2021 Season Recap – District 3: York Catholic

After spending some time looking back at the teams in the Harrisburg area, we move our sights in District 3 over to the Lancaster area to get a look at some of the top teams that took the field this season. We’ll start off with the York Catholic Fighting Irish who are coming off a phenomenal 10-1 season including a perfect regular season. The Fighting Irish throughout their regular season gave no doubt that they were one of the best teams not just in the Lancaster area but the entirety of District III. Throughout their first four games, York Catholic outscored their opponents 95-33.  Their first true test of the season wouldn't come till near the end of October when they took on Delone Catholic, defeating the Squires in a 13-6 defensive battle. York Catholic would start their playoff run off with a 43-7 win over Squenita in the District III Class 2A semi-finals before winning the District III 2A title with a 35-8 win over Upper Dauphin. Entering the PIAA playoffs undefeated at 10-0, the Fighting Irish's perfect season would come to an end with a 24-7 loss to the West Catholic Burrs in the opening round of the PIAA playoffs. August 27: 24-7 win over Lancaster Catholic September 10: 30-14 win over York Suburban September 17: 41-12 win over Littlestown October 1: 39-25 win over Bermudian Springs October 8: 31-0 win over Fairfield October 15: 35-14 win over Hanover October 22: 13-6 win over Delone Catholic October 29: 28-0 win over York County Tech November 5: 43-7 win over Suquenita (Playoffs) November 12: 35-8 win over Upper Dauphin (Playoffs) November 20: 24-7 loss to West Catholic (Playoffs) Now, let's take a look at some of the top players for the Fighting Irish. <h5><strong>2023 Prospects</strong></h5> <strong>No.118 QB [player_tooltip player_id="91722" first="Levan" last="McFadden"]</strong> Like most small schools in Pennsylvania, York Catholic runs a heavy run-based offense, meaning McFadden didn't get a ton of opportunity to throw the ball. On the season, he was 57-for-116 (49.1%) to go along with 11 touchdowns. However, McFadden made a bigger impact on the ground, where his athleticism is shown off the best, as he rushed for 682 yards and 15 touchdowns over 116 carries on the season. He'll need to improve as a passer if he wants to play quarterback at the next level, but he does provide great potential at running back or wide receiver at the next level if it doesn't work out at quarterback. <strong>No.289 LB [player_tooltip player_id="248902" first="Colin" last="Faust"] </strong> Over 11 games for York Catholic, Faust recorded 53 total tackles on the season including 15 solo tackles and 2.5 sacks. Faust also recorded one interception and pass deflection on the season. Faust is a solid fundamental linebacker, we'll look for him to take another step in 2022. <h5><strong>Unranked prospects</strong></h5> A few unranked prospects for York Catholic had solid seasons in 2021, here's a look at each. <strong>2022 RB Andrew Adams</strong> The senior running back was York Catholic's leading rusher on the season, carrying the ball 172 items for 1,157-yards and 11 touchdowns. Adams is a bit on the smaller side height-wise at 5-foot-7 but a solid 180-pounds. He carries the weight well and also shows quality speed. <strong>2023 WR Daniel Starling</strong> As mentioned above, York Catholic is a run-based offense meaning their wide receivers don't get a ton of chances to show their talents in the passing game throughout the season. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound wideout made the most of his opportunities, however, recording 24 receptions for 539 yards, an average of 22.5 yards per reception. He also recorded five touchdowns this past season. Starling will be added to our watchlist and will surely be making his debut on our rankings next update. <strong>2023 WR Quinn Brennan</strong> Another junior wide receiver, Sterling also showed some promise in his limited opportunities, totaling 12 receptions for 227 yards, an average of 18.9 yards per reception. <strong>2023 DL Michael Shelley</strong> Shelley put together a strong season defensively for the Fighting Irish with 32 total tackles including seven sacks. At 6-foot-4, 235-pounds, Shelley also has the legitimate size to be able to develop into a collegiate defensive lineman. We'll have to take a closer look at Shelley this offseason, that's for sure. &nbsp;