The Sports ReportsComing back from a major knee injury that caused him to miss most of the 2024 season, Tioga senior Logan Bellis excelled on both sides of the ball, leading the Tigers to another state title. He is The Sports Reports / Ziff Law Firm 2025 All-Region "Football Player of the Year."
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Our apologies for being so late with our All-Region teams, but it's been a hectic winter with illnesses, car accidents, deaths in the family, and a crazy winter sports schedule.)
Troy senior Mason Smith is the "Offensive Player of the Year," while Troy junior Micah Pesesky is the "Lineman of the Year," Athens senior Brenden Comstock is the "Defensive Player of the Year," and Owego Free Academy senior Lucas Boccasini is the "Breakout Player of the Year."
Tioga junior Jackson Bombard is the "Newcomer of the Year," while Waverly senior Hogan Shaw is the "Special Teams Player of the Year," Elmira's electric Julian Colon is the "Most Dangerous" player this year, and Tioga coach Nick Aiello shares "Coach of the Year" honors with Owego Free Academy's Patton Taylor.
Bellis, despite weighing in at 130ish pounds, was a workhorse back for the Tigers. On the season, he rushed for 2,272 yards and 31 TDs (9.16 yards per carry), and 19 two-point conversion runs. He also had five catches for 64 yards, and one TD.
In five postseason games, Bellis rushed for 1,090 yards and 16 TDs on 124 carries. He also 11 2-point conversions, and ran for a state championship game record five TDs.
A dynamic dual-threat QB, Smith rushed for 1,063 yards and 20 TDs on 89 carries (11.9 yards per carry). He completed 70.5 percent (67 of 95) passes for 1,056 yards and 18 TDs against just one interception. He had a QB rating of 142.4.
Comstock was a force on the defensive line for the Wildcats. He had 89 tackles, including 44 solo stops, 14 tackles-for-loss, and four QB sacks. He also forced three fumbles, broke up three passes, and scored one TD.
Pesesky led a Troy offensive line that was the main driver for a rushing attack that racked up 3,888 yards, and another 1,100-plus yards through the air.
After taking a year off, Bombard returned to the gridiron this year and led the Tigers to a state title. He completed 57.4 percent (35 of 61) of his passes for 470 yard and six TDs, and two interceptions. He also rushed for 130 yards and two TDs, as well as four two-point conversions.
However, Bombard's biggest impact on the team was his leadership and his execution in Tioga's misdirection offense.
Boccasini was one of a handful of River Hawks who had breakout seasons. As an offensive tackle, he was a key to Owego’s run-oriented offense. At defensive tackle, he recorded 74 tackles, 27 of which were solo. He led the team in tackles for losses (18), sacks (11), QB pressures (15), fumble recoveries (3) and forced fumbles (3).
Hogan Shaw converted 35 of 38 extra-point attempts, and booted one field goal on the season. He also had 15 touchbacks on kickoffs, and averaged 35.8 yards per punt on 14 punts.
Colon was a threat to score every time he touched the ball. He ran for 525 yards on 70 carries, with four TDs. Had also 15 catches for 417 yards, with more than half his catches — eight — going for touchdowns, including an of 82-yard TD catch. Colon also had more than 400 return yards and two TDs.
Aiello directed Tioga to its 12th Section IV title since his tenure began in 2010. The Tigers won their fifth state title in Aiello's reign and their fourth in five years.
Aiello has a career record of 156-28 (.848 winning percentage), including a 33-3 record in the Section IV playoffs, and a 22-7 mark in the New York State playoffs, including a 12-0 mark in the state quarterfinals.
Despite graduating 19 players, Taylor guided the River Hawks to their first-ever Section IV championship, avenging losses to Maine-Endwell and Waverly along the way.
The win over M-E ended a six-year, 11-game losing streak against the Spartans. Owego also upset New Hartford in the Central Region championship game, and finished the season with a 9-4 record and a No. 7 state ranking.
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ZIFF LAW FIRM 2025 ALL-REGION FOOTBALL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Logan Bellis, senior, Tioga
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mason Smith, senior, Troy
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Brenden Comstock, Athens
LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Micah Pesesky, junior, Troy;
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Jackson Bombard, junior, Tioga:
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lucas Boccasini, senior, Owego
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Hogan Shaw, senior, Waverly:
MOST DANGEROUS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Julian Colon, senior, Elmira
COACH OF THE YEAR: Nick Aiello, Tioga, and Patton Taylor, Owego.
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ALL-REGION FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Mason Smith, senior, Troy: See above.
Running Backs
Logan Bellis, senior, Tioga: See above.
Brendan Gilliland, senior, Troy: Gilliland ran for 1,333 yards on 109 carries for a 12.2 yards per carry average. He had 21 touchdowns on the ground.
Bryce Thomas, junior, Horseheads: Thomas rushed for 1,193 yards and 11 TDs on 186 carries, despite missing 2 1/2 games.
Logan Aman, senior, Spencer-Van Etten / Candor: Aman accounted for 1,843 yards total offense in nine games. He rushed for 1,684 yards on 139 carries and scored 26 TDs. He also caught three passes for 119 yards and two TDs, and was 2-for-2 passing the ball for 40 yards.
Receivers
Gage Marmor, junior, Athens: A deep-ball threat, Marmor had 42 catches for 794 yards and seven TDs for the Wildcats.
James Friend, senior, Athens: A big target at 6-4, Friend had 35 catches for 669 yards and 11 TDs.
Tight End / H-Back / Fullback
Kael Millard, senior, Troy: A bruising runner and lead blocker, Millard ran for 585 yards and eight TDs on 92 carries. He also had four catches for 37 yards.
Offensive Linemen
Dylan Davis, senior, Owego
James Howey, junior, Tioga
Derek Johnson, senior, Waverly
Wyatt McNeal, senior, Horseheads
Micah Pesesky, junior, Troy
Luke Sottolano, senior, Cowanesque Valley
All-Purpose
Julio Colon, senior, Elmira: See above.
Patrick, Laney, senior, Horseheads: Laney, the Ernie Davis Award winner, rushed for 715 yards and six TDs on just 75 carries. He also had 18 catches for 392 yards and seven scores.
Luke Kreger, senior, North Penn-Mansfield: Kreger ran for 704 yards and 10 touchdowns, had 22 receptions for 252 yards and a TD and threw for 148 yards and a score. Kreger also returned both a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns.
Kicker
Hogan Shaw, senior, Waverly: See above.
DEFENSE
Linemen
Lucas Boccasini, junior, Owego: See above.
Brenden Comstock, senior, Athens: See above:
Dominic Palmer, senior, Tioga: Palmer recorded 86 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He had seven QB sacks, four tackles-for-loss, and one fumble recovery.
Reed Palmer, junior, Troy: Palmer recorded 45 tackles, including 28 solo tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, and two fumble recoveries,
Dom Scherrer, senior, Owego: A force to be reckoned with at the nose guard position, Scherrer registered 69 tackles, including 23 solo, and had 12 tackles-for-loss, two QB sacks, eight QB pressures and two fumble recoveries.
Matthias Welles, junior, Waverly: Wells had 59 tackles, including 26 solo stops. He had two QB sacks and two tackles-for-loss, as well as one interception and three forced fumbles.
Linebackers
Dylan Brewster, senior, Corning: Brewster recorded 54 tackles, including 30 solo stops, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one pass break-up.
Dylan Brace, junior, Owego: Brace had 118 tackles at inside linebacker, including 44 solo stops. Both were team highs. He also had 12 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 QB sacks and two interceptions.
Kadin Cole, senior, Tioga: Cole had 125 tackles, including 47 solo stops, one QB sack, and one tackle-for-loss. He also had four interceptions.
Kegan Lane, junior, Cowanesque Valley: Lane collected 97 tackles, eight QB sacks, and 17 tackles-for-loss.
Ben Shaw, junior, Waverly: Shaw registered 165 tackles in 11 games, including 75 solo stops. He also had four tackles-for-loss and four QB sacks, as well as one interception, one pass break-up, and one fumble recovery.
Defensive Backs
Logan Bellis, senior, Tioga: Bellis had 66 tackles, including 29 solo stops and one tackle-for-loss. He also had two interceptions and one forced fumble.
Arius Bradbury, senior, Elmira: Bradbury had a team-best 48 tackles, including 6.5 tackles-for-loss and one QB sack. He also forced three fumbles.
Jayden Duncanson, senior, Tioga: Duncanson recorded 128 tackles, including 42 solo stops. He also had one interception and one forced fumble.
Logunn Heasley, junior, Troy: Physical on run support, Heasley had three interceptions and six pass break-ups.
Sam Sherwood, senior, Owego: Sherwood was a lockdown defender for the River Hawks with four interceptions, including a pick-6, and eight pass break-ups. He also had 62 tackles, including 24 solo stops and five tackles-for-loss.
Punter
Hogan Shaw, senior, Waverly: See above.
ALL-REGION SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Connor Davidson, junior, Athens: Davidson completed 57.5 percent (96 of 167) for 1,706 yards and 22 TDs, including a school-record six TDs in a game. He was intercepted five times. He also ran for 850 yards and 11 TDs on 111 carries in nine games.
Running Backs
Dylan Brace, junior, Owego: The heart of the River Hawks’ ground game, he carried the ball 218 times 1,229 yards and 11 TDs, caught 10 passes for 67 yards and completed one of two pass attempts for another 57 yards.
Cooper Robinson, senior, Waverly: Robinson rushed for 1,032 yards and nine TDs on 175 carries. He also caught six passes for 135 yards and two TDs.
Greg Golden, senior, Edison: Golden ran for 727 yards and eight TDs on 98 carries. He also aught three passes, one for a TD.
Clayton Smith, senior, Corning: Smith rushed for 792 yards and 11 TDs, and caught seven passes for 89 yards and one TD.
Receivers
Daltton Davis, senior, Waverly: A speedy wideout, Davis had 32 grabs for 602 yards and three TDs.
Trey Teribrury, junior, Troy: Teribury had 24 grabs for 451 yards and eight TDs on the run-first Trojans.
Tight End / H-Back / Fullback
Matthias Welles, junior, Waverly: A punishing lead blocker at H-back, Welles had six catches for 129 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for three TDs.
Offensive Linemen
Cameron Anderson, junior, Corning
Sam Buchsbaum, junior, Owego
Camden Coyle, senior, Troy
Austin Mumbulo, senior, Tioga
Seth Feldemeier, senior, Troy
Carson Rockwell, senior, Waverly
All-Purpose
Dave Hess, junior, Cowanesque Valley: Hess ran for 762 yards and 11 TDs, caught nine passes for 168 yards and four TDs, and threw for 532 yards and nine touchdowns.
Marek Mascho, senior, Wellsboro: Mascho rushed for 529 yards and seven TDs, caught 25 passes for 431 and four TDs, and completed two of six passes for 81 yards and two TDs.
Kicker
Gavin Lykon-Leffler, junior, Troy: Lykon-Leffler converted 72 of 76 extra points, and made 3 of 5 field goal attempts, including a 38-yarder.
DEFENSE
Linemen
Troy Beeman, senior, Waverly: Beeman had 58 tackles, including 25 solo stops, despite being double-teamed much of the season.
Stevie Olsen, sophomore, Cowanesque Valley: Olsen had 59 tackles, including nine QB sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss.
Jake Pepper, junior, Canton: A fierce competitor, Pepper had 44 tackles.
Roland Smith, senior, Troy: Smith had 49 tackles, including 33 solo stops, seven tackles-for-loss, and two pass break-ups.
Brayden Zimmerman, junior, Corning: Zimmerman had 26 tackles, including 14 solo stops, in eight games. He had eight tackles-for-loss, three QB sacks, and two interceptions.
Dylan Davis, senior, Owego: Davis had 57 tackles, including 16 solo stops, 10 tackles-for-loss, one QB sack, five QB pressures, and three fumble recoveries.
Linebackers
Atlas Boland, senior, Owego: Boland had 85 tackles, 39 of the solo variety. He also had 17 tackles-for-losses, one QB sack, seven QB pressures, seven pass break-ups, one interception and a fumble recovery.
Elijah Miller, junior, Horseheads: Miller had 47 tackles, two QB sacks, four forced fumbles, one tackle-for-loss and one fumble recovery.
Liam Morrissey, senior, Horseheads: Morrissey recorded 82 tackles, five QB sacks, and one fumbler recovery.
Marcus Solomon, junior, Canton: A first-year varsity player, Solomon led the Warriors with 78 tackles.
Jayden Kutt, junior, Troy: Kurt had 56 tackles, including 36 solo stops, and 14 tackles-for-loss. He had one interception, six pass break-ups, and one fumble recovery.
Defensive Backs
Dave Hess, junior, Cowanesque Valley: Hess had 59 tackles and six interceptions.
Marek Mascho, senior, Wellsboro: Mascho recorded 67 tackles and five interceptions.
Ashton Neally, senior, Corning: Neally had 15 tackles, including 10 solo stops, four interceptions, and eight pass break-ups.
Josiah Pesesky, freshman, Troy: Pesesky had 33 tackles, including six solo stops, and six pass break-ups.
Punter
Zach Fisher, junior, Athens: Fisher averaged 33.5 yards per punt.
ALL-REGION THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Griffin Morral, sophomore, Wellsboro: Morral accounted for more than 2,000 yards of offense, throwing for 1,335 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season and rushing for 717 yards and nine more TDs.
Jace Schiller, junior, Edison: Schiller threw for 879 yards and 12 TDs, and ran for 856 yards and 12 scores. Had also had two receptions.
Running Backs
Max Stauder, junior, Tioga: A devastating lead blocker at fullback, Stauder rushed for 563 yards and 12 TDs on 102 carries. He caught 3 passes for 28 yards.
Karson Sipley, senior, Athens: Sipley rushed for 555 yards and 14 TDs on 83 carries. He also had 11 receptions for 83 yards and two TDs.
Jonathon Earle, senior, Wyalusing: Earle rushed for 935 yards rushing and eight TDs, and also had three catches for 106 yards, and two TDs.
Dash Harris, senior, Elmira: Harris rushed for 542 yards and eight TDs on 101 carries. He also had one receiving touchdown.
Receivers
Ryder Route, senior, Canton: Route had 22 grabs for 439 yards, and two TDs.
Keagan Zeller, senior, Horseheads: Zeller had 21 receptions for 245 yards and two TDs on the run-oriented Blue Raiders.
John Farrell, junior, Owego: Farrell caught 14 passes for 204 yards in an offense that only threw for 680 yards. He was also on the receiving end of the team’s only two passing TDs.
Tight End / H-Back
Kody Enck, sophomore, Wellsboro: Enck had 22 receptions for 420 yds, and five TDs, He also had 47 rushing yards and one TD.
Atlas Boland, senior, Owego: Boland caught 16 passes for 192 yards and was a key blocker in the River Hawks’ run-oriented offense.
Offensive Linemen
Troy Beeman, senior, Waverly
Gavin Kithcart, junior, Tioga
Skyler Everest, senior, North Penn-Mansfield
Mason Hill, senior, Owego
Lucas Boccasini, junior, Owego
Mikey Place, senior, Corning
All-Purpose
Arius Bradbury, senior, Elmira: Bradbury rushed for 432 yards and six TDs, and 12 catches for 240 yards, and two scores.
Dominic Palmer, senior, Tioga: Possessing good size and good hands, Palmer was dangerous in the Tioga's ground game and limited aerial attack. He rushed for 182 yards and two TDs on 15 carries, and caught nine passes for 188 yards and three TDs.
Kicker
Zach Fisher, junior, Athens: Fisher made 54 of 63 extra-point attempts on the season.
DEFENSE
Linemen
Titus Callahan, senior, Newark Valley: The very vocal leader in the Cardinals’ lineup, he had 40 tackles, including 10 solo stops and four tackles-for-loss.
Jordan Hines, sophomore, Wellsboro: Hines recorded 47 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Stevie Olson, sophomore, Cowanesque Valley: Olson had 59 tackles, with nine QB sacks, and 10 tackles-for-loss.
Shane Platukis, junior, Tioga: Platukis had 91 tackles, including 30 solo stops.
Hayden Stevens, senior, Wellsboro: Stevens recorded 47 tackles, including five QB sacks, and three forced fumbles.
Linebackers
Brady Flynn, junior, Athens: Flynn had 79 tackles, including 22 solo stops and 10 tackles-for-loss. He also had two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one pass break-up.
Hudson Malanoski, junior, Sayre: Malanoski was a hard-nosed defender, and led the Redskins in tackles.
Ethan Vanderpool, senior, Wyalusing: A sideline-to-sideline defender, Vanderpool led the Rams in tackles.
Justin Koenig, junior, Waverly: Koenig had 75 tackles, including 29 solo stops. He also had three interceptions.
Caden Bradley, junior, Tioga: Bradley registered 104 tackles, including 36 solo stops, and one QB sack.
Defensive Backs
Connor Garrison, senior, Athens: Garrison had 49 tackles, including 19 solo stops. He had six interceptions, four pass break-ups, and one fumble recovery.
Lucas Persun, junior, Athens: Persun had three interceptions and eight pass break-ups, to go along with 18 tackles, including 12 solo stops.
Tanner Vanderpool, sophomore, Towanda: Vanderpool racked up 81 tackles, and had three fumble recoveries.
Luke Kreger, senior, North Penn-Mansfield: Kreger had 29 tackles and three interceptions.
Punter
Max Mascho, junior, Wellsboro: Mascho averaged 32.2 yards per punt.
ALL-REGION NEWCOMER TEAM
Jackson Bombard, junior, Tioga: See above.
Nolan Card, sophomore, Owego: Card had 58 tackles, including 22 solo stops, 11 tackles-for-loss and two QB sacks. He also had three QB pressures, four pass break-ups, two interceptions, one fumble recovery and two TDs off turnovers.
Marcus Solomon, junior, Canton: See above.
Shea Davidson, freshman, Athens: The younger Davidson started three games this season, including the District 4 playoff game. He completed 57.3 percent of his passes (63 of 110) for 818 yards and six TDs, while being picked off seven times.
Ely Newman, senior, Waverly: Newman registered 62 tackles, including 23 solo stops and three tackles-for-loss and three QB sacks.
Max Stauder, junior, Tioga: Stauder was a major component in Tioga's state title run. (See offense above) Defensively, he had 90 tackles, including 31 solo stops. He also had two interceptions, including a pick-6.
Greyson ReSue, junior, Corning: ReSue had 47 tackles, including 34 solo stops, and three fumble recoveries. Offensively, he rushed for 85 yards and one TD.
Johnny Graham, sophomore, Corning: Graham rushed for 471 yards and five TDs, and also had five receptions. Defensively, Graham had three solo tackles, two pass break-ups, and one fumble recovery.
Chase Wheeler, junior, Waverly: Wheeler finished the season with seven receptions for 113 yards. Defensively, he had 29 tackles, including 17 solo stops. He also had one interception and three pass break-ups.
Caden Bradley, junior, Tioga: One of the top tacklers for the Tigers, Bradley recorded 104 tackles, including 36 solo stops, including one QB sack.
Dayne Bush, freshman, Elmira: Bush came along at linebacker and played big minutes for a Section IV title team.
Aidan Culshaw, freshman, Horseheads: Culshaw rushed for 124 yards and one TD, and had five catches for 102 yards, and one TD.
Dom Caporiccio, junior, Notre Dame: Caporiccio led an inexperience Crusaders' team in touchdowns and had a 100-yard game against Unadilla Valley.
