Lackawanna Trail senior Lucas Evans and Riverside graduate Tavian Branch had outstanding seasons and were dominant linemen in the Lackawanna Football Conference.
The two standout athletes were selected as the winners of the James “Hookey” Reap Awards, presented by the District 11 American Legion since 1957.
Evans, a 6-foot-3, 265-pound four-year starter for the Lions, helped pave the way for one of the most productive offensive running games in the state. He was one of the key reasons Lackawanna Trail finished 12-2 this season and was the champion of the LFC Division III and District 2 Class 1A.
The 6-5, 300-pound Branch, who has enrolled at Auburn University, is a repeat defensive winner. He powered the Vikings to an 8-3 record and the District 2 Class 2A semifinals.
North Pocono tackle Cole Zimmerman was the runner-up to Evans for the offensive award. North Pocono’s Evan Wolff was the runner-up to Branch for the defensive honor.
Evans is a two-time Pennsylvania Football Writers’ All-State and Times-Tribune All-Region selection. He was part of a physical line for the Lions’ Wing-T offense that produced 4,539 yards rushing in 13 games. Lackawanna Trail averaged 372.7 total yards per game.
In his career as a starter, Lackawanna Trail won four District 2 Class 1A championships.
Evans is the third lineman from Lackawanna Trail to win the award. He joins Morris Jackson, a two-time winner of the offensive award in 2000 and 2001, and Mark Dunckle, who earned the defensive honor in 2019.
Branch, who initially committed to Rutgers, then Penn State, and is now at Auburn after enrolling early, was a force on defense for Riverside. A two-time All-Region selection, he had 40 tackles, 29 solo stops and 12 tackles for loss. The powerful interior lineman had six sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, four batted passes, 20 quarterback hurries, a blocked punt and two blocked kicks.
In three seasons, Branch finished with 117 tackles, 49 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two blocked punts and four blocked kicks.
Branch is one of five Hookey Reap winners from Riverside. Bob Balkunas won the defensive award in 1978, Ben Thomas won the offensive award in 1995, Joe Kowalski won for defense in 1997 and Tom Bennie won the defensive award in 2008.
Zimmerman and Wolff helped lead North Pocono to the LFC Division I and District 2 Class 4A championships and a school-record 13 wins in 2025.
Hookey Reap past winners
1957: Leonard Kresefski, Old Forge
1958: Leonard Kresefski, Old Forge
1959: Pete Kwolek, Blakely
1960: Marty Marino, Old Forge
1961: Lou Astolfi, Old Forge
1962: Lou Astolfi, Old Forge
1963: William Stetzar, West Scranton
1964: Jim Kane, Dunmore
1965: Gino Merli, Blakely
1966: Ernie Weston, Blakely
1967: Dan Toolan, Blakely
1968: Tom Wascura, Blakely
1969: Charlie Raymond, Dunmore
1970: John Cheplick, Valley View
1971: Charlie Scalamonti, Valley View
1972: O — Jim Walton, Valley View, D — Jim Moran, Valley View
1973: O — Henry Wylam, Old Forge, D — Lou Coviello, Dunmore
1974: O — Chris Matics, Scranton Prep, D — Chris Belardi, Central
1975: O — Ed Bugno, West Scranton, D — Mike Yaworski, Valley View
1976: O — Jim Giombetti, Valley View, D — Steve Hricenak, Abington Hts.
1977: O — Vince Tomasetti, Old Forge, D — Lou Armezzani, Valley View
1978: O — Darrell Frantz, Scranton Central, D — Bob Balkunas, Riverside
1979: O — Doug Davis, Abington Heights, D — Jim Simrell, Scranton Central
1980: O — Jack Miles, Dunmore, D — Pete Giombetti, Valley View
1981: O — Chris Clauss, Lakeland, D — Bob Charette, Scranton Tech
1982: O — Chris Clauss, Lakeland, D — Gary O’Grady, Scranton Prep
1983: O — Brock Edwards, North Pocono, D — Glen Pazzalia, Valley View
1984: O — Len Kresefski, Scranton Prep, D — Ernie Sebastianelli, Valley View
1985: O — Gary Murracco, Dunmore, D — Marc Spindler, West Scranton
1986: O — Rick Bray, Valley View, D — Marc Spindler, West Scranton
1987: O — Rick Bray, Valley View, D — Tom Prawdzik, Lakeland
1988: O — Dan Pidgeon, Lakeland, D — Tim Ruddy, Dunmore
1989: O — Tim Ruddy, Dunmore, D — Tim Ruddy, Dunmore
1990: O — Greg Murphy, Scranton Prep, D — Dave Rebar, Mid Valley
1991: O — Sean Whitelavich, North Pocono, D — Keith Olsommer, North Pocono
1992: O — Jason Sepkowski, North Pocono, D — Kelly Peters, Valley View
1993: O — Derek Forgione, Dunmore, D — Ron Walter, West Scranton
1994: O — Carmen LiBassi, Dunmore, D — Greg Caucci, Lakeland
1995: O — Ben Thomas, Riverside, D — Harry Kirias, Dunmore
1996: O — Dan Kozlowski, Valley View, D — P.J. Spano, West Scranton
1997: O — Kevin Johnson, North Pocono, D — Joe Kowalski, Riverside
1998: O — Kevin Manning, Abington Heights, D — Adam Smith, Abington Heights
1999: O — Joe Boniewicz, Dunmore, D — Bret Leavesley, Abington Heights
2000: O — Morris Jackson, Lackawanna Trail, D — Pat Carrube, Lakeland
2001: O — Morris Jackson, Lackawanna Trail, D — Mark Mushel, Lakeland
2002: O — Mike Boccella, Dunmore, D — Shoaib Tajak, Scranton
2003: O — Chris Borgna, Lakeland, D — Chris Bennett, Lakeland
2004: O — Keith Galinsky, Lakeland, D — Jesse Hinkley, Scranton
2005: O — Stephen Bennett, Lakeland, D — Frank Emmett, Abington Heights
2006: O — Spencer DePhillips, Abington Heights, O — Joe Lemoncelli, Lakeland, D — Hubie Graham,West Scranton
2007: O — Hubie Graham, West Scranton, D — Hubie Graham,West Scranton
2008: O — Eric Shrive, West Scranton, D — Tom Bennie, Riverside
2009: O — Sal Conaboy, Abington Hts., D — Evan Craig, Abington Hts.
2010: O — Paul Gaughan, Dunmore, D — Morgan Craig, Abington Hts.
2011: O — Chris Cicilioni, Valley View, D — Mike Galantini, Valley View
2012: O — Mike Boland, Dunmore, D — Mike Boland, Dunmore
2013: O — Ryan Paulish, Old Forge, D — Noah Beh, Scranton Prep
2014: O — Dan Drewes, Dunmore, D — Tim Drewes, Dunmore
2015: O — Corey Christian, Scranton Prep, D — Thor Balavage, Scranton Prep
2016: O — Kyle Polishan, Scranton Prep, D — Nick Shoemaker, Dunmore
2017: O — Jerry Longo, Dunmore, D — Nick Shoemaker, Dunmore
2018: O — Brian Durkin, Valley View, D — Daniel Belardi, Scranton Prep
2019: O — John Shnipes, Valley View, D — Mark Dunckle, Lackawanna Trail
2020: O — CJ Dippre, Lakeland, D — Cross Douglas, Lakeland
2021: O — Tyler Swartz, Valley View, D — Josh Angelo, Mid Valley
2022: O — Adam Wormuth, Lakeland, D — Lacota Dippre, Lakeland
2023: O — Nathan Reuther, Dunmore, D — Chris Conte, Dunmore
2024: O — Ambrose Rossi, Scranton Prep, D — Tavian Branch, Riverside
2025: O — Lucas Evans, Lackawanna Trail, D — Tavian Branch, Riverside