Meet the 2023 Daily American Somerset County All-23 Football Team All-Stars

Berlin Brothersvalley and Windber each played for district titles. North Star had more wins this year than it has in a single season in a decade, and Meyersdale earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2019.

It was a fantastic high school football season across Somerset County, with standout performances from some veteran players as well as some newcomers making names for themselves.

Two extremely talented athletes Windber's Costa, Berlin Brothersvalley's Montgomery making impact on gridiron and pitch

For the third straight year, sports editor Adam Ripple is honoring the gridiron greats as the Daily American Somerset County All-23 Football Team All-Stars, including Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year as well as Coach of the Year.

The numbers North Star junior athlete Ethan Smith put up this season were nothing short of special, helping the Cougars to the postseason. He caught 27 passes for 903 yards and 17 touchdowns. He contributed 705 yards and 11 scores on the ground.

Smith was North Star's sparkplug and earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.

"Everyone was dedicated this year," said Smith. "We all showed up every day and put in the hard work. The weight room made a big impact for me as well."

Midseason Breakout Football Players Meet the Somerset County Midseason Breakout Football Players

No matter where Smith lined up on the field, he made plays. However, he could not have done it without the supporting cast around him.

"The guys around me made this season successful and fun," he said. "For me, I had success because the coaches believed in me and kept calling my number."

Meanwhile, the Berlin Brothersvalley defense was electric again this season, despite plenty of fresh faces entering the starting lineup. One of the cornerstones for the Mountaineers has been senior Pace Prosser. The leader of the secondary picked off seven passes, returning three for touchdowns. He added 67 tackles and a fumble recovery.

If Prosser wasn't so talented on the hardwood, he'd likely be playing football at a Division I program. The three-sport athlete earned Defensive Player of the Year accolades.

"Experience has a lot to do with it," Prosser said of how his game has evolved. "You get to see a lot of different types of offenses. You learn and your reads get quicker as you gain experience. The summer ‒ in the weight room and the field work ‒ that's where you really improve.

"Personally, I don't think I deserve this award. I think Cody (Kimmel) 100% does. He's an absolute animal up there and flies around with a bad attitude. He had more than 100 tackles this year."

A season ago, Prosser picked off six passes and collected all-state honors from the Pennsylvania Football Writers in Class 2A. This year was a bit different with just four starters back. However, Prosser still thrived.

"A lot of guys stepped up this year," Prosser said. "Those guys up front and those linebackers make my life easy. They get pressure on the quarterback. They stuff the run, which forces teams to throw. Coach Dante (Paul) puts me in positions to go make plays."

Berlin finished 10-2, falling to Pittsburgh City League power Westinghouse in the District 5-8 Class 2A final. Coach Doug Paul meshed a new group of starters that only got better as the season progressed. For the second straight season, Paul is the Coach of the Year.

"You never want to compare your years or your players, but this was definitely one of the more fun years I've had as a coach," Paul said. "Anytime you get to coach an inexperienced group, you actually get to coach. The kids showed up to work every day. They had a lunch pail work ethic. It was a season we hated to see end. We've been blessed with this at Berlin, but this was a very unselfish group. They put personal goals aside for team goals."

2023 Daily American Somerset County All-23 Football Team All-Stars

Offense

Quarterback ‒ Connor Yoder, sr., North Star

In 11 games, Yoder completed 112 of 222 passes for 2,358 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He added 545 yards and seven scores on the ground. Yoder also became the all-time leading passer at North Star.

Running back ‒ Camden Lowery, jr., Somerset

In 10 games, Lowery rushed for 892 yards and four touchdowns. He caught 10 passes for 84 yards, and added a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

Wide receiver ‒ Evan Brady, jr., Windber

Brady caught 52 passes for 691 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Wide receiver ‒ Ethan Smith, jr., North Star (Offensive Player of the Year)

Tight end ‒ Ethan Eller, sr., North Star

Eller moved to tight end this season and caught 31 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns.

Athlete ‒ Jon Updyke, sr., Conemaugh Township

Despite missing time due to an injury, Updyke threw for 986 yards, seven touchdowns and three picks. The first-year, dual-threat quarterback rushed for 698 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Offensive line ‒ Max Foy, jr., North Star

Foy was an integral part in North Star's ability to run and throw the football, providing running lanes and a clean pocket. Foy's play improved significantly this season.

Offensive line ‒ Christian Ciepiela, jr., Berlin Brothersvalley

A first-year starter, Ciepiela was a key cog in the wheel up front in the ground and pound attack.

Offensive line ‒ Zane Hagans, jr., Somerset

Hagans was the leader and anchor of the offensive line for the Golden Eagles.

Offensive line ‒ Brady McKenzie, sr., Meyersdale

McKenzie has been one of the most consistent players on the offensive line, helping lead a turnaround for the Red Raiders.

Offensive line ‒ Ryan Grohal, jr., Windber

Grohal moved from center to tackle this season. Windber rushed for 2,497 yards as a team and added 1,248 yards passing, much in part because of what Grohal and company did up front.

Defense

Defensive end ‒ Rowan Holmes, jr., Somerset

Holmes finished second on the team with 61 tackles, including 56 solo. He was tied for the team lead with three sacks. Holmes also forced and recovered a fumble.

Defensive line ‒ Eddie Richards, jr. Windber

Richards delivered six sacks to pace the Ramblers. He added 55 tackles to finish third on the team. Richards had three fumble recoveries and an interception.

Defensive end ‒ Cooper Huston, jr., Berlin Brothersvalley

Huston was nearly unstoppable coming off the edge. He recorded a team-high eight sacks. Huston provided 87 tackles, three fumble recoveries and two punt blocks.

Linebacker ‒ Aidan Ream, sr., Berlin Brothersvalley

Ream racked up 75 tackles, two sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception.

Linebacker ‒ Lane Lambert, jr., Somerset

Lambert led the Golden Eagles with 65 tackles, including 60 solo. He had two sacks and two fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown.

Linebacker ‒ Ian Brenneman, sr., Meyersdale

Brenneman tallied a team-high 96 total tackles. He added 3½ sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and a blocked punt.

Linebacker ‒ Cody Kimmel, sr., Berlin Brothersvalley

Kimmel paced the Mountaineers with 126 tackles to go along with six sacks and a fumble recovery.

Defensive back ‒ Malachi Carr, sr., Meyersdale

Carr picked off a whopping eight passes, including a pick six. He contributed 27 tackles.

Defensive back ‒ Zander Ritenour, jr., Berlin Brothersvalley

Ritenour produced 39 tackles, two interceptions and defensed seven passes.

Defensive back ‒ Pace Prosser, sr., Berlin Brothersvalley (Defensive Player of the Year)

Defensive back ‒ Haydon Hutzell, jr., Berlin Brothersvalley

Hutzell recorded two interceptions and defensed three passes. He also chipped in 57 tackles and half a sack.

Specialist ‒ Bryson Costa, sr., Windber

Costa went 51-for-52 in PATs and 3-for-5 in field goal attempts, with a long of 42 yards. He had 48 touchbacks on kickoffs.

Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on X (Twitter) @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Daily American All-23 Football Team All-Stars