When speaking about Joe Damiano and Nick Sully, Marian head coach Stan Dakosty had a hard time putting into words just how much the two meant to the Colts this past season.

"They were invaluable," Dakosty said.A quick glance at the stats from the Colts' 8-4 season offers an idea of what Damiano and Sully provided to a team that reached the District 11 Class A final.Both played in all 12 games, with Sully leading Marian with 157 tackles (74 solo) from his linebacker position. Damiano was equally dominant from his spot on the defensive line, finishing the year with 100 tackles (47 solo).Damiano and Sully were recognized for their stellar play on Monday afternoon when the two talented seniors were both selected to the Pennsylvania Football Writers' Class A All-State team.This marks the second consecutive season that Marian has had a player selected for the Class A squad after Lukas Damian earned All-State honors for his play at linebacker last year.For Dakosty, the selections spoke more to what Damiano, who was chosen as a defensive linemen, and Sully, who was picked for performance at linebacker, did off the field as much as they did on it."It's a credit to them," he said. "They were both captains this year and they worked hard all year long."We want our kids to represent us well on the field, in the classroom and in the community, and they are a great example that. This is something they really deserve."While Sully's numbers jump off the page, Dakosty noted that much of his worth came through intangible qualities, not statistical values."I don't think you can ever really calculate how much he much he meant to this team," the longtime coach noted. "When we had a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season, he was the one that really pulled us together and got us back on track."Sully also proved to be a valuable asset on the offensive side of the ball, finishing the season with 404 yards rushing and eight total touchdowns, which were tied for second on the team.Damiano, who managed to excel at less than 100 percent, certainly did his part to help stabilize a Colts' defense that allowed a little less than 17 points and 261 yards per game this season, both of which ranked in the top-five in the Times News area."He was able to tie up blockers and really take the pressure off some of our other guys," Dakosty said of Damiano. "He played through a nagging shoulder injury for much of the second half of the season."It was tough. But he had a team-first attitude and wanted stay in there, and that says a lot about his character."What Dakosty is hoping for now is that the back-to-back years of All-State recognition will push some of his underclassmen to work even harder to achieve similar success in the years to come."I think these guys have seen what they've been able to do and it's motivated them," he said. "We've already had a number of guys in the weight room getting started on strength training and it's a great thing."This is concrete value that hard work, dedication and effort will pay off. These kids want to carry on the tradition of those that have come before them."