Similar to the 2020 football season, the Times News All Star Football Team was also a little delayed.

But as they say, good things come to those who wait.

It was a much different season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but fortunately all nine of the Times News area teams were able to get on the field and compete, with seven area teams qualifying for the District 11 playoffs. District 11 decided not to compete in the state playoffs this year, so the district playoffs served as the start and finish to the postseason.

Northwestern Lehigh (4A) and Northern Lehigh (2A) proved to be the top teams in the area this season, with both squads losing in their respective district finals. Palmerton (2A), Jim Thorpe (3A) and Tamaqua (3A) were defeated in their semis, while Lehighton (4A) and Pleasant Valley (6A) bowed out in their opening round matchups.

There was also no shortage of All-State players selected from the Times News area, as three athletes were named to the Pennsylvania Football Writer’s All-State Team in Cole Serfass (2A), Zach Hunsicker (4A) and Justin Holmes (4A).

In all, eight area athletes were selected to the PA Football News Coaches All State Team. Northern Lehigh had four players honored in Josh Schaffer (first team), JD Hunter (second team), Matt Frame (second team) and Joe Abidelli (second team). Lehighton’s Hunsicker (second team) and Matt Yeakel (second team), Jim Thorpe’s Derek Hunter (first team) and Palmerton’s Owen Buck (second team) were also selected.

So, let’s take a look at the 2020 Times News All Star Football team, which as always showcases a talented group of athletes. An individual can only be selected as a player of the year once, but they can be named as an All-Star at any other respective position.

For example, with Justin Holmes’ selection as Football Player of the Year, that eliminates him from any other Player of the Year category, but he can be named an all-star at a position. This is done to recognize as many deserving players as possible.

Offensive Player of the Year

Zach Hunsicker, Lehighton

A Pennsylvania Football Writer’s Class 4A Team selection and PA Football News Coaches All-State Second Team selection at wide receiver, Hunsicker was a nightmare for opposing defenses to prepare for.

He finished the 2020 season with 49 receptions for 765 yards and five touchdowns. Over the past two seasons, he’s hauled in 84 catches for 1,200 yards and eight scores. His size (6-1, 185 pounds) and speed made him extremely tough to bring down in space, as evidenced by his yards gained after the catch that was a big reason for his production. Hunsicker set the all-time school records in both receptions (114) and yards (1,732).

“Zach’s natural talent and ability obviously make him a tough matchup for anybody with his size and his speed,” said Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll. “His basketball background was also key for him; he was able to really attack at the high point (OF) the ball.

“It’s also impressive how much he has developed over his career. Early on, he depended solely on his natural ability, but as he matured he really put the time in and developed a great mental understanding of the game as well.”

Co-Defensive Player of the Year

Josh Schaffer, Northern Lehigh

Schaffer, a PA Football News Coaches All-State First Team 2A selection, was a force in Northern Lehigh’s 3-4 defensive front.

A natural defensive tackle, Schaffer played more on the edge for the Bulldogs in order to help fortify their defensive front. He led the Colonial League in sacks with seven, and finished the season with an impressive 62 tackles from his defensive line position.

“Josh was a force for us,” said Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout. “He’s naturally very strong, and has great hands and extension. Teams struggled to move him, and he played defensive end for us, even though defensive tackle was his more natural position. That just shows what type of character he has.”

Co-Defensive Player of the Year

Owen Coffield, Northwestern

A speed rusher from the edge, Coffield put up some impressive numbers in 2020.

Coffield isn’t the biggest defensive end out there, but his ability to get into the opponent’s backfield changed games for the Tigers. Coffield led Northwestern on the season with 79 tackles and 17 tackles for loss, while collecting five sacks.

“Owen has a relentless motor, and at times for us this season really took over some games,” said Northwestern head coach Josh Snyder. “If we were struggling defensively, he would always make a play or two to give us some momentum.

“His speed and explosiveness made him tough to stop, and he also became a good leader for us. It was great to see him have an outstanding senior season.”

Quarterback of the Year

Richard Fronheiser, Lehighton

Fronheiser was a special blend of both mental and physical talent and toughness this season for the Indians. The Tribe signal caller overcame tragic adversity, losing his father during the season. Fronheiser led the Times News area in passing yards (1,484 yards), and was second in the area with 13 passing touchdowns. Fronheiser also led a Lehighton passing attack that averaged 177 passing yards per game.

“He had some big games for us this year. In our first game of the season, he put up some big numbers and you could see that he had a great understanding of our offense and what we wanted to do. Then add in his abilities as a player, and his numbers this season back that up. His mental makeup as well; might be one of the strongest kids mentally I’ve ever been around. To go through the adversity he had to this season and not miss a beat, that’s special.” – Lehighton head coach Tom McCarroll

All Star Quarterbacks

Justin Holmes (Northwestern); Dylan Smoyer (Northern Lehigh)

Running Back of the Year

Matt Frame, Northern Lehigh

Frame, a PA Football News Coaches All-State Second Team 2A selection, put together an impressive junior campaign for the Bulldogs. Used as both a tailback and fullback due to his exceptional blocking ability, Frame led Northern Lehigh in rushing with 987 yards (third in the area) and led the Times News area in rushing touchdowns with 13. Frame did all of that on just 123 carries as he averaged an outstanding 8.02 yards per carry.

“Because of Matt’s size, I don’t think people realize how fast he is. He’s physical, he’s fast and as a blocker he’s great as well. We used him at both tailback and fullback, and he accepted any role we gave him, which shows what type of kid he is. At practice, kids never want to hit him, and that’s how it was in games as well, especially as the game wore on. He could really wear a defense out, and he always got stronger as the game went on.” – Northern Lehigh head coach Joe Tout

All Star Running Backs

Nate Curvey (Tamaqua); Nick Henry (Northwestern); Joe Abidelli (Northern Lehigh); Lou Clouser (Panther Valley); JJ McDowell (Lehighton).

Wide Receiver of the Year

Trevor Amorim, Northern Lehigh

Amorim served as the big play-guy for the Bulldogs pass offense this season, accounting for 44 percent of their reception yards, averaging almost 16 yards per catch. Amorim finished the season with 27 catches for 428 yards and seven touchdowns. He finished third in the Times News area in receptions, and second in receiving yards.

“Trevor is probably straight line speed-wise, the fastest kid on our team, and he went out there and made plays for us this season. He ran by other guys on the field, and you could see him and our quarterback Dylan Smoyer develop that trust this season. Once that trust was developed, you could see the potential. Trevor is also a weight room kid; he’s pound for pound one of our strongest, and he’s becoming a more physical runner with the ball in his hands.”

All Star Wide Receivers

Zach Hunsicker (Lehighton); Hunter Crum (Lehighton); Derryl Fisher (Jim Thorpe); Chris Strika (Jim Thorpe); Cade Christopher (Northwestern); James DeNicola (Palmerton); Ryan Blass (Pleasant Valley).

Offensive Lineman of the Year

Owen Buck, Palmerton

Buck, a PA Football News Coaches All-State Second Team selection, anchored the Palmerton offensive line this season. Buck was an imposing force at 6-3, 245 pounds at guard for the Bombers. He helped clear the way for a rushing attack that averaged 225 yards per game on the ground, or 6.14 yards per carry. The Palmerton offense ranked third in the Times News area, averaging 336.6 yards per game, and produced the area’s fourth-ranked rusher in Cole Serfass (964 yards).

“Owen’s development into a top offensive lineman in our league is a great story. He’s a very good athlete that happened to grow into his offensive lineman position, and he really blossomed. He’s a guy that can do a lot in the trenches with his athleticism. He was also a two-year captain for us, which speaks volumes to his character.”

All Star Offensive Linemen

JD Hunter (Northern Lehigh); Josh Schaffer (Northern Lehigh); Zach Fry (Northwestern); Tim Iles (Palmerton); AJ Bailor (Jim Thorpe); Riley Hoben (Panther Valley); Austin Hadley (Panther Valley); Antonio Perilli (Panther Valley), Jake Wasserleben (Tamaqua), Michael Yeakel (Lehighton).

Defensive Lineman of the Year

Derek Hunter, Jim Thorpe

Hunter, a PA Football News Coaches All-State First Team 3A selection, steadied the middle of a once again stingy Jim Thorpe “Red Swarm” defense. Hunter was second on the team in total tackles (57), solo tackles (43) and tackles for loss (10). He also registered 1.5 sacks, caused two fumbles and recovered one. Jim Thorpe was first in the area in points allowed (21.7), and third in the area in total yards allowed (291.7).

“Derek is a big, strong and physical kid. He was a three-year starter for us, and he possesses all the intangibles to be a dominant defensive tackle. He has great hands, uses his leverage well and does a nice job of getting off blocks. He also did a nice job every offseason, getting stronger. He had a great year for us.” – Jim Thorpe head coach Mark Rosenberger

All Star Defensive Linemen

Josh Schaffer (Northern Lehigh); Owen Coffield (Northwestern); Owen Buck (Palmerton); Hunter Connell (Palmerton); Bryson Heydt (Jim Thorpe); Brian Bowen (Jim Thorpe); Austin Hadley (Panther Valley); Antonio Perilli (Panther Valley), Robert Sunder (Marian); Lucas Schickram (Tamaqua); Brayden Hess (Tamaqua).

Linebacker of the Year

Nate Wickersham, Tamaqua

Wickersham didn’t come off the field for the Raiders this season. He especially made his presence felt on the defensive side of the ball from his linebacker position. He led Tamaqua in tackles with 81, with the next closest player on his team tallying 31 tackles. Wickersham also came up with seven tackles for loss, which ranked second on the team, and helped lead a Raiders’ defense that ranked second in the Times News area, giving up 275.1 yards per game.

“At the end of last year, he really became the leader of our defense, and that carried over into this year. Watching and breaking down his film is really an awesome thing to see; he’s everywhere out there making plays. It was just a really good year for the young man, and I’m really proud of him. He came to play week in and week out, especially in the big games.”

All Star Linebackers

Matt Frame (Northern Lehigh); Joe Abidelli (Northern Lehigh); Reed Conrey (Northwestern); Wyatt Ledeboer (Northwestern); Cole Serfass (Palmerton); Jayden Shubeck (Panther Valley); Nate Curvey (Tamaqua). Hunter Crum (Lehighton).

Defensive Back of the Year

Taylor Wikert, Northwestern

Wikert made the move from cornerback to safety this season, and the move certainly paid off for the Tigers. He became the quarterback of the back half of the Northwestern defense, ranking fourth on the team in tackles with 46. In the season opener and his debut at safety against eventual District 11 2A champion Palisades, Wikert hauled in three interceptions and finished the season with a total of four.

“Taylor did a nice job of transitioning to safety this year for us. He really became the leader back there and put our linebackers and secondary guys in good positions. He really took a big step from a leadership standpoint. He did a nice job of making plays out there, and we’re looking forward to his continued development.” – Northwestern Lehigh head coach Josh Snyder

All Star Defensive Backs

Mike Repsher (Northern Lehigh); Trevor Amorim (Northern Lehigh); Ethan Recker (Palmerton); Derryl Fisher (Jim Thorpe); Logan Hess (Tamaqua). Zach Hunsicker (Lehighton).

Athlete of the Year

Cole Serfass, Palmerton

Serfass, a Pennsylvania Football Writer’s Class 2A All-State Team selection at the defensive athletic position, showcased his versatility on both offense and defense this season. The 6-2, 200-pound sophomore ranked third on the Blue Bombers with 68 tackles and four tackles for loss. On offense, he led Palmerton with 964 rushing yards at 6.84 yards per carry and 11 rushing touchdowns, and also completed 21 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns.

“Cole is a tremendous athlete, and was an equally important asset for us on both offense and defense. Offensively, he’s really a dynamic kid and we tried to get the ball to him in various ways. Defensively, he was really good sideline to sideline. He’s always been willing to play any position we asked him to. He continues to grow and mature, and you can see his knowledge for the game expanding. We’re excited for his future.” – Palmerton head coach Chris Walkowiak.

All Star Athletes

Matthew Machalik (Palmerton, QB); Mike Repsher (Northern Lehigh, RB); Robert Papaleo (Pleasant Valley, QB); Nate Wickersham (Tamaqua, QB/RB); Justin Rodda (Northwestern, WR).

All Star Specialists

Nick Henry (Northwestern, P); Chris Condly (Jim Thorpe, K); Travis Benson (Jim Thorpe, P), Mike Baloga (Marian, K/P); Jonathan Perloni (Palmerton, K/P); Andres Garrido (Northwestern, K).