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Players, coaches excited for 51st Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic

adam ripple, the daily american
·6 min read

RICHLAND TOWNSHIP — In 1971 the first Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic was played.

The game showcased the top senior football players from across the area. The proceeds of the game also helped the Lantzy family with medical expenses after Ken, a talented Cambria Heights football player, was injured, confining him to a wheelchair.

For 51 years, the game has been played at various sites around the area, but the theme has never change. The cream of the crop will take the field for one last high school football game at at 7 p.m. on Friday at Windber Stadium in the All-Star Classic, a game that has become a must-see event each summer.

Windber head coach Matt Grohal will lead the South squad. He will be making his third appearance as a head coach in the game. He also competed in the contest. Grohal is already enjoying the week of game preparations.

"It's pretty cool," said Grohal. "Before I did the job I do now, I was a caretaker at Windber Stadium. I would prep the field, paint it and do all of that good stuff. For it to come full circle is pretty exciting. I get to coach my son one last time at Windber Stadium, all these Windber kids and all of these great athletes.

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"It is special. It means a lot, and I am glad it is back at Windber Stadium. I am honored these guys voted me Coach of the Year to be able to be the head coach in this game. There's so many good coaches in our region, and to be voted as one of those guys to do this means a lot."

Star power

Grohal will have Windber assistants Tom Blanchetti and Frank Tallyen on his staff. Both Blanchetti and Tallyen are defensive-minded guys, which is a good complement to Grohal, who places his focus on the opposite side of the ball.

"I'm an offensive guy so I don't even look to that (defensive) side of the ball," Grohal said. "I really like the weapons we have on offense. We have a couple of our guys and then (Kaden) Claar from Portage and Jackson Byer (Conemaugh Township) just from the WestPAC. Then you have T.J. Lynn (Marion Center) and Logan Kent (Conemaugh Valley). We've got a lot of really good players on the offensive side of the ball."

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Grohal's system is not the easiest to grasp and understand, but the South squad has exceeded expectations.

"We've had a day-and-a-half of really good practices," Grohal said. "For Monday afternoon, I am really happy with where we're at. They're like sponges. You can tell these kids are well-coached and they've got a lot of football knowledge. It's easy to implement more things as we go along here."

South Team head coach Matt Grohal, right, and assistant Timothy Hornick look on during Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic practice, Monday, at Richland High School.
South Team head coach Matt Grohal, right, and assistant Timothy Hornick look on during Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic practice, Monday, at Richland High School.

Windber's Keith Charney had a breakout senior year. He played soccer for two years then golfed in his junior season before returning to the gridiron. Charney caught 30 passes for 491 yards and six touchdowns in Windber's run-first offense. He rushed for a score and threw a touchdown pass. Charney also tallied two punt returns and a kickoff return for touchdowns.

The Cal U signee already played in the PSFCA East/West small school all-star game, where he had a TD reception. Charney is thankful for the opportunity to play a final game on his home turf.

"I'm looking forward to playing with a whole bunch of new guys," he said. "Same friends from other teams along with our coaching staff. It's going to be fun."

South Team wide receiver Keith Charney, right, hauls in a catch with being tightly defended by South defensive back Nick Dom during Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic practice, Monday, at Richland High School.
South Team wide receiver Keith Charney, right, hauls in a catch with being tightly defended by South defensive back Nick Dom during Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic practice, Monday, at Richland High School.

It's not often Windber, Conemaugh Township and Portage players line up together for a common goal. However, the current selection system allows coaches to pick their players rather than a true North versus South contest.

"They are all really cool guys," Charney said of the Indians and Mustangs. They all have great mentalities and great work ethics. It's nice to get behind them and support them."

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Byer, an all-state wideout, will give the South quarterback duo of Mercury Swaim (Bedford) and Bo Swartz (West Shamokin) another talented pass-catching option to go alongside Charney. Byer caught 56 passes for 888 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 99.6 total yards per game. It is special for Byer to be a part of the game steeped in tradition.

"I’ve definitely enjoyed meeting the new guys and bonding with them throughout the week the most," said Byer, who will play basketball at Juniata College. "Being able to play with the guys I’ve been playing against all my life is a super cool experience. I’m looking forward to connecting on the field with some of the best football players in the area."

South Team wide receiver Jackson Byer looks in a pass during a offensive drill at Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic practice, Monday, at Richland High School.
South Team wide receiver Jackson Byer looks in a pass during a offensive drill at Ken Lantzy Finest 40 All-Star Classic practice, Monday, at Richland High School.

With Portage leaving the WestPAC for the Heritage Conference this upcoming season, Conemaugh Township joining the Heritage in 2023 and Windber heading to the Inter-County Conference in 2023, the Ramblers lose their two biggest rivals. However, Grohal is happy to have those guys on his team this week.

"They're having a blast, and I'm sure by the end of the week they'll all be best friends," Grohal said of the guys from the three schools. "They'll put the rivalries aside. We bust some chops a little bit that we lost the rivalry with Township and Portage. We'll make a new one, but it's all good. The bunkhouse (UPJ) has been great and those guys have been getting along really good."

Large Somerset County contingent

Windber, Conemaugh Township and North Star players will compete on the South roster while Berlin Brothersvalley, Somerset and Meyersdale athletes will don North jerseys.

Dylan Tomlinson, Nick Dom, Charney, Giovani Flori, Nathan Grohal and Brady Russo make up the Windber contingent. Byer and William Rouser will represent Conemaugh Township while Ethan Yoder is the lone North Star selection.

Meanwhile, Carson Modrak of Berlin, Ethan Hemminger and Donovan Vogt of Somerset and Brady Fritz of Meyersdale will suit up for the North.

Hemminger did it all for Somerset in his senior campaign while splitting time at quarterback and running back. He carried 146 times for 840 yards and nine touchdowns.

"I'm enjoying just getting to know everyone from different teams," Hemminger said, referring to their stories and how their football seasons went. "I am looking forward to having a lot of fun the rest of the week and getting my last high school win."

Adam Ripple is the Daily American sports editor. He can be reached at 814-444-5926. Follow him on Twitter @ARipple_DAsport. Follow Daily American Sports on Facebook and @dailyamericanmedia on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Ken Lantzy All-Star Classic to feature bevy of Somerset County talent