2023 PIAA State Tournament – First Round Players of the Week 5A
Dylan Callaghan-Croley
In this article:
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<p>PrepRedzonePA takes a look at the top 5A standouts from the first round of the 2023 PIAA State Tournament.</p>
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<p><strong>Ephrata vs Hershey</strong></p>
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<p>It was a big day for junior running back [player_tooltip player_id='1520464' first='Brayden' last='Brown'] in Ephrata's 47-7 win over Hershey. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound tailback rushed for 99 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries in the win. Brown has put together a terrific season for Ephrata this season, totaling 1,300+ yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry. </p>
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<p><strong>Cocalico vs Cedar Cliff</strong></p>
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<p>[player_tooltip player_id='1105939' first='Aaryn' last='Longenecker'] was someone we highlighted heading into this matchup last week and he showed why in Cocalico's 31-13 win over Cedar Cliff. The senior tailback had just nine carries in the win for Cocalico but made the most of his opportunities, rushing for 148 yards, an average of 16.4 yards per carry. He also had two touchdowns in the game. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='941159' first='Dane' last='Horning'] also had a solid night with 33 carries for 120 yards and a pair of his own touchdowns. </p>
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<p><strong>Springfield vs Strath Haven</strong></p>
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<p>It was a low-scoring defensive battle with Strath Haven defeating Springfield 14-12 last Friday and the Panthers would not have been able to do it without A.J. Glavicic who had a pair of interceptions in the game including one in the fourth quarter that stopped a potential Springfield scoring drive on the Panthers' side of the field. </p>
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<p><strong>Delaware Valley vs Whitehall</strong></p>
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<p>Stanford commitment Aidan Black had a pretty good day of three receptions for 113 yards and two touchdowns in Delaware Valley's 56-27 win over Whitehall but it was senior running back Ryder Machado who had the biggest day of any Warrior with 19 carries for 252 yards and four touchdowns. </p>
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<p><strong>Peters Township vs Pine-Richland</strong></p>
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<p>Peter's Township sophomore quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='427345' first='Nolan' last='DiLucia'] was great in the Indians' 43-117 win over Pine-Richland with four total touchdowns (three passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown). The sophomore has emerged as a name to keep a close eye on in the class of 2026. This regular season he completed 64.2% of his passes for over 1,900 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also had an additional 322 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. </p>
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<p><strong>Bayard Rustin vs Chester</strong></p>
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<p>There were a few potential picks in this one as Chester defeated Bayard Rustin 26-20 but we ultimately decided to go with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='646688' first='Daron' last='Harris'] who did a little bit of everything including 49 receiving yards. But his major impact came defensively where he had one interception return for 70 for a touchdown. He finished the day overall with 139 total all-purpose yards. </p>
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PrepRedzonePA takes a look at the top 5A standouts from the first round of the 2023 PIAA State Tournament.
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