Lakeland senior David Naniewicz helped lead the East all-stars to a 19-14 win Sunday in the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches’ Association East-West Small School game at Cumberland Valley.

Naniewicz, an All-Region athlete and the Lackawanna Football Conference Division II Offensive Player of the Year, completed two of six passes for 18 yards and had 5 yards rushing on four carries for the winners.

A three-sport athlete at Lakeland, Naniewicz is committed to continuing his academic and athletic careers at Lackawanna College. He led the Chiefs to the LFC Division II and District 2 Class 2A championships last fall. A member of the basketball team in the winter and baseball team in the spring, Naniewicz is batting .396 with 19 hits, 23 runs, eight RBIs, four doubles and one home run.

In addition to Naniewicz, Lackawanna Trail standouts Tyler Jervis and Colin Owens played at linebacker for the East. Isaac Ryon, the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ Class 1A Player of the Year, did not play but was a member of the roster.

Berwick’s JJ Leonard played on the defensive line, and Wyoming Area’s Max Getzie was an offensive lineman. Former Western Wayne coach Shane Grodack was an assistant coach for the East all-stars.

In the PSFCA Large School game, the East posted a 14-10 win. North Pocono offensive lineman Dylan Caster and Wallenpaupack linebacker Logan Caruso were members of the East team.

Academic excellence

The 2025 Abington Heights football team was selected as a Pennsylvania Class 5A winner of the 2025-26 National High School Academic Excellence Award for the second straight season.

Parkland High School was a Class 6A winner, and Delaware County Christian School was the Class 1A winner.

There were 95 state winners of the award presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation. The initiative honors the top academic football teams from each level of play within each state and is designed to inspire and foster a culture of academic excellence in high school football teams throughout the nation.

The state winners will vie as finalists for the NFF Hatchell Cup, presented by Bob’s Steak & Chop House. The Hatchell Cup winner will be announced Feb. 5, recognizing the top high school football team in the nation for excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community. The Hatchell Cup, named in honor of NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell, comes with a $10,000 donation. Eligibility requirements for the awards include: a minimum cumulative team GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; superior academic application and performance; and a successful football season. Each state’s high school coaches association selects their respective state’s winners from a pool of nominees submitted by each school’s head coaches. A national selection committee is responsible for choosing one school as the recipient of the Hatchell Cup as the best team in the nation, according to a release.

Opponent announced

Abington Heights opens its 2026 high school football season with a nonleague game in Florida.

The Comets will face Trinity Preparatory School of Winter Park, Florida, on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. The junior varsity team will play Legacy High School of Broomfield, Colorado, on Sept. 4 at 10 a.m.

Trinity Prep finished 5-6 in 2025.

Award winners

Ron Ulias, Pace Setter AC director, recently announced the winners of the “For Love of the Game” award, given athletes who overcame adversity, exemplify outstanding dedication, commitment and sportsmanship and display a love for basketball.

The Lackawanna League winners were Scranton’s Tony Battaglia and Chrissy Jacklinski. Wyoming Valley Conference winners were Wilkes-Barre Area’s Dave Jannuzzi and Crestwood’s Keira Dougherty.

Nominees also cited by Pace Setter AC included Abington Heights’ Jordan Shaffer, Kae Bachman and Anthony Reviello; Scranton Prep’s Alex Scanlan; Dunmore’s Jackie Brown; Honesdale’s Sophie Samson; Dallas’ Lyla Wydra; and Nanticoke Area’s Vonn Barna.

“These young players all exemplify the greatest attributes that the love of the sport of basketball can display,” Ulias said in a release.

Boys and girls basketball coaches in the Lackawanna League and the Wyoming Valley Conference nominated players for consideration.