Honesdale's Max Mickel brings home Class 4A First Team All-State football honors
HONESDALE — The high school gridiron season is long over, but the awards and accolades just keep on rolling in for one local standout.
Honesdale’s Max Mickel enjoyed the type of campaign most Lackawanna Football Conference players only dream of in 2022 ... and it's earned him an historic honor.
All-State Selection
A battle-tested senior captain, Mickel terrorized enemy offenses from his strong safety spot all season long. Max excelled in every facet of the game, from secondary play to run stopping and pass rushing.
As a result, Mickel has been named to the Pennsylvania Football News First Team All-State roster. This mythical squad is chosen each year by a vote of nearly 300 coaches across the Commonwealth.
“I feel very honored and humbled by this award,” Max said. “I put in a lot of hard work over the years and it paid off.”
For his part, Hornet Head Coach Paul Russick just can’t say enough about Mickel’s leadership on and off the field.
“Max had an outstanding career and a great senior season,” the veteran skipper said. “He was a two-time captain and the heart of our defense. I’m very happy that the coaches voted Max All-State.”
Mickel is the sixth player in program history to attain PFN All-State honors. He joins Mike O’Neill (1989), Terrin Ash (1992-93), Mike Motsko (2000), Shane Smith (2002-03), Sam Deron (2020).
On the Field
Mickel kicked-off his senior season in fine fashion with a stellar individual performance in Week One.
Max was all over the field during Honesdale’s opener at archrival Wallenpaupack Area. He recorded 10 tackles including one behind the line of scrimmage. He also contributed on offense and special teams, earning Team MVP honors as voted on by the Wayne-Pike Shrine Club Committee.
Sadly for Mickel and his teammates, the Hornets came up short and suffered a 15-13 setback to the Buckhorns. Nevertheless, this loss provided the impetus for a signature victory just seven days later.
Honesdale traveled to highly-regarded Wyoming Area for a non-league battle in Week Two. Few local pundits gave the Red & Black much of a chance in this marquee match-up, but Mickel was confident … and that confidence helped propel his team to an electrifying 21-0 upset.
“I would have to say beating Wyoming Area after everyone doubted us is my favorite memory of the season,” said Max, who notched a game-high 16 tackles. “After their first drive was unsuccessful and I scored the first touchdown, I knew we were more than capable of winning that game.”
Mickel continued amassing big numbers on both sides of the ball all season. He finished up as the team’s second leading rusher with 463 yards and three touchdowns. But, it was on the defensive side of the ball that Max simply dazzled.
Over the course of 11 games, Mickel piled up 104 tackles including five for loss. Max also carded three sacks, caused five fumbles and snagged three interceptions.
“I think the stats speak for themselves,” said Coach Russick. “Max was never one of the biggest guys on the field, but boy was he a tough, hard-nosed kid. Just a throwback, Old School NEPA football player.”
In addition to his defensive heroics, Mickel displayed the kind of athletic versatility that makes one pause. Max rushed for a touchdown, caught a touchdown pass and even threw for one.
Mickel’s presence was also keenly felt on special teams. Max served as Honesdale’s place kicker, going 19-for-20 on extra points and 2-of-3 on field goal tries.
Honesdale finished up the regular season with a solid 5-5 record and earned a spot in the District 2 Class 4 playoffs. The Hornets then saw their year come to a close via a lopsided loss to top-ranked Valley View.
Overall, Mickel is pleased with how the season went team-wise and individually. However, there are a few things he’d change if given the opportunity.
“I’m very happy how far we’ve come since i was a freshman,” Max said. “But, there are a couple games I really wish we could have back. Our team was mostly seniors, so we knew this year would be the last time we play together.“
The Future Looks Bright
Max is the son of Kyle and Sarah Mickel, Beach Lake. His future plans include attending Penn Tech and one day taking over the family business.
Mickel is a huge football fan who roots for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State Nittany Lions. His favorite player is Steelers Hall of Fame defensive back Troy Polamalu.
In addition to his recent All-State selection, Max has also been named to the First Team LFC All-Stars and earned a Second Team nod from the experts at Eastern PA Football.
“Max is a just great kid,” Coach Russick said. “It’s been awesome to watch him grow into the player he has over the last three years.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Lackawanna Football Conference Honesdale Hornets Max Mickel All State
