Wellsboro's Pietropola headlines All-Region football.

It was a year to remember for area football fans, meaning plenty of hard choices for this years's The Daily & Sunday Review All-Region football team.

With the Tioga Tigers reaching the state final four for the third straight time in N.Y. and the Troy Trojans winning their first District 4 title in 25 years in Pennsylvania there were plenty of great moments during the season.

Those two weren't the only teams to accomplish big things as the Wellsboro Green Hornets went undefeated in the regular season to win the NTL title and Waverly reached the Section IV, Class C final, falling to the eventual state champion Chenango Forks.

The big years for the teams came thanks to some magical moments from players, led by what Michael Pietropola did for Wellsboro.

The junior quarterback threw for 2,755 yards and 39 touchdowns, against just six interceptions. Pietropola broke school, and league, passing marks and earned all-state honors. For his achievements Pietropola is this year's All-Region Player of the Year.

While Pietropola earns player of the year honors, Troy's Jed Wright is the offensive player of the year.

The Trojans senior quarterback ran for 1,629 yards and 20 scores and threw for 488 yards and nine touchdowns this year to help lead Troy to the district title.

Troy's coach Jim Smith is this year's coach of the year.

Normally people talk about Tioga's Jesse Manuel for his accomplishments on offense where he ran for 2,241 yards and 25 touchdowns. But, Manuel also is standout on the defensive side of the ball and he is the defensive player of the year. The Tioga sophomore intercepted nine passes this year, tops among anyone in the region.

Manuel's teammate Carter Jackson was an anchor on the line for the Tigers this year. He helped pave the way as Tioga had two backs over 1,000 yards on the year, with Manuel over 2,000. Defensively he helped a line that allowed less than 70 rushing yards a game and he had 64 tackles on the year. For his work Jackson is the lineman of the year.

Jackson is the lone player on this year's team to make All-Region on both offense and defense. In order to allow more people onto the All-Region squad players are chosen for either their play on offense and defense, however the major award winners are considered on both sides of the ball and some years one player will make it on both offense and defense.

Waverly sophomore Peyton Miller stepped into the role of starting quarterback this year and threw for 1,542 yards and 21 touchdowns while throwing just two interceptions all year. Miller also ran for 441 yards and nine scores. Miller is the newcomer of the year.

The first team offense has Pietropola at quarterback and Waverly's Dylan Perry, Notre Dame's Derek Marshall and Wellsboro's Brandon Owlett at receiver.

Perry caught 47 passes for 805 yards and 13 scores this year, while Marshall was among the area's leaders in receiving with 50 catches for 967 yards and five touchdowns, and Owlett caught 45 passes for 1,126 yards and 17 touchdowns. Owlett broke Wellsboro receiving records and was named all-state at receiver.

The running backs are Wyalusing's Lucas Jennings and Sayre's Jeremy Kyc, with Notre Dame's Tom Agan at fullback back.

Agan ran for 974 yards and 15 touchdowns in just eight games leading the Crusaders to the sectional semifinals. He was also a threat in the passing game, with 21 catches for over 500 yards and six touchdowns.

Jennings ran for a 1,685 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore and Sayre senior Kyc ran for 1,483 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Jackson and teammate Jake Howland are on the offensive line, along with North Penn's Isaiah Compton, Canton's Connor Route and Troy's Dylan Brennan.

Brennan helped pave the way for Troy to run for 4,727 yards and he earned all-state honors, while Compton helped pave the way for a 1,000 yard rusher and Route anchored the Warriors offensive line.

Wright and Miller are the athletes on the first team offense and Troy's Josh MacClaren is the kicker. MacClaren connected on 11 field goals, with a long of 50 yards, and 56-of-57 extra points.

On defense Jackson and teammate Dylan Babcock are on the defensive line along with Towanda's Nick Place and Wellsboro's Kieron Smethers.

Babcock had 67 tackles and helped Jackson key four shutouts and hold teams under 70 yards a game rushing. Place had 56 tackles and nine tackles for a loss and Smethers had seven sacks on the year.

Troy's Nick Stephani and Kyle Schucker are at linebacker along with Wellsboro's Brian Doty and Towanda's Dakoatah Manning. Stephani had 111 tackles, 73 solo, Schucker had 92 tackles, 58 solo, Doty had 106 tackles, 64 solo and Manning had 96 tackles, five for a loss. Doty was an all-state selection as well.

Manuel is in the secondary with Towanda's Noah Huff and Tony Daniello and Troy's Brandon Mattocks.

Mattocks had five interceptions, Daniello had 103 tackles and Huff had 42 tackles. Wyatt Covert of Wellsboro is the athlete on the first-team defense after recording 110 tackles, 69 solo. Troy Stivason of Athens is the punter. He averaged 36.5 yards a punt with a long of 51 and 14 inside the 20 on 42 attempts. He also hit 5-of-6 field goals with a long of 46 yards and connected on 17-of-19 extra points.

The second-team offense has Notre Dame's Hunter Thomas at quarterback and Cowanesque Valley's Brandon Whitesell and North Penn's Bryce Zaparzynski at running back, while Tioga's Brad Jump is at fullback.

Wellsboro's Dylan Prough and North Penn's Dayton Wood are the receivers, while Tioga's Josh Kitchart is at tight end.

The second-team offensive line is Waverly's Jeff Klossner; Towanda's Jeremy Sheets; Troy's Caelen Taylor; Wyalusing's Dustin Voda and Sayre's Gabe Nobles. Canton's Chase Pepper is the punter and teammate Tyler Cole is the athlete on the second team offense.

The second-team defense includes Tioga's Mike Melella; Towanda's Garrett Mosier and Troy's Levi Smith and Walker West on the line. Wyalusing's Dylan Otis; Waverly's Brandon Ellers; Athens' Zane Vargason and North Penn's Brad Pequignot are the linebackers.

Wellsboro's Jermain Brooks; Towanda's Dayton Wickwire; Tioga's Ryan Vergason and Waverly's Josh Mastrantuono are the defensive backs, while Canton's Brian Jannone is the kicker.

The third team offense has North Penn's Bo Burleigh at quarterback with Troy's Diante Jones and Athens' Brandon Sturzenegger at running back and Towanda's Dan Leljedal at fullback.

Waverly's Tim Sutton is the tight end, while Jesse Lattimer of Canton and Troy's Ryan Reeves are the receivers.

The line is North Penn's Zack Andrews; CV's Kaleb Rice; Wellsboro's Blake Gamble; Towanda's Logan Terry and Canton's Tanner Machmer. Towanda's Tyler Vanderpool is the punter and Notre Dame's Joe Prunier is the athlete.

The defense has Canton's Mark Grzella and Notre Dame's Eric Brennan, North Penn's Ryan Turner and Towanda's Jim Tice on the line.

Sayre's Damon Bidlack, Waverly's Joe Peters, Towanda's Dylan Bates and North Penn's Noah Corwin are the linebackers.

The defensive backs are Troy's Isaac Havens, Sayre's Jay Green, Tyler Forbes of Athens and Ryan McFarland of Waverly. Jack Chambers of Wellsboro is the kicker.

The Daily & Sunday Review All-Region football team

Player of the year: Michael Pietropola, Wellsboro

Offensive player of the year: Jed Wright, Troy

Defensive player of the year: Jesse Manuel, Tioga

Lineman of the year: Carter Jackson, Tioga

Newcomer of the year: Peyton Miller, Waverly

Coach of the year: Jim Smith, Troy

First team

Offense

QB: Michael Pietropola, Wellsboro

WR: Dylan Perry, Waverly

WR: Derek Marshall, Notre Dame

WR: Brandon Owlett, Wellsboro

RB: Lucas Jennings, Wyalusing

RB: Jeremy Kyc, Sayre

FB: Tom Agan, Notre Dame

OL: Dylan Brennan, Troy

OL: Connor Route, Canton

OL: Jake Howland, Tioga

OL: Carter Jackson, Tioga

OL: Isaiah Compton, North Penn

Athlete: Jed Wright, Troy

Athlete: Peyton Miller, Waverly

K: Josh MacClaren, Troy

Defense

DL: Dylan Babcock, Tioga

DL: Carter Jackson, Tioga

DL: Nick Place, Towanda

DL: Kieron Smethers, Wellsboro

LB: Nick Stephani, Troy

LB: Kyle Schucker, Troy

LB: Brian Doty, Wellsboro

LB: Dakoatah Manning, Towanda

DB: Jesse Manuel, Tioga

DB: Noah Huff, Towanda

DB: Brandon Mattocks, Troy

DB: Tony Daniello, Towanda

Athlete: Wyatt Covert, Wellsboro

P: Troy Stivason, Athens

Second team

Offense

QB: Hunter Thomas, ND

RB: Brandon Whitesell, CV

RB: Bryce Zaparzynski, North Penn

FB: Brad Jump, Tioga

WR: Dylan Prough, Wellsboro

WR: Dayton Wood, North Penn

TE: Josh Kithcart, Tioga

OL: Jeff Klossner, Waverly

OL: Jeremy Sheets, Towanda

OL: Caelan Taylor, Troy

OL: Dustin Voda, Wyalusing

OL: Gabe Nobles, Sayre

P: Chase Pepper, Canton

Athlete: Tyler Cole, Canton

Defense

DL: Mike Melella, Tioga

DL: Garrett Mosier, Towanda

DL: Levi Smith, Troy

DL: Walker West, Troy

LB: Dylan Otis, Wyalusing

LB: Brandon Ellers, Waverly

LB: Zane Vargason, Athens

LB: Bradley Pequignot, North Penn

DB: Jermain Brooks, Wellsboro

DB: Dayton Wickwire, Towanda

DB: Ryan Vergason, Tioga

DB: Josh Mastrantuono, Waverly

K: Brian Jannone, Canton

Third team

Offense

QB: Bo Burleigh, North Penn

RB: Diante Jones, Troy

RB: Brandon Sturzenegger, Athens

FB: Dan Leljedal

TE: Tim Sutton, Waverly

WR: Jesse Lattimer, Canton

WR: Ryan Reeves, Troy

OL: Zack Andrews, North Penn

OL: Kaleb Rice, CV

OL: Blake Gamble, Wellsboro

OL: Logan Terry, Towanda

OL: Tanner Machmer, Canton

P: Tyler Vanderpool, Towanda

Athlete: Joe Prunier, Notre Dame

Defense

DL: Mark Grzella, Canton

DL: Eric Brennan, Notre Dame

DL: Ryan Turner, North Penn

DL: Jim Tice, Towanda

LB: Noah Corwin, North Penn

LB: Damon Bidlack, Sayre

LB: Dylan Bates, Towanda

LB: Joe Peters, Waverly

DB: Isaac Havens, Troy

DB: Jay Green, Sayre

DB: Ryan McFarland, Waverly

DB: Tyler Forbes, Athens

K: Jack Chambers, Wellsboro

About the Author
	Brian Fees Brian Fees is the sports editor of the Daily & Sunday Review in Towanda, PA.

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