Tyrone senior Braden Ewing has been a highly ranked heavyweight wrestler for years, twice competing in the PIAA tournament in Hershey, so individual accolades are nothing new to him.
That didn’t make him any less ecstatic last week when he learned he had been named to the PA Football Writers All-State first team.
Ewing was one of five offensive linemen chosen for the team, joining Danville’s Justin Kutcher, Northwestern Lehigh’s Ben Walters, Oil City’s Henry Milford, and West Mifflin’s Rico Steele.
A complete listing of the writers team can be found here.
“I was kind of shocked when I heard about it, to be honest,” said Ewing. “It’s something I’ve been working towards since junior high. Aside from winning Districts and states as a team, it was my biggest goal.”
Three other players from District 6 made the writers team, and they’re all familiar to Ewing: Central’s Hunter Smith and Jack Dunn at linebacker and wide receiver, respectively, and Penn Cambria’s Gavin Harrold as a defensive athlete.
There was even more good news for the 265-pound senior this week, as he earned a second all-state nod on the Pennsylvania Football News Coaches-Select All-State team. There, he merited a selection on the second team as a defensive lineman.
Ewing was one of only five players from District 6 to make the coaches team, which is voted on by more than 200 coaches across the commonwealth.
Ewing at left guard was the centerpiece of Tyrone’s offensive line in 2023, helping to pave the way for the Eagles to gain 1,453 yards on the ground. The top beneficiary of the Eagles’ improved line play was senior running back Brady Ronan, who became the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015.
It was a unit built around Ewing from the ground up. In 2021, when Ewing was a sophomore, Tyrone ran for just over 600 yards.
On defense, Ewing recorded 10.5 tackles for loss and recovered a pair of fumbles. He ended his career with 31.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks.
The Golden Eagles finished the season 6-5, losing to Penn Cambria in the District 6 3A semifinals. It was Tyrone’s fourth straight postseason run.
Ewing becomes the 23rd offensive lineman from Tyrone to make an All-State team and the first since Nick Wolfe in 2011.
“I owe it all to my teammates, coaches, parents, and especially my trainer, Nick Getz, for helping me make it there,” Ewing said.
On the mat, Ewing is currently approaching another milestone. At 17-1 heading into Friday’s Laurel Highlands Conference tournament, he needs just 7 more wins to reach 100 for his career.
ORANGE AND BLACK 