Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
5 6 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he calendar is about to turn to No- vember, which means that high school football playoffs are about to start all over the country. The major- ity of Penn State's committed players in the 2023 recruiting class have all put their teams in a good position for the postseason. We recap where they stand statisti- cally below: Mathias Barnwell: Riverbend (Va.) High got off to a 6-1 start, and all signs were pointing to the Nov. 4 regular-sea- son finale against Mountain View as the game to decide the league champion- ship. Barnwell, a three-star prospect ac- cording to On3's scouts, continues to contribute as a tight end, totaling 11 receptions for 174 yards and 2 touch- downs. Playing defensive tackle, he had 16 stops through seven games, includ- ing 5.5 tackles for loss. He also had 2 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Jameial Lyons: Lyons and his defen- sive teammates are a major reason why Philadelphia Roman Catholic is poised to have its first winning season in a de- cade. The Cahillites had won six of their first seven games and were giving up an average of just 7.5 points. They also have quality wins over teams like Wilson and Archbishop Wood. A game against powerhouse St. Joseph's Prep lies ahead on Oct. 28. Playing mainly defensive end, Lyons totaled 36 tackles in seven games, in- cluding 11 stops for loss. The four-star prospect also had 3 sacks, 2 pass deflec- tions and a forced fumble. King Mack and Conrad Hussey: The four-star safeties both play for St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Pirates boast one of the state's top defenses this year, and Mack and Hussey have had big roles in its success. After giving up 37 points to another elite program, St. Joseph's Prep, in a nationally televised game in Week 1, the Pirates allowed an average of just 5 points in their next six games. Mack and Hussey have both been ex- cellent. Mack had 32 tackles with 3 pass deflections and 1 tackle for loss through seven games and was also excelling on special teams, adding 2 blocked punts and 1 punt-return touchdown. Hussey, meanwhile, had 21 tackles and a forced fumble. Andrew Rappleyea: Like most New England schools, Rappleyea's Milton (Mass.) Academy team didn't begin its season until the final week of September. Through four games, the Mustangs were 2-2, including a win against Buckingham Browne & Nichols, one of the region's top schools. Rappleyea has looked very good in limited opportunities, totaling 315 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns on just 14 catches. He has also looked like an old-school fullback at times, totaling 120 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 3 carries. In ad- dition, the four-star prospect had 17 tackles and an interception through four games. Tony Rojas: Rojas will play line- backer for the Nittany Lions, but he's been doing a little bit of everything for Fairfax (Va.) High, which was 7-0 as of mid-October. The four-star prospect has had his biggest impact on offense, totaling 947 yards and 18 touchdowns on 75 carries. He's had an impact catch- Future Nittany Lions Shine In Senior High School Seasons RYA N S N Y D E R | R YA N. S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Iowa quarterback Jaxon Smolik led Dowling Catholic to wins in seven of its first eight games, throwing 14 touchdown passes with just 4 interceptions. PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER