The Schuylkill County Chapter No. 25 of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will announce their 2021-2022 Football Scholar Athlete at a banquet ceremony to be held on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Hillcrest Hall in Minersville.

The 61st annual banquet will honor the Schuylkill County Football Scholar Athletes and their accomplishments. For ticket information, contact Dave Holley at 570-640-8240.

Three area players - Marian’s Jacob Fenstermaker, Panther Valley’s Richard Zabroski, and Tamaqua’s Jacob Wasserleben - were among the 14 chosen from Schuylkill County High Schools. They are joined by Blue Mountain’s Ross Bobbin, Mahanoy Area’s Caden Burke, Minersville’s Luke Tobin, Nativity’s Stephan Spolski, North Schuylkill’s Jacob Hall, Pine Grove’s Colin Ibarra, Pottsville’s Raeff DiCello, Schuylkill Haven’s Kevin Fitzpatrick, Shenandoah’s Owen Kosar, Tri-Valley’s Mason Boltz, and Williams Valley’s Jackson Yoder.

Following are bios on the three area scholar athletes:

MARIAN

Jacob Fenstermaker

Under the leadership of head coach Stan Dakosty, Fenstermaker played multiple positions for the Colts, including free safety, linebacker, cornerback, wide receiver, running back, and kick returner. He was a two-year starter.

A multisport athlete, Fenstermaker is a four-year member, and a captain of the track and field team. He was a state medalist in the 4x100M relay, and was Schuylkill League runner-up in the 100M. He is also a member of the basketball team.

Off the field, Fenstermaker has served as a volunteer at the Carbon County Fair. He is a church altar server, a member of the FBLA club, and participates in the Green Club.

Academically, he holds a 3.0 GPA, ranking him in the top 50% of his class of 59 students. His academic awards include the Honor Roll, and the Bishops Annual Appeal Award.

Fenstermaker has received acceptances to DeSales, Moravian, Scranton and Kutztown. He has been offered awards, including the Royal Resent Award Scholarship and Trustee Scholarship. His future plans include a major in business administration, with a minor in data analytics. He also hopes to continue his athletic career in college.

Jacob is the son of Chris and Diane Fenstermaker

PANTHER VALLEY

Richard Zabroski

Under the leadership of head coach Rick Jones, Zabroski was the leader of the Panther offensive and defensive lines, playing guard, tackle, center, defensive end, and nose guard. He also served a captain on this year’s team.

Zabroski - a three-year letterman and a two-year starter - received the 2021 Schuylkill League Football Sportsmanship Award. He was also selected to the Schuylkill League All-Star team on both offense and defense his senior year.

A multisport athlete, Zabroski was a member of the baseball and the track and field teams at Panther Valley.

Off the field, he has participated in community service projects with Toys for Tots, Meed’s Church Food Drive, St. Joseph Parish of Panther Valley, Nesquehoning Fire Company, Cleaning Up Lansford, and the Panther Valley Harmony Scholars Program for the American Cancer Society.

Academically, Zabroski holds a 97.3 GPA, which ranks him 11th in his class of 79 students. His curriculum includes AP Classes of US history, calculus, literature, and computer science. He is a member of the National Honor Society, and was on the Distinguished Honor Roll each semester of his high school career. He is also a member of Student Council, and was voted as his class President.

Zabroski was awarded the St. Andre Bissette Award Scholarship, and was accepted to King’s College, Penn State, and the University of Pittsburgh. He plans to major in Engineering with a minor in Robotics.

Richard is the son of Stacy and Richard Zabroski.

TAMAQUA

Jacob Wasserleben

Under the leadership of head coach Sam Bonner, Wasserleben was a three-year starter and two-time team captain.

Wasserleben played a key role anchoring the offensive and defensive lines on the 2019 District 11 Champion and state semifinalist Blue Raiders squad.

Playing tackle, defensive end, and linebacker throughout his career, he has received many Schuylkill All-Star teams recognitions, including 2020 second team North offensive line, 2020 All-Area honorable mention offensive line, 2021 first team North offensive line, and Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network All-Star offensive lineman. He also participated in the North vs. South All-Star game as a member of the North squad.

A multisport athlete, Wasserleben was a member of the Blue Raider track and field team, where he was a league meet qualifier.

Off the field, he volunteers as an active member of the United Church of Christ. He is a member of the Tamaqua Area Student Government Association, Tamaqua Area Step Up, Physics Club, Chemistry Club, and World Language Club.

Academically, Wasserleben holds a 98.51 GPA, which ranks him 10th in his class of 160. His curriculum includes AP classes in calculus, chemistry, European history, and Spanish. He is a member of the National Honor Society, and the Spanish, English, Math, and Science Honor Societies. He serves as president of the Math and Science Honor Societies.

Wasserleben has been accepted to Drexel, West Chester, Widener, and Villanova. He plans to major in mechanical engineering with a specialization in aerospace.

Jacob is the son of Karen and Randy Wasserleben