Blue Devils selected to 10 spots on ICC Football All-Star Team
By BOB
MILLER
Daily Herald Sports Editor
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The 2003 Inter-County Conference 2003 All-Star Recognition Luncheon was
held Monday afternoon in the Casino at Lakemont Park. Bellwood-Antis had
Blue Devils selected to 10 spots on the team. In 2003, First and Second
Teams were chosen, instead of just one team and an Honorable Mention List
as in the recent past.
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Beginning the 2003 campaign with very little experience and being small
in both numbers and size, the Blue Devils and their coaching staff put
a four-game win streak together against tough odds in the middle of the
season to finish 5-5. In the Nittany Division of the ICC, Bellwood-Antis
won their first three games before falling by three points to Bishop Guilfoyle
in a fight for the division title late in the season.
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Bellwood-Antis placed six people on the offensive side of the football
and four on the defensive side.
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Running back Dan Houser, tight end Matt Plummer, and offensive lineman
Ben Kleiner were named to the First Team Offense. Shawn Weiand was selected
on Special Team to the First Squad as the kick returner.
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Weiand also was named to the Second Team as quarterback along with offensive
lineman Brian Buechele.
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Buechele and Kleiner were solid blockers for a team that rushed for 1,663
yards and passed for 1,144 more, averaging 280 yards of total offense
per game.
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Houser was the top rusher for the Blue Devils with 825 yards and 11 TDs
on 167 carries for just under five yards per carry. Dan also led Bellwood-Antis
in scoring with 11 TDs and three PATs for a team-best 69 points and was
tied for second in pass receptions, pulling in 16 for 142 yards. Plummer,
who moved from guard where he earned two varsity letters as a sophomore
and junior, had 16 catches for 284 yards and one score from his tight
end position, as well as anchoring a young inexperienced line that jelled
after a 1-2 start.
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Weiand set a school record for completion percentage connecting on 81
of 150 passes for 1,134 yards, a 54 per cent total and was the sixth passer
in B-A football history to throw for 1,000 yards in a season. He returned
one kick and one interception for touchdowns in 2003.
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Matt Plummer, who was the only underclassmen among ten 2002 Blue Devils
to be named to the ICC First Team repeats on defense at defensive end
in 2003. Dan Houser joins Matt in being selected on both sides of the
line of scrimmage on the First Team as a defensive back. Ben Kleiner was
named as Second Team defensive lineman and Weiand, who hasn’t played
football since quarterbacking the junior high in ninth grade, choosing
to play basketball and baseball only the last two years, made it for three
places on the All-Star Team with a Second Team selection as a defensive
back.
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Joining the Blue Devils on the offensive team were: quarterback Brian
Barefoot, tight end Jason Foltin, wide receiver Dan Novak and offensive
linemen Luke Larson and Joe Fitzpatrick of Chestnut Ridge; running backs
Matt Georgiana and Josh DeStefano, and offensive lineman Ryan O’Conner
of Bishop Guilfoyle; wide receiver Matt Brubaker and offensive lineman
Doug Leitch of Penns Valley and offensive lineman Levi Johnson of Mount
Union.
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In addition to Weiand on Special Teams, Curt Royer of Penns Valley was
named the punter and Guy Finelli of Bishop Guilfoyle was the placekicker.
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On defense the Blue Devils were joined by lineman Curtis Medairy, Georgiana
and DeStefano at linebackers and Johnny Cotto at defensive back from BG;
Jack McCartney and defensive back Trey McClain from Mount Union; defensive
lineman Colby Stover, defensive end Jason Wert and linebacker Josh Hull
from Penns Valley; defensive lineman Larson, linebacker Foltin and defensive
back Mike Schade from Chestnut Ridge.
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Second Team picks for Special Teams included Mike Sprouse of Bishop Guilfoyle
as the kick returner, Randy Varner of Mount Union as punter and Tim Eck
of BG as the place kicker.
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Bishop Guilfoyle and Chestnut Ridge each placed eight on the Nittany first
team and in a well balanced division, Bellwood-Antis and Penns Valley
each had six picks.Division champ BG added 11 Second Team selections for
an ICC-best 19 overall selections.Mount Union added three First Team picks.
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Mountain Division winner Moshannon Valley had the most First Team positions
with 13, while champion Everett and second place Southern Huntingdon placed
10 and nine respectively on the Southern Division First Team.
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Moshannon Valley’s Steve Holencik (First Team tight end, defensive
end, punter) was the only player selected to three First Team positions
and, although the Blue Devils’ Shawn Weiand was also chosen at three
spots,two of the three were Second Team picks.
