Schuylkill Valley tight end grabs spot on East/West Small School squad
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was orginally published Feb. 21.)
Luke Spotts thought he was done with football when Schuylkill Valley’s season ended in the District 3 Class 3A semifinals.
Now the All-State tight end has at least one more game to play — and hopefully more after that.
Spotts has been selected to play in the annual East/West Small School All-Star game May 18 at Cumberland Valley’s Chapman Field, it was announced today. The Small School game will kick off at noon, with the Big School game to follow at 5.
“I’m excited to compete with all those great players – it’s top-of-the-level competition,” Spotts said. “It is a very big accomplishment for me. It feels very special. I think I’m the first ever from Schuylkill Valley to be in the East/West game. I’m just honored, I’m thankful and I can’t thank my coaches and teammates enough.”
2025 East/West Small School rosters
Spotts didn’t actively pursue a spot on college roster immediately after last season but has had a change of heart recently and plans to walk on to a team, either at West Chester, where he has been accepted, or elsewhere.
“I was up in the air (about it) after the season, but now I miss it,” Spotts said of football. “I’m 100 percent in right now. I’m looking to play.”
Spotts is one of just four Lancaster-Lebanon League players selected for the 35-player East squad, and one of just six from District 3.
Spotts is joined on the East roster by wide receiver Charles Warren and linebacker Zach Dresch, both of Lancaster Catholic; defensive end Jon Shay of Annville-Cleona; and cornerback Nazier Fuller and wide receiver James Evans III, both of Steel-High.
Rosters for the Big School game will be announced Friday.
It’s not often a tight end leads his league in receptions but Spotts is no ordinary football player.
At 6-2, 220 pounds he provides a big target. He runs good routes, has good speed and the hands to pull in passes. And he’s reliable.
Spotts led all Lancaster-Lebanon League receivers in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches as a senior.
“Luke is always there,” said his quarterback, Logan Nawrocki. “When I’m checking down, I know he can get a first down (throwing to him).”
Spotts caught 60 passes as a senior, most ever by a tight end in Berks County. The previous Berks record for tight ends was 54, by Conrad Weiser’s Matt Weiser in 2010. He had had 975 receiving yards and 10 TD catches.
Spotts was a two-way standout for the Section 5 champion Panthers. He was also a first-team pick at linebacker. He was one of three Schuylkill Valley to earn Class 3A All-State honors on the Pennsylvania Football Writers team, along with Nawrocki and linebacker Logan Cammauf.
“I knew right away (he would have success),” said Panthers coach Bruce Harbach, who often has compared Spotts to All-State tight ends he coached at Lancaster Catholic, Ryan Purvis and Matt Balasavage. “He’s one of the better tight ends I’ve coached, and I’ve coached some good ones, too. He runs great routes. He has good speed, good hands. He’s a good downfield blocker.”
Spotts, a four-year starter, has been a key cog in what has become the best run in program history.
The Panthers went 9-3 last season and made a perfect run through Section 5 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League to claim their first outright league championship. In 2023 they went 9-3 and shared the title, their first championship of any kind in football.
Spotts earned All-Berks honors at tight end as a sophomore, catching a team-high 28 passes.
Spotts is one of two tight ends listed on the East roster, along with Richie Kostoff of Riverside. Blake Schwartz of Tri Valley and Kal-El Durham of West Catholic are the quarterbacks.
Randy Spencer of Wyoming Area is head coach of the East squad. Jesse Nagle of Bald Eagle is head coach of the West squad.
Last year, four Berks players were selected for the East squad: Ryker Jones and Andrew Forrey of Wyomissing and Owen Reber and Joey Polinsky of Berks Catholic.
