They were hard to miss.

From eye-popping stats to game-changing plays, they are the players who shaped a remarkable football season in the Times News area.

On Tuesday, their efforts were recognized when the Pennsylvania Football Writers released the All-State Teams for the Class 1A, 3A and 5A levels as voted on by members of the media.

Lehighton placed three players — Cody Scherer, Taquan Bradley-Chambers and Nolan Wentz — on the Class 3A team. Dylan Dailey earned a spot on the squad for Jim Thorpe.

Marian’s Zack Falls was selected to the Class 1A team.

Scherer made the team at the athlete position, while Bradley-Chambers was picked as a running back, and Wentz, the Indians’ center, was selected as an offensive lineman. Dailey, the Olympians’ 6-0, 202-pound junior, was named as a defensive lineman.

A 6-1, 255-pound senior, Falls made the team as a defensive lineman for the Colts.

The honors capped a record-breaking season for Lehighton, which won the Schuylkill League Football Division 1 title and finished the regular season 10-0. The Indians lost the District 11 Class 3A title game to Palisades and finished the year 12-1.

“Personally, I’m proud of them,” said Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll. “Knowing the efforts, and the time that they put in, mentally, physically, in the offseason, just juggling so much of their schedule, just to try to be great on one night a week in the fall, they’re very deserving.

“They’re very deserving, and obviously, so many kids do the same thing. But to be able to really perform at a high level, consistently, like they did, I’m extremely proud of them. Regardless of the awards, regardless of all the honors, it’s just nice to see things kind of topped off with these kinds of awards.”

Scherer flourished in his senior year, throwing for 1,445 yards and 20 touchdowns, while also adding 1,584 yards on the ground to go along with 24 scores.

“It’s kind of crazy. You look back on your entire career, and you really don’t think you can accomplish something like that,” said Scherer, who was the Schuylkill League Division 1 Offensive Player of the Year. “And to do it, to come this far, work this hard all four years – all six years, really, since middle school – it’s a great accomplishment.

“And to have three kids become All-State from the Lehighton program this year, it’s pretty awesome. It shows what the coaches expect from us, and what they put in our minds to what we can accomplish.”

The play of Bradley-Chambers gave Lehighton’s attack another dimension – and the Indians a lethal 1-2 punch out of the backfield.

A strong rapport with Scherer helped Bradley-Chambers transition seamlessly into the program.

“It was a great season,” said Bradley-Chambers. “It was good being with him (Scherer) because he helped me out when I first started out with the plays. He made it easier for me. I feel good about that. And he’s a great player himself.”

Bradley-Chambers showcased an ability to produce highlight-reel runs on what seemed like a weekly basis. With agility to put defenders on skates and power to put them on their backs, Bradley-Chambers racked up 2,255 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns.

The junior was happy to share the success with his teammates.

“It feels great,” he said. “We played as a team, and it shows it right there, how we got it together.”

Wentz anchored a stellar offensive line which paved the way for an offense that scored an area-best 535 points and averaged 41.2 points per game this season.

“It’s great,” said the senior, who was also the team’s scholar athlete this season. “That’s stuff you think about since you’re a little kid. It’s a big deal for the program, too. It definitely shows that we had a heck of a team and a great season.”

While the Lehighton trio turned heads with their offense, Dailey was a catalyst for a stifling Jim Thorpe defense that allowed just 12.5 ppg. this year, an area-best.

Dailey finished with 78 total tackles – 22 for loss – and a team-leading 13 sacks to go along with 38 quarterback hurries.

“It says a lot of Dylan as an athlete, a lot about our defense as a unit, so we’re extremely proud of Dylan,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger.

Dailey was named the Schuylkill League Division 1’s Defensive Player and Lineman of the Year. The Olympians advanced to the District 11 Class 3A semifinals, where they fell to Lehighton to finish the season 10-2.

Rosenberger praised Dailey’s work ethic when talking about his progression as a player.

“He started for us as a sophomore as well, but this offseason, between his sophomore and junior year, he got much bigger and much stronger,” Rosenberger said of Dailey. “He would have basketball practice until 6 p.m. and he’d come in the weight room until 7 p.m. and lift three days a week. He was just extremely dedicated to making himself bigger, faster, stronger. And into the summertime as well. He’d be the first person into the weight room, and he was the last person to leave all the time.

“And all that hard work has paid off for him. On the field this year, he was able to dominate because of his speed, his quickness and his overall strength that he developed in the offseason last year.”

Dailey’s drive and desire helped him make huge strides this season.

After going undefeated until a loss to Lehighton in the regular season finale, Dailey hopes the team will return even stronger next year.

“I’m hoping that they don’t take this year for granted,” Dailey said. “We have to work harder than we did last year in the offseason. Hopefully, we can go 10-0 this year instead of 9-0.”

Like Dailey, Falls was a disruptive force for the Colts’ defense, finishing with a team-high 130 total tackles, 30 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

And like Dailey, Falls put in the work to become an All-State player.

“It’s a great tribute to Zack,” said Marian head coach Pat Morgans. “He deserves it. He put the time in in the offseason, and he worked hard. He came on the field and gave 100 percent every play. I credit Zack. He epitomizes what our program is about. He didn’t miss a workout. He brought it on the field, played at 100 percent all the time, every play, and never took a play off.

“He’s involved in the school activities, in the classroom. He’s a great kid, and well-deserving.”

Falls continues a trend of stellar linemen for the Colts after Kyle Plesh was named to the Class 1A All-State Team a year ago.

“It’s definitely a huge honor,” said Falls. “Especially the area I come from, and especially Marian in general. We’ve had a great tradition of D-linemen come out of our school for the past few years, so I just wanted to keep that tradition alive.”

Falls used that legacy to take on more of a leadership role this season.

“This year, it was a big driving force, actually,” Falls said of his predecessors. “Those were the kids that showed me the ropes when I was growing up, and when I started coming up in the program. They really showed me what it took to be a defensive lineman in the Schuylkill League, and at Marian in general. They really pushed me to be where I am now.”

They might play different positions. They might compete against each other at rival schools.

But they came together to leave an indelible mark on the 2017 season.