Athletes at Riverside continue to grab the attention of college recruiters.

On Tuesday night, junior Brayden Rose, a defensive back and quarterback, received a call from the Syracuse University football coaching staff. It is his first offer from an NCAA Division I program.

Syracuse competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference and finished this past season with a 3-9 overall record.

“I was a little surprised, and my dad (Gerry) called me over to take the call, and the coach offered me,” Rose said. “Obviously, I was excited, and my mom (Kristyn Grzenda Rose) was crying. It’s amazing.”

Riverside just spent the last year under the spotlight while major programs across the country courted defensive lineman Tavian Branch. He signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his athletic career at Auburn University earlier this month.

Basketball star Nico Antoniacci, a sophomore, has already received offers from Syracuse, Penn State and Manhattan.

Rose and Antoniacci are best friends and teammates on the top-ranked boys basketball team in The Times-Tribune Top 10 poll.

“We grew up together, always playing basketball together,” Rose said. “Even though they are different sports, we have to do what we have to do to get our names out there and share in this recruiting experience.”

Last season, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Rose emerged as a playmaker on offense and an impact defender, leading the Vikings to the District 2 Class 2A playoffs.

He completed 76 of 146 passes for 1,111 yards and 17 touchdowns. A dual-threat, Rose ran for 724 yards on 102 carries and scored 14 touchdowns.

As a defensive and special teams player, Rose had 50 total tackles, seven for loss, three sacks, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles. He contributed four kickoff returns for 296 yards and three touchdowns, and had 137 yards on punt returns with a touchdown.

A multi-sport standout, Rose was an All-Region selection in track and field last spring. He was the District 2 Class 2A champion in the long jump with a career-best mark of 21 feet, 5.75 inches. He has a best distance of 43-1.5 in the triple jump, and cleared 6-0 in the high jump.

In basketball, Rose was an honorable mention all-star in the Lackawanna League Division I as a sophomore. This season, he is averaging 8.1 points per game.

“They are all important,” Rose said. “Football has that physical play, basketball utilizes change of pace and conditioning, and track, for me, is all jumping, and that really helps with my athleticism.

“It’s difficult, but I try to balance everything because I like all three.”

Dolhon honored

North Pocono coach Greg Dolhon was named the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association District 2 Coach of the Year.

This past season, Dolhon guided the Trojans to a school-record 13 wins before losing to Cardinal O’Hara in the PIAA Class 4A quarterfinals. North Pocono finished 13-1 overall and won the Lackawanna Football Conference Division I and District 2 Class 4A championships.

Dolhon has coached North Pocono for 14 seasons and has a career record of 77-75.

North Pocono defeated District 2 Class 5A champion Delaware Valley, District 2 Class 3A champion Scranton Prep, and District 1 Class 4A champion Bishop Shanahan during its season.

The Trojans had the program’s first undefeated regular season since 1991.

Final state rankings

Four Lackawanna Football Conference teams were recognized among the best in the state by Pennlive.com in its final season rankings.

North Pocono (13-1), the LFC Division I and District 2 Class 4A champion, finished at No. 7. The PIAA champion Southern Lehigh was at No. 1.

Scranton Prep (8-6), the District 2 Class 3A champion that lost in the state quarterfinals to runner-up and second-ranked Northwestern Lehigh, was No. 10. State champion Avonworth earned the No. 1 spot. Berwick, which lost to Scranton Prep in the district final, was rated as an honorable mention team.

Lackawanna Trail (12-2), the LFC Division III and District 2 Class 1A champion, finished at No. 8. The Lions had climbed to No. 2 before losing to Belmont Charter in the state quarterfinals. State champion Clairton finished at No. 1.

Lakeland (11-2), the LFC Division II and District 2 Class 2A champion, was among the teams listed as honorable mention in Class 2A. Southern Columbia, which won its 15th state title, finished at No. 1.