Top Players to Watch in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League for 2025
2025 Berks football coverage presented by
Utilities Employees Credit Union
(This story was originally published July 21)
It’ll be a year a major change in Section 1 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League, with the graduation of 26 of the 33 first-team all-league selections, as well as every major award winner, such as Offensive Back of the Year Madyx Gruber of Wilson and Outstanding Back Declan Clancy of Manheim Township.
One thing that won’t change: Seeing Wilson and Manheim Township battling for the top spot.
The Bulldogs appear to have the upper hand heading into training camp, what with the return of All-State tight end Michael Glover and all-league picks Correll Akings and Rahmel Gaston.
The cupboard is never bare at Township, even after graduating eight first-team picks. Back in the fold is two-way all-league pick Taylor Veilleux.
Overall, only two players return from last year’s 12-man Players To Watch list, Akings and Veilleux.
Here’s your first look at the top players in Section 1 for the 2025 season.
(This is the last of a five-part series and a collaboration between LNP/Lancaster On-Line and MikeDragoSports.com. Jeff Reinhart of LNP contributed player capsules.)
Top Players To Watch in Section 5
Top Players To Watch in Section 4
Top Players To Watch in Section 3
Top Players To Watch in Section 2
(PhilMarPhoto)
Correll Akings, Wilson
RB/KR/CB
Count on the ball being in Akings’ hands a lot this season, whether the Bulldogs are running it, throwing it, returning kicks, or playing defense.
The 5-10, 175-pound senior rarely will leave the field for a team favored to repeat as Section 1 champ and make another bid to reach the District 3 championship game.
Akings earned all-league first-team honors at running back as a junior after leading the Bulldogs with 1,078 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Those scores came in a variety of ways: He had a 74-yard TD run in a district playoff game against Cedar Crest, a 69-yard catch-and-run for a score against Reading High, and a 46-yard Pick-Six against Gov. Mifflin.
Akings averaged a team-best 17.1 yards on his 14 punt returns; he returned 10 kickoffs. He again proved to be a key part of the passing game with 27 receptions, averaging 13.5 yards per catch.
He’ll be back at cornerback, where he helped Wilson rank No. 3 overall in the league last season in total defense.
Akings was an All-Berks basketball pick as a junior, leading the Bulldogs to a second straight Berks Conference championship.
(Joe Mays photo)
EJ Brownback, Wilson
H-B/LB
How the 5-11, 218-pound Brownback didn’t earn all-league honors as a sophomore remains a mystery. He was the leading tackler on one of the top defenses in the league and keyed the Bulldogs’ run to the Section 1 title.
His effort in a key Week 5 win over Cedar Crest should’ve gotten him there as he made a fourth-down stop at the goal line to turn back the Falcons just before the half in what ended as a 14-7 win.
Overall, Brownback led the team with 60 solo tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 87 total tackles.
In an early win against Plymouth-Whitemarsh he recorded a team-high 11 tackles, including 4 ½ for loss, helping limit the Colonials to 93 yards on 30 rushing attempts.
Wilson ranked No. 2 in the 37-team league in rushing defense and No. 3 in total defense.
Brownback earned All-Berks honors in wrestling after going 28-14 last year, finishing as the Berks runner-up at 215 pounds, helping Wilson to the District 3 Class 3A championship, and qualifying for the PIAA Tournament.
Marcos Fernandez, Manheim Township
DE
The Blue Streaks’ shifty, backfield-crashing edge rusher really came into his own with an outstanding junior season.
The damage total: 62 stops, with an eye-popping 18 for a loss, plus three sacks and five QB hurries from his spot at defensive end.
Fernandez earned second-team all-leaguer honors as he helped Township to a runner-up finish in Section 1 and a trip to the District 3 Class 6A semifinals.
It might look a little different in Neffsville at the outset this season but one thing won’t change: Fernandez, a heat-seeking rising senior, will wreak serious havoc around the corner.
(Joe Mays photo)
Michael Glover, Wilson
TE/DE
Glover became a rare sophomore to earn first-team All-State honors after leading the Bulldogs with 40 receptions, 670 receiving yards, and seven touchdown catches last season.
The 6-3, 225-pounder emerged as a force early in the year, catching a 37-yard scoring pass as time expired in the first half of Wilson’s season-opening 28-20 victory at Cheltenham. He ended the season with an equally impressive scoring grab, going up between a pair of Harrisburg defenders in the end zone in the District 3 championship game.
He’ll see even more time on the field this season as he moves into a starting role at defensive end. He had 11 tackles last season in limited defensive duties.
Glover was a first-team all-league and All-Berks pick in his first full season.
Chase Herb, Wilson
WR/S/P
Herb covers passes like a cornerback and plays the run like a linebacker, an effective combination that helped the Bulldogs ranked No. 3 in the entire league in total defense and No. 2 against the run.
The 6-1, 175-pound rising senior came up biggest in Wilson’s biggest game, recording a team-high 12 tackle in a 34-16 at Manheim Township that clinched the Section 1 title.
Overall, he earned second-team all-league honors after recording 52 tackles, third on the team, with nine pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and a 70-yard interception return for a touchdown against Hempfield.
Even on a team with some true burners he’s one of the fastest players on the team. His 4.5 speed and toughness have drawn the interest of coaches at the FCS level.
Herb placed fourth at the Firing Meet in the javelin as a junior.
(LNP photo)
Derek Katch, Hempfield
QB
The Black Knights flew the friendly skies early and often last fall with Katch in the pilot’s seat.
He came through with a big season, completing 167-of-290 passes for 2,055 yards and 15 TDs. He finished fourth overall in the league in passing yards.
The rising senior was an honorable mention pick in a section that was loaded with quarterback talent. (Wilson’s Madyx Gruber was the first-team all-league pick; Cedar Crest’s Jackson Custer was the second-team pick. Both were seniors.)
After some key graduation losses at Hempfield, including Section 1 Receiver of the Year Braden Charles, Katch will have to get acclimated to a batch of new receivers.
Landyn Kline, Cedar Crest
FB/LB
The Falcons lost some offensive pieces to graduation off of last year’s district playoff qualifier.
To counter that, Cedar Crest is set to return a gaggle of power punchers on the defensive side, including Kline, who knows a thing or two about dropping ball carriers.
His 2024 numbers: 122 tackles, including 14 stops for a loss. Kline also returned a fumble for a TD, one of several defensive scores for the opportunistic Falcons.
Kline picked up a second-team all-league nod last fall as a junior.
Kline recorded 11 pins wrestling at 189 and 215 last season for the Falcons.
Avery Manara, Wilson
OT
Manara is an effective drive-blocker who makes good use of his hands both in the run game and as a pass-protector. He has an ability to push defenders off the line of scrimmage and drive them to the ground.
The 6-4, 230-pound rising senior gives the Bulldogs a key presence at left tackle, where he can protect the passer and again be a key in sealing the edge to set up potential breakaway runs by Correll Akings or Monty Greer.
He’s added strength to his lean frame since last year and has also gotten quicker through offseason workouts.
Along with return starter Jesse Etchberger, the Bulldogs have a pair of experienced bookends at tackles; they’ll be a key in their bid to repeat as Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1 champs.
Luke Oriel, Cedar Crest
DB/PR
Oriel will be one to watch in the Falcons’ secondary after firmly establishing himself as one of the top cornerbacks in the league last fall.
The 5-10, 170-pound Oriel intercepted a team-leading six passes as a junior, helping Cedar Crest reach the District 3 Class 6A playoffs. He returned one of those picks 45 yards for a TD.
Oriel, who made 58 tackles, was a second-team all-league selection.
He’s one of four return starters on the Falcons’ defense. He’s also expected to be the top return man on punts.
Garrett Starry, LB, Cedar Crest
TE/LB
Starry gives the Falcons a pair of hard-hitting, ball-seeking inside linebackers. He’ll team with senior Landyn Kline to form a tough inside presence and provide veteran leadership for a rebuilt defense.
The 6-1, 225-pound Starry had a breakout sophomore season with a team-leading 129 tackles, including 16 stops for loss, 2.5 sacks and three interceptions — including a Pick-6.
Starry enters camp listed as the No. 1 tight end on the Falcons’ depth chart. He did not have any receptions last season.
(LNP photo)
Taylor Veilleux, Manheim Township
FB/NG
You don’t see many running backs also playing nose guard. Veilleux, who benches 405 and squats 605, is that guy.
The Blue Streaks hammer can do serious damage on either side of the ball, using his powerful 5-11, 252-pound frame to bounce off would-be tacklers or drop ballcarriers with a thud in tight spaces.
Veilleux powered his way to three touchdowns from his fullback spot as a junior, helping Township win 10 games and return to the District 3 Class 6A semifinals.
He was a second-team all-league pick on offense.
On defense Veilleux plugged the gaps for 27 tackles, including 13 sticks for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He was a first-team all-league pick on defense.
Isaiah Zimmerman, RB, Cedar Crest
RB/OLB/KR
Zimmerman enjoyed an incredible sophomore season, quickly establishing himself as one of the top backs in the league. Try these numbers on for size: 176 carries for 1,500 yards, 8.5 yards per attempt, with 19 TDs. He also had eight receptions for 122 yards.
The 5-10, 200-pound Zimmerman pocketed first-team all-league honors and has a scholarship offer from Fordham.
Zimmerman is one of the fastest backs in the league, with a 4.45 time in the 40. He ran an 11.36 in the 100 last spring and 23.14 in the 200.
He was named Lebanon County’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year by LebCoSports.com.
(Chris Knight/LNP photos)
Others to watch
| Brady Biscoe | PK/P | Hempfield |
| Cody Buckwalter | DE | Hempfield |
| Zion Caban | KR | Hempfield |
| Ethan Caldwell | RB/LB | Hempfield |
| Jeremiah Camara | WR/DB | Reading High |
| Jaiden Carpenter | WR/DB | Wilson |
| Daryus Dixon | WR/DB | Manheim Township |
| Jalen Dupree | RB | Penn Manor |
| Jesse Etchberger | OT | Wilson |
| Allan Feliciano | WR | Manheim Twp. |
| Wyatt Fox | DE | Cedar Crest |
| Rahmel Gaston | DE | Wilson |
| Monty Greer | RB/DB/KR | Wilson |
| Ethan Harding | LB | Wilson |
| Elijah Hess | DL | Penn Manor |
| Ka’jhoei Hollman | DL | McCaskey |
| Jack Kenneff | QB | Manheim Township |
| Jason Plylaharn | QB/S | Reading High |
| Armani Rivera | DB | McCaskey |
| Riley Rontal | RB/DB | Manheim Township |
| Johnzell Sibley | LB | McCaskey |
| Connor Smeigh | QB | Penn Manor |
| Jaden Storm | G | Cedar Crest |
| Cameron Tirado | WR/KR | Cedar Crest |
| Idris Weaver | RB/DB | Reading High |
| Lucas Weisglass | LB | Hempfield |
