school he believes the cons outweigh the pros.
“There’s no doubt that they offer things that we can’t,” he said. “But these kids are 16, 17 years old. They have to move away from their family and friends (to play at these schools).”
Family was a major factor in Palepale’s decision to stay home. His younger brother, Dehvyn, is expected to contribute to Hempfield’s varsity squad as a freshman this season. When Palepale announced his commitment to USC last month he let his younger brother place a Trojans’ cap on his head.
“(Deyvid) is a kid who is very family-oriented,” Eager said. “(With him) family comes first.”
Palepale said the opportunity to play with his younger brother was probably the largest factor in his decision to stay at Hempfield.
“The only time that we ever played together was flag football,” he said. “Also, I’ve just built a really strong relationship with the guys here (at Hempfield). I can’t just leave that behind.”
