Leading off today: Two Section 4 seniors are among four athletes selected football players of the year for the 2013 season, the New York State Sportswriters Association announced Tuesday.
Maine-Endwell quarterback Kyle Gallagher was selected the player of the year in Class B, and running back Isaiah Zimmer of Chenango Forks was named co-player of the year in Class C. (See: Press & Sun-Bulletin story)
Zimmer shares the 'C' honor with Jake Carlock, a senior wideout at Babylon, which tied with NYSPHSAA champion Chenango Forks for the No. 1 spot in the final NYSSWA rankings. The Class D player of the year is Randolph senior running back Chris Doubek.
The announcement coincides with the release of the all-state team for Classes B, C and D.
Gallagher is joined on the Class B first team by a pair of teammates from the New York State Public High Scholl Athletic Association championship team -- running back Darnell Woolfolk and defensive back Alec Wisniewski.
Chenango Forks' three other first-teamers are offensive lineman Hunter Luybli, defensive lineman Mike Zurenda and linebacker Ryan Bronson. Babylon offensive lineman Joe Cosby, quarterback Nick Santorelli and linebacker Eric Schweitzer were also selected to the Class C first team.
Doubek is joined on the first team by five other members of the NYSPHSAA Class D championship team: quarterback Mitch Maycock, offensive lineman Cody Oldro, kicker Micah Kehoe, linebacker Lucas Brown and defensive back Nick Hettenbaugh.
A few links related to the all-state football team announcement:
• 2013 Class B all-state team
• 2013 Class C all-state team
• 2013 Class D all-state team
• Recent NYSSWA players of the year
• All-state teams, 2000-12
• Final 2013 B-C-D state rankings
The Class AA and A all-star teams will be announced next week.
Reviewing his options: Abraham Lincoln defensive lineman Thomas Holley committed to Penn State last month, but now he's waiting to learn who the Nittany Lions' new coach will be now that Bill O'Brien has left for the NFL.
Holley told the New York Daily News last week he'll wait for that announcement before deciding if he still wants to play for Penn State. National signing day is Feb. 5, but Penn State is likely to name its new coach within a week in order to have any chance to salvage its recruiting class. Greg Schiano, the former Rutgers coach fired by the Tampa Bay Bucs recently, is among the names frequently mentioned.
"I have almost three weeks until signing day," Holley told the paper, "so that is a lot of time. But if things aren't progressing quickly then I might just have to make a decision."
Holley confirmed that he is likely to stick with Penn State as long as defensive line coach Larry Johnson is retained by the new head coach. Johnson, part of the staff for nearly two decades, has been serving as interim coach following O'Brien's departure to the Houston Texans.
Holley says he hold no ill will for O'Brien, who held the program together in the face of harsh NCAA penalties after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. The PSAL standout says Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Syracuse and Texas Tech have resumed recruiting him.
