BROCKWAY – After taking a big sack, Allegheny Mountain League all-star quarterback Hunter Miller found running back Frank Truden on a screen pass, putting the ball near the original line of scrimmage.
Facing a fourth-and-manageable situation at its own 48, the AML – coached by Kane head man Todd Silfies – dialed up a fake punt. Up-man Seth Drummond received the snap, carried for a few yards then threw a two-handed shovel pass to teammate Mitch Vleminckx (Bradford High) for a 34-yard gain, giving the AML a new set of downs late in the first quarter inside the redzone and leading to a field goal.
That was just one of a few plays executed by area graduates in the AML’s 38-10 win over all-stars from the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference in Friday’s second annual Frank Varischetti All-Star Football Game.
“I think it was a huge momentum swinger,” Silfies said afterward of the fake. “If we got that look, we were going to go for the fake punt.”
Later in the game in another short-yardage fourth down situation, Otto-Eldred’s Drummond again got the call on the fake. This time, he drove up the middle for the first down and kept another drive going.
Other key plays were turned in by area players, with Kane’s Austin Labesky diving on a first-half fumble to halt a KSAC drive, Coudersport’s Aaron Wolfinger flinging himself at players from his linebacker spot and Cameron County’s Tristan Reed picking off two passes.
Bradford High’s Vleminckx scored in the fourth quarter, while his Owls’ teammate Alex Daughenbaugh – who was voted an AML all-star in the fall – left the game with an injury in the second half.
Wolfinger, who was voted as the AML’s defensive MVP, was just one of the players Silfies relished the opportunity to coach. The Coudersport graduate normally lines up as a quarterback and safety, but played out of position in a linebacker role on Friday night.
“Wolfinger is that type of kid,” Silfies said. “Anyone who has ever watched him play basketball knows he can play in a defense that likes pressure. He was flying all over the place.
“He played out of position this week at strong safety. He’s a linebacker. He obviously earned the defensive MVP because he’s making plays all over the field. That’s something we saw on tape last year and we saw on our field in Kane last year was a kid like that making plays.”
Silfies, who handled the defensive play-calling, had the advantage of being two or three all-stars deep at certain positions on defense. That allowed fresh lineman to rotate in and keep up the AML’s constant pressure on Seth Ray, the KSAC quarterback and Brookville graduate.
“That’s something that was new,” Silfies said. “That fact that we made so many rotations and so many guys are making plays all over the field. Some of these guys have haunted us when we watch our offensive tape. I was so excited to coach guys like Justin Kasmierski, Joe Kucenski and Colton McClain in particular.”
The Kane coach was also pleased with the way his five players (Rounsville, Labesky, Truden, Davis Gardner and Issac Walters) performed on the field. Rounsville has opted out of playing in the Big 30 Charities All-Star game on Aug. 5, but the other five Wolves will suit up for team Pennsylvania.
“Davis was making plays all over the field,” Silfies said. “Austin Labesky made plays. Issac Walters was maybe a little bit of an unsung hero at times, like he was all year. I know when people go home and watch the tape, they’re going to see him making plays all over the field. Obviously you can’t say enough about Keaton Rounsville.”
Scholarships
Ten $1,000 scholarships were awarded at halftime on Friday night, with five awards going to each team. Among area players, Rounsville (CNB Bank), Elk Catholic’s Jared Braun (Clyde, Ferraro, & Co.), Wolfinger (Varischetti Holdings) and Otto-Eldred’s Grant West (Senator Joe Scarnati) were winners for essays submitted to the game planners.
