2023 Season Preview Cedar Crest Falcons

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cedar Crest Falcons finished 5-5 last season in Section 1 of the newly formed LL Berks league. The Falcons are never a pushover and many would argue if all league quarterback Jay Huber doesn't suffer a season ending injury they would have made the District 3 playoffs. Nonetheless longtime Head Coach Rod Wildasin is not one to dwell and he knows his team brings back a lot of potential. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Returning Players:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["711013"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Senior to be [player_tooltip player_id='711013' first='Aiden' last='Schomp'] is rising up our rankings and will end up at least at the FCS level come 2024. He has a number of offers already and has been putting up eye popping numbers  at a few showcases  recently. One of our fastest risers and top tight ends in the state, he has made quite the impression with [player_tooltip player_id='1156407' first='Vic' last='Castillo'] who shared his thoughts below:rnrnA new addition to the tight-end rankings, debuting inside the top five at his position. That's tough to do, especially this late into the process of identifying talent. This kid was a clear miss on my part, as I only recently heard of the Cedar Crest star after some stellar camp performances throughout the offseason. His top-five rank is a projection of future things to come, as we fully expect more FCS programs to pull the trigger sooner rather than later. Sacred Heart and Colgate have done so recently, extending offers to the 6'6 tight end. I imagine any programs recruiting in and around Cedar Crest will fall in love with Schomp after the first three games of his senior campaign. He's stacked up against some premier talent in this group. We'll see if his rank holds true in November.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["746918"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Custer took over for Huber midway through last year as a sophomore and seeing him up close I can tell you he is the real deal. In just 5 games he through for nearly 800 yards and accounted for 12 total touchdowns, not too bad for his debut. I expect him to be among the leagues best this year and he certainly has the weapons around him to do it. [player_tooltip player_id='1156407' first='Vic' last='Castillo'] had this to say about him when he was added to the watch list for 2025:rnrnFour-sport athlete with a 4.2 GPA. That sentence alone will have college coaches perking up their ears. u003cspan class=u0022pn-tooltip pn-player-linku0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022name-pointeru0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='746918' first='Jackson' last='Custer']u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003e ‘s got five starting games at quarterback under his belt, all for Cedar Crest HS. The young man eclipsed 1,000 yards, 3/1 ratio of passing to rushing yards, while also scoring 12 times. 6'0, 180, his build might not scream college football, yet the young man put together quite the tape for an underclassman. Works primarily out of shotgun/spread sets. Tape conveys he's capable of delivering balls in the pocket or on the go. Needs to work on his mechanics and release to ensure he's not building on any bad habits, but can be said for any quarterback in the country really. Hitch to his game, yet he's often on time when targeting timing routes (outs/corners).  This kid is going to keep defenses honest with his feet too. Excited to get him on our lists.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["769151"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Rolon is solid running back and another option for Custer out of the backfield, but where he may have all-section material is at linebacker. Coach Weider came away very impressed when he did his breakdown last month:rnrnu003cspan class=u0022pn-tooltip pn-player-linku0022u003eu003cspan class=u0022name-pointeru0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='769151' first='Zion' last='Rolon']u003c/spanu003eu003c/spanu003e played linebacker and running back for Cedar Crest last year. Rolon is a playmaker at linebacker. He is very good at reading and reacting to a play and then coming downhill to make a play. He is a good tackler, especially in the open field where he has the ability to tackle people very well. Rolon is also very good at blitzing. He blitzed from different positions and created havoc for the offense. Rolon is a good prospect who should only improve.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["855439"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"A good offensive lineman to have back is Weaber, lot of potential with this young man and he is starting to scratch the surface. Coach Weider shared his thoughts below:rnrnWeaber played right guard and defensive tackle for Cedar Crest last year. At right guard, he showed he had a lot of strength. He does a nice job blocking defensive tackles by engaging them and controlling them. He does a really nice job doubling defensive tackles and then peeling off to block linebackers. Weaber also showed good athleticism by pulling and kicking out defenders. Weaber is a good prospect that showed he is a consistent player. With a strong Senior year, he should get some College Football offers.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["915218"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Another reason why many people are high on the Falcons 2025 class is this young man [player_tooltip player_id='915218' first='Jack' last='Waranavage']. A precise route runner whose number should double with so many teams focusing on their other plethora of weapons, Coach Weider really likes his potential:rnrnWaranavage played wide receiver, safety, long snapper, and punt returner for Cedar Crest. He is a good athlete that has excellent body control. At wide receiver, he does a nice job catching the ball when it is contested catches. He runs good routes and knows how to find the soft spot in the zone to get open. The other part of his game is he can play both slot and outside receiver. At free safety, he shows good range and coverage skills. Waranavage ability to play a lot of positions should also help him with college coaches. He has the skills to play college football and with more experience, he should have a good chance.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["846886"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"A versatile safety who has been a big time contributor to Cedar Crest the past two seasons that would be top 300 ranked [player_tooltip player_id='846886' first='Owen' last='Chernich']. Like a lot of his teammates Chernich plays both sides of the ball, he is an underrated weapon at receiver. Displaying exceptional hands (watch his catch against Penn Manor) Chernich should receive all-conference accolades in 2023.rnrnhttps://twitter.com/owenchernich/status/1587589157718994944?s=20","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"Leo Tirado","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"Cedar Crest","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_6_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_6_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"The Tirado's are a well-known name in the Cedar Crest community and Leo is the latest to have an impact. A multi-sport star, he is a very good corner for Coach Wildasin's defense, coming on really strong his final 5 games of his junior campaign. He also is another weapon at running back, a good third down type of back that can hurt you bad on a screen pass, he has the speed to do so. Expect Tirado to be one of the best defensive backs in the LLBerks this fall, his back half of his junior season will prove it.rnrnhttps://www.hudl.com/video/3/13684974/63daf1c21762a806841d5e32","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"Kenyon Figueroa","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"5'7u0022","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"Cedar Crest","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_7_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_7_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"A physical defensive back whose back peddle and hip movement are very good. Rising senior Kenyon Figueroa should be a nice combo with Tirado to provide the Falcons with not 1 but 2 shutdown corners.  Due to his skill and physicality he is starting to gain traction with colleges such as Lebanon Valley and Misericordia, I could certainly see his skill set transitioning nicely at the division 3 level.rnrnhttps://twitter.com/Kenyon2xx/status/1649481224874762257?s=20rnrnu0026nbsp;rnrnu0026nbsp;","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_8_player_details_player_name":"Fernando Marquez","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_8_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_8_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_8_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_8_player_details_school":"Cedar Crest","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_8_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_8_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_8_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_8_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"Marquez is a strong bullish running back and solid outside linebacker. A two year starter in both football and basketball, this kid has gotten better each year in both sports.  I would anticipate him being their go to at running back for 2023 and him being among the top rushers in the section. While he is one of the stronger backs in the lead, his speed and quickness are deceptive and his vision is on point.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":9,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-64baa94971232"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It really is a shame Cedar Crest did not sneak into districts last year, they were playing some of the best football as the season ended. That being said I fully expect the Falcons to make the district 3 playoffs this year but also to compete with the big three of Section 1 in Wilson, Hempfield and Manheim Township. Coach Wildasin has been at this for a long time and has had success in taking down the normal top three contenders in the section. With [player_tooltip player_id='746918' first='Jackson' last='Custer'] having a full offseason as the starter and the number of playmakers returning, expect Cedar Crest to finish 6-4 or better. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->