Two players from Tyrone teams past could easily relate to Andrew Weaver following the release of the Laurel highlands Athletic Conference football all-star teams last week.
Weaver, who had 38 receptions for 895 yards (more than 23 yards per reception) and 8 touchdowns, was left off the East team at every level. Not only didn’t he make the first or second team, he didn’t receive an honorable mention, although his numbers were on par with every receiver rated above him. Nor did he receive a nod on the defensive side of the ball, despite recording 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Only one receiver in the East – Central’s Jack Dunn – had more receiving yards than Weaver. None averaged more yards per reception. Weaver ended the season as the eighth receiver in Tyrone history to gain more than 1,000 receiving yards in a career.
The 6-foot-2 senior can take solace in the fact that he’s not the only top-level player from Tyrone to get an apparent snub from all-star voters following a record-setting season. Scott Gummo, who made two All-State first teams as a defensive tackle in 1999 and 2000, never made the All-Big 8 all-star team on offense or defense. Later, in 2012, James Oliver ran for more than 1,800 yards, including a 343-yard effort against league opponent Bald Eagle Area, and was left off the Mountain League all-star team.
However, the Golden Eagles have plenty to be happy about, despite what looks like a significant oversight. Following a 6-5 season that saw Tyrone bow out of the District 6 4A playoffs following a last-second loss to Penn Cambria in November, the Eagles had two players fill three spots on the LHAC East first team offense and defense, led by senior tackle Braden Ewing.
Ewing earned first-team nods on both offense and defense, while classmate Brady Ronan was named to the first-team defense as a defensive back and the second team offense as a running back.
Ronan became the first runner from Tyrone to eclipse 1,000 yards in a single season since 2015, and the play of Ewing, a three-year starter on the offensive line, was a big reason why. Behind Ewing, the Eagles improved from a team that barely had 600 yards rushing in 2021 to a unit that produced more than 1,400 yards in 2023.
Defensively, Ewing was responsible for 10.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Ronan had 6 tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception, as he grew into the role of a shutdown pass defender.
The Golden Eagles’ representation on the all-star team was rounded out by sophomore receiver/defensive back Eli Woomer, who earned an honorable mention on defense, and Ashton Walk and Dravyn Crowell, who received honorable mentions on offense at quarterback and kick returner, respectively.
Woomer led Tyrone’s defense with 6 takeaways, including 5 interceptions, to go along with 4 tackles for loss.
Walk, meanwhile, became the third Golden Eagle quarterback to throw for 2,000 yards in a single season, completing 121 of 224 passes for 2,159 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also set a single-game passing mark when he threw for 360 yards and 4 touchdowns against Penns Valley in Week 9.
Walk was up against some stiff competition, including first-team quarterback Carson Nagle from Bald Eagle Area and second-team nod Eli Muthler from Central. Muthler passed for more than 2,800 yards and 32 touchdowns for the District 6 4A champion Dragons, while Nagle threw for 3,569 yards and 38 touchdowns for the Bald Eagles, who won the 3A title.
Crowell missed the first three games of the season with an ankle injury before returning in Week 4 against Bald Eagle Area. Always a fearless and dangerous punt returner, Crowell did most of his damage as an athlete. He had more than 200 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns and averaged more than 20 yards per kick return.
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