Junior Dante Carr returns as Minersville's starting quarterback.

Minersville

Head coach: Justin Frantz

2023: 10-3, District 11 Class A champion

Story by Leroy Boyer

Minersville snapped a 20-year District 11 title drought in 2023 by winning the Class A crown and qualifying for the PIAA Class A playoffs. The goal in 2024? Win another one.

The Battlin’ Miners return several key pieces from last year’s club that finished 10-3 and defeated Marian 28-12 in the district final Nov. 10 at Blue Mountain’s Eagles’ Nest. The Miners’ magical run ended in the first round of the state playoffs with a loss to District 2 champion Lackawanna Trail.

Leading that group of returnees is junior quarterback Dante Carr. Entering his third year as a starter, the Division I recruit threw for 1,139 yards and 14 touchdowns a year ago while rushing for 640 yards and 10 more scores. He’ll have plenty of targets to throw to this season as three veteran receivers return: seniors Logan Hutsko and Jake Kavanaugh and junior Paiten LaPoint, who had three touchdowns in the district title game.

The key for coach Justin Frantz’s squad comes in the backfield. Luke Stevenosky had a season to remember last fall, rushing for single-season school records of 2,467 yards and 33 touchdowns. Now at East Stroudsburg University, Stevenosky broke Dan Lipsett’s season records (set in 1981-83) for rushing yards and touchdowns and Lipsett’s career rushing yards (3,811) and TD (48) marks. Stevenosky finished his career with 535 carries for 4,071 yards and 57 total touchdowns.

Whether the Miners stick to their ground-oriented attack of 2023 or revert to their wide-open, passing-based offense of 2022 depends on if Frantz and his staff can find anyone to step up and take over Stevenosky’s role. Seniors Easton Schultz and Logan Rizzardi, Gavin Allan and sophomore Garrett Sukeena will battle it out in preseason camp for the No. 1 tailback spot.

“We return a lot of athletes who have played a lot of football,” Frantz said. “The key will be spreading the ball around and finding our offensive stride after losing Luke Stevenosky.”

Up front, Minersville must replace standout two-way tackle Cade Schultz, but starters Owen Fortna, A.J. Halford, Aiden Boom and Dommie Yourey all return. Seniors Dax Curry, Eli Killian and Trustin Diehl and junior Ethan Borrell also figure into the mix.

Stevenosky and Cade Schultz were also leaders on defense for the Miners a year ago, but linebackers Fortna, Halford and junior Matt Dube return to lead the way. Boom and Yourey return up front, with Hutsko, Kavanaugh, Easton Schultz, Carr and LaPoint back in the secondary.

Minersville won’t get a chance to repeat as District 11 Class A champions since the Miners move up to Class AA for the next two-year PIAA cycle. Minersville will have a distinctly different schedule this season, as the Miners will compete in the 10-team Blue Division (Division III) of the Schuylkill/Colonial Football Cooperative along with Mahanoy Area, Marian, Nativity, Panther Valley, Pine Grove, Schuylkill Haven, Shenandoah Valley, Tri-Valley and Williams Valley. The Miners open their season Friday, Aug. 23, at home against Halifax.

“I love it,” Frantz said of the new division alignment. “I think playing all local schools makes high school football special.”