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VALLEY SPORTS REPORT: TIOGA'S EMMETT WOOD LEADS 'SUPER 7,' 'ALL-VALLEY TEAM' AS 'PLAYER OF YEAR' — TIOGA'S DOM WOOD, MANUEL, AIELLO, WAVRLY'S HALLETT, TOMASSO ALSO EARN TOP HONORS (2019-11-29)

Valley Sports Report
THE VALLEY "” A dynamic player on both sides of the ball, sophomore Emmett Wood accounted for 42 touchdowns, and led Tioga to the state semifinals to earn the moniker of 2019 Valley Sports Report's Football "Player of the Year.

Also earning top honors are Waverly junior David Hallett as "Defensive Player of the Year," Tioga senior Dom Wood as "Lineman of the Year," 8th-grader Joey Tomasso as "Newcomer of the Year," Tioga junior Sloan Manuel as "Defensive Newcomer of the Year," and Tioga's Nick Aiello as "Coach of the Year."

Emmett Wood, who is also the "Offensive Player of the Year" rushed for 2,356 yards and 37 TDs on 225 carries for an average of 10.5 yards per carry. Wood also caught two passes for 70 yards, including a 60-yard TD reception, and tacked on nine two-point conversion runs.

In the postseason, Wood rushed for 1,025 yards and 14 TDs in four games.

At linebacker, Emmett Wood used his speed to keep teams from getting to the edge, and was a ball hawk against the passing game. He had two interceptions, returning one for a score, two fumble recoveries, and forced two fumbles. He averaged 5.5 tackles per game, and 12 tackles-for-loss on the season, including one QB sack.

On special teams, Emmett Wood returned three kick-offs for scores, which resulted in most teams squib-kicking, giving Tioga's high-powered offense good field position.

A punishing hitter, who makes plays from sideline-to-sideline, Hallett averaged 10.9 tackles per game, including 4.3 solo tackles per game. He had one interception and one fumble recovery.

Dom Wood was a mainstay on the Tioga offensive line that paved the way for 338.6 yards per game on the ground and 55 rushing TDs.

Defensively, Dom Wood averaged 9.2 tackles per game, including 3.9 solo stops per game. He had five QB sacks, recovered two fumbles, and blocked one punt.

Poised beyond his years, with a quick release and an accurate arm, Tomasso threw for 1,307 yards and 10 TDs, with eight interceptions. He completed 49.5 percent (110 of 222) of his throws.

After stepping away from football for two 1 1/2 seasons, Manuel returned for his junior season and made an immediate impact.

A hard-hitting linebacker, Manuel was second on the Tioga team with 7.4 tackles per game, including 2.1 solo stops per game, six tackles-for-losses on the season. He also had one QB sack.

Offensively, Manuel proved to be an effective lead-blocker, while running for 145 yards and one TD on just 32 carries. He also had three catches for 58 yards and one TD.

Aiello guided Tioga to its third consecutive Section IV, Class D title, and eighth in nine years, as well as the program's eight state semi-final appearance in nine years.

The Tigers were 11-1 this season, running Aiello's record to 91-22 in his first 10 years on the sidelines. He has a 22-2 record in Section IV playoffs, and is 10-7 in the state playoffs.

The 2019 All-Valley "Super 7" is:

Emmett Wood, sophomore, Tioga: See above.

Isaiah Firestine, senior, Sayre: A beast on both sides of the football, Firestine was the driving force behind the Redskins' success in 2019.

At tailback, Firestine rushed for 1,099 yards and 14 TDs, and caught five passes for 67 yards. At linebacker, he led the Redskins at 5.2 tackles per game, including four QB sacks. He also had two fumble recoveries.

David Hallett, junior, Waverly:
The VSR "Defensive Player of the Year," (see stats above), Hallett was also one of the top performers on the Wolverine offense. He rushed for 521 yards and six TDs, and had seven catches for 32 yards and one TD.

Dom Wood, senior, Tioga: See above.

Brady Worthing, senior, Tioga: Worthing is like the "Great and Powerful Oz,"  the man behind the curtain pulling all the strings for the Tioga offense.

At QB, Worthing rushed for 885 yards and 10 TDs on just 87 carries (10.2 yards per carry). He also completed 51.4 percent (36 of 70) of his passes for 520 yards and nine TDs, with just three interceptions.  Defensively, he averaged 6.3 tackles, including 3.7 solo stops per game. He also four interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Worthing also stepped up to kick and punt for the Tigers this season. He made 31 of 35 extra-point attempts to start season before an injury to long-snapper caused issues, and finished making 42 of 52. He was also 2-for-2 on field-goal attempts, including a 27-yards.

Ben Pernaselli, junior, Athens: A dominating presence at defensive end, Pernaselli consistently put pressure on opposing passers, and wass equally effective against the run.

A sure-handed tight end, Pernaselli is a very good run-blocker. (No stats provided.)

Keegan Rude, senior, Athens: Fast, big, and physical, Rude was a player who had to be accounted for on both sides of the ball.

At wide receiver, Rude had 40 receptions for 713 yards, and six TDs. (No defensive stats provided.)

The All-Valley "Super 7 Newcomers" are:

Joey Tomasso, freshman, Waverly: See above.

Sloan Manuel, junior, Tioga: See above.

Caden Turcsik, sophomore, Waverly: A hard-nosed tackler with a nose for the ball, Turcsik averaged 7.8 tackles per game, and had one fumble recovery.

Aidan Westbrook, junior, Waverly: A two-way starter, Westbrook was probably the most pleasant surprise for the Wolverines in 2019.

At wide receiver, he hauled in 26 catches for 408 yards and one TD. In the secondary, he had two interceptions, and averaged 4.2 tackles per game.

Mason Lister, freshman, Athens: A strong-armed freshman, Lister improved as the season went on. He threw for 1,273 yards and 11 TDs, with nine interceptions. He also ran for five TDs.

Lucas Horton, freshman, Sayre:
Horton impacted the Redskins in all three phases of the game.

Offensively, he hauled in 11 receptions for 248 yards (team-high 22.5 yards per catch) and three TDs. As back-up QB, he was 3-for-6 for 36 yards and one TD, and ran for 76 yards and one TD on 12 carries. Defensively, he averaged 1.6 tackles per game.

VSR's first-team All-Valley punter, Horton averaged 33.5 yards per punt on 29 attempts, with five punts being downed inside the 20.

Donovan Wynn, sophomore, Sayre: Wynn saw some action on the offensive line, filling in for injured starters, but made his bones on the defensive side of the ball. He averaged 3.4 tackles per game, had one QB sack, and blocked one punt.

The 2019 All-Valley football team is:

OFFENSE
Quarterback
Brady Worthing, senior, Tioga:
See above.

Running Backs
Emmett Wood, sophomore, Tioga:
See above.

Isaiah Firestine, senior, Sayre: See above.

Shayne Reid, sophomore, Athens: A hard-running and fast tailback, with good patience and vision, Reid received limited carries early in the season. He finished strong, ending the season with 735 yards and eight TDs.

Wide Receivers
Keegan Rude, senior, Athens:
See above.

Jalen McCarty, senior, Waverly: Sure-handed, fast, and dangerous in the open field, McCarty pulled down 38 receptions for 450 yards and five TDs. He added 99 rushing yards and one TD on 24 carries.

Corbin Brown, senior, Sayre:
Tall and fast, Brown was a dangerous down-field threat for the Redskins. He hauled in 30 receptions for 446 yards and five TDs.

Tight End
Ben Pernaselli, senior, Athens:
See above.

Offensive Line
Dom Wood, senior, Tioga
Ian Wright, junior, Athens
Cole Williams, junior, Tioga
Trevor Morse, senior, Waverly
Jordan Goodrich, junior, Sayre
Cayden Firestine, sophomore, Sayre

DEFENSE
Defensive Line

Ben Pernaselli, senior, Athens
Hunter Rando, junior, Waverly
Dom Wood, senior, Tioga
Trevor Morse, senior, Waverly
Jared Giggee, senior, Sayre

Linebackers
Isaiah Firestine, senior, Sayre:
See above.

David Hallett, senior, Waverly: See above.

Sloan Manuel, junior, Tioga: See above.

Ethan Stotler, senior, Waverly: A sure-tackler with a nose for the ball, Stotler averaged 10.4 tackles per game, including 5.2 solo stops per game. He also led the team with four interceptions.

Defensive Backs
Brady Worthing, senior, Tioga:
See above.

Keegan Rude, senior, Athens: See above.

Jalen McCarty, senior, Waverly: A good open-field tackler, and lock-down defender with a nose for the ball, McCarty averaged 5.1 tackles per game, including 2.3 solo stops per game. He also had three interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

Pat Casterline, senior, Sayre: Casterline split his time between linebacker and the secondary, and proved to be effective at both positions. He averaged 5.4 tackles per game, and had two fumble recoveries.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Place kicker
K - Brady Worthing, senior, Tioga:
See above

P - Lucas Horton, freshman, Sayre: See above.

Returners
Emmett Wood, sophomore, Tioga:
See above.

Damian Hudson, senior, Athens:
Injuries derailed his senior campaign, but Hudson returned a punt in the season opener for a score. When healthy, teams rarely kicked the ball his way.

"”"”"”"”"”"”

PAST WINNERS OF "PLAYER OF THE YEAR"
2019 - Emmett Wood, Tioga
2018 - John Worthing, Tioga
2017 - Zach Jayne, Athens
2016 - Tylor Belles, Sayre
2015 - Jesse Manuel, Tioga
2014 - Jesse Manuel, Tioga
2013 - Jesse Manuel, Tioga
2012 - Tyler Spires, Tioga
2011 - Cody Bennett, Tioga
2010 - Kodi Floyd, Tioga
2009 - Kevin Gorman, Waverly

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