For the second-straight year, our first five selections were predetermined.
Just like in 2018, five players who made the previous fall’s Big 30 All-Star football team are back this season. That made it easy to identify a preseason “First Team” of local players for the 2019 campaign.
The practice of producing our annual Players to Watch piece, however, presented in a basketball-style five-player First, Second and Third team format, plus honorable mentions, is anything but effortless.
We start with a list of 60-plus names comprised of returning players who made a league, regional or state all-star team or were nominated for the Big 30 All-Star team from the previous season. We then try to whittle that number to 35 — our top 15 players and 20 honorable mentions — based on those accomplishments, their 2018 statistics and what we can glean from coaches during our summer preview trips.
Now in its eighth year, the Players to Watch story has become a staple in our annual Football Edition, probably even a talking point or source of debate among area football fans. As such, we try to be as informed as possible in our selections.
No, our top player picks haven’t always panned out. But we do believe this is a good starting point on who to be aware of in the coming campaign.
Here is that list for 2019:
FIRST TEAM
Stephen Bobby, Sr., RB-DB, Elk County Catholic
The star of Elk’s single-wing offense, Bobby ran for 1,331 yards and 20 touchdowns on 212 carries — an average of 6.3 yards per attempt — and was the driving force of a Crusaders team that averaged 44 points in its seven wins last year.
Behind him and a strong senior class, ECC won its final six regular season games following a 1-2 start and advanced to the District 9 Class A playoffs. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder was one of three running backs named to the initial D-9 Small School-South All-Star team.
During Elk Catholic’s 21-0 shutout of Curwensville in Week 0, Bobby rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns to open the season.
Ben Giardini, Sr., WR-DB, Allegany-Limestone
The Gators’ top offensive playmaker in 2018, Giardini hauled in 26 receptions for 513 yards and 13 touchdowns while earning Section 6 Class C South First Team Offense honors for the second-straight season.
One of four juniors to make last year’s Big 30 All-Star team, the 5-foot-11, 160-pound wideout had big games in blowout wins over Royalton-Hartland and Cattaraugus-Little Valley. He also had an 84-yard defensive touchdown.
With quarterback Thomas Callen, who missed four games with a broken wrist, back healthy, Giardini figures to have an even bigger season this fall.
Jayden Lassiter, Jr., RB-LB, Portville
The only sophomore named to last year’s Big 30 All-Star team, Lassiter went from being a reserve early on to perhaps Portville’s best player by the end of the year.
Lassiter emerged into a force offensively, starting the final five games and running for 642 yards and seven touchdowns on 112 carries. And though he fare well as a running back, he actually made both the Section 6 Class C South First Team and the Big 30 All-Star team as a linebacker after finishing the year with a team-best 75 tackles.
Cameron Magee, Sr., WR-DB, Otto-Eldred
A broken leg suffered in the first quarter of the Terrors’ sixth game ended his season early, but Magee still managed to catch 29 passes for 311 yards and six TDs as one of the top targets in O-E’s high-powered, pass-heavy offense.
Despite playing just half the year, Magee still made the inaugural District 9 Small School North All-Star team as one of three receivers (three of whom came from Otto-Eldred). The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder also ran for two touchdowns and scored on a kickoff and interception return while posting 31 tackles, including three for lost yardage.
Magee recorded seven receptions for 58 receiving yards against Port Allegany — both team-highs for O-E.
Jake Wickett, Sr., RB-LB, Ridgway
In a balanced rushing attack with four key ball-carriers, Wickett piled up 534 yards and nine touchdowns on 109 attempts, an average of 4.9 yards per carry, for a Ridgway team that went 11-2 and won the D-9 Class AA championship last year.
One of the top two-way players in the area, Wickett made the Big 30 All-Star team as a running back (he also had two receiving TDs) and the District 9 Large School All-Star unit as a safety after totaling 49 tackles and an interception, plus a punt return touchdown.
Wickett showed off his special teams prowess in a 42-6 Ridgway win over St. Marys, as he returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown, and also recorded eight tackles — tied for a team-high.
SECOND TEAM
Robert Briggs, Sr., OG-LB, Ridgway
One of the top players on perhaps the best defense in the Big 30, Briggs logged a team-best 118 tackles for an Elkers unit that surrendered two or fewer touchdowns in 11 of 13 games and surrendered an average of just 13.5 points per game.
Briggs is one of four returning Big 30 players who made D9sports.com’s all-district defensive team last year, alongside teammate Damon Kelley, who recorded nine sacks, and Smethport’s Logan Christie. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound linebacker was one of four Elkers named to the D-9 Large School All-Star team.
Briggs was the other Elker to record eight tackles against St. Marys Friday, and he also had two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Logan Frank, Jr., QB-DB, Franklinville/Ellicottville
After inheriting the quarterback job as a sophomore, Frank helped Franklinville/Ellicottville to a winning record (5-4) and a Chuck Funke Memorial Bowl Class C title despite significant graduation losses.
With Frank under center, the Titans averaged 29 points in their five victories and won the final three games of the season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder was one of two F/E players to earn Section 6 Class C South First Team honors (as a utility player on offense) last year, alongside Tyler Clear. He’s projected as an all-Class D defensive back by WGRZ’s Dick Gallagher.
Hayden Keck, Jr., QB-LB, Coudersport
A sophomore starter on a team that won the District 9 Class A title last year, Keck threw for 709 yards and eight touchdowns and added 565 rushing yards and 13 TDs on 115 carries, both of which ranked No. 2 on the Falcons behind star running back Stephen Kelly.
For as good as he was on offense, Keck made the D-9 Small School-North All-Star team as a linebacker after totaling 61 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He’s perhaps the top returning player on a Coudy team expected to contend for a North title again this season.
Keck had an efficient start to his 2019 campaign, completing five of eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown, while getting picked off once.
Nick Fratercangelo, Sr., RB-LB, Olean High
Despite going down in Week 5 with an ACL injury, Fratercangelo was still named the Section 6 Class B-2 Co-Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team league all-star at linebacker last season.
The anchor of the Huskies’ defense and a starter since midway through his freshman season, the 5-foot-8, 185-pounder made 46 tackles in just over four games while helping Olean to a second playoff berth in three seasons.
Fratercangelo, named one of the top preseason players in Class B by WGRZ’S Dick Gallagher, is healthy heading into his senior year.
Denton Tilly, Sr., OL-DL, Pioneer
One of the linemen who paved the way for record-setting running back Mike Rigerman, Tilley is one of the top returning players for a Pioneer team that went 7-0 en route to a Section 6 Class B-1 title last year and advanced to the Class B championship game.
Tilley is one of three returning Big 30 players who made the Buffalo News All-Western New York team last fall (as an honorable mention on the offensive line), alongside teammate Karson Hurlburt and Nick Fratercangelo (Olean).
He was also a Section 6 Class B-1 Second Team all-star on defense.
THIRD TEAM
Logan Christie, Jr., RB-DB, Smethport
An all-District 9 and D-9 Small School-North defensive team selection as a sophomore, Christie had three picks and was a key contributor on a team that surrendered just 84 points and posted four shutouts through the first 11 games of last year.
Tyler Clear, Sr., RB-LB, Franklinville/Ellicottville
A returning Section 6 Class C South all-star, Clear will be one of the Titans’ featured skill positions players, alongside Clayton Rowland and Wyatt Chudy on a team that will expect to compete for a Class D title.
Riley Danaher, Sr., QB-DB, Bolivar-Richburg
In a season marred by player suspensions and just one regular season win, Danaher was a major bright spot for the Wolverines, setting three single-season school passing records while making the Livingston County/Genesee Region Div. IV All-Star team.
Cole Sebastian, Jr., QB-DB, Otto-Eldred
One of the top returning quarterbacks in the Big 30, Sebastian led District 9 in passing yards (1,957), touchdowns (21) and completion percentage (162-of-175, 58.9) as a sophomore last season.
Sebastian threw for 168 yards in O-E’s opener against Port Allegany, and completed two touchdown passes.
Gabe Watts, Jr., RB-DB, Ridgway
Last year’s D9sports.com’s District 9 Rookie of the Year, Watts totaled a team-best 747 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 117 carries (6.4 yards per carry) while leading the Elkers with 923 yards of total offense.
Watts rushed eight times for 56 yards and an eight-yard touchdown against St. Marys on Friday.
HONORABLE MENTION: A.J. Addotta (Sr., OL-DL, Olean), Travis Cooney (So., OL-LB, Smethport), Tyler Ely (Sr., RB-LB, Pioneer), Eagan Enke (Sr., OL-DL, Wellsville), Hudson Evingham (Sr., RB-LB, Bolivar-Richburg), Levi Ganoung (Sr., OL-DL, Portville), Brandon Goss (Jr., OL-DL, Coudersport), Leo Gregory (Sr., TE-DE, Elk County Catholic), Paul Gresco (Sr., QB, Ridgway), Tyler Hind (Sr., QB-DB, Randolph), Logan Klice, Sr., RB-LB, Allegany-Limestone), Dillon Keglovits (Sr., WR-S, Coudersport), Gavin Kulp (Sr., WR-LB, Olean), Lucas McKenna (Sr., QB-DB, Salamanca), Teddy Race (Sr., RB-LB, Kane), Clayton Rowland (Jr., RB-LB, Franklinville/Ellicottville), Tyler Smith (Sr., RB-LB, Bolivar-Richburg), Kody Shinners (So., OL-DL, Salamanca), Derek Sunafrank (Sr., RB-LB, Bradford), Connor Walsh (Sr., OL-LB, Allegany-Limestone)
