HS Football: Tide’s Evans, Eagles’ Guers named to PA Football Writers’ Class 4A All-State Team
Pottsville linebacker Brayden Evans tackles Tamaqua's Luke Kane during a game this season at Veterans Memorial Stadium (Photo by Danie Mae Photography).
Young teams going through a rebuilding process need strong senior leaders to help make the transition successful.
Pottsville’s Brayden Evans and Blue Mountain’s Gaige Guers certainly filled that role, both on the field and off it, for their respective clubs this season.
Saturday, they were rewarded for their efforts with the state’s highest honor.
Evans, a middle linebacker, and Guers, a wide receiver/defensive back, were named to the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ Class 4A All-State Team.
The 44-player Class 4A squad was chosen through nominations and voting done by sports writers from various forms of media across the state, including T102SportsNow.com.
Evans and Guers up the number of local players named to the PFW All-State Team to 14, joining Nativity’s Noah Dolbin (Class A); Marian’s Michael Gelatko (Class A); Williams Valley’s Brady Shomper, Kian Krzyzanowski, Jesse Koons and Skylor Green (Class AA); Minersville’s Dante Carr (Class AA); Schuylkill Haven’s Niko Carestia and Leyden Hertz (Class AA); and North Schuylkill’s Gavin Mentzer, Aiden Zilker and Luke Miller (Class 3A).
“Gaige was a great leader and playmaker for our defense during his career at Blue Mountain, but especially his senior season,” Blue Mountain coach Tom Gallagher said of Guers. “He always played with full effort and intensity, and he is very deserving to be selected All-State.”
Guers, a 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, was a dynamic all-around player who always seemed to be around the football. On defense, he collected six interceptions (second highest in the area) and 30 tackles from his defensive back spot. On offense, he rushed for two TDs, caught 39 passes for 649 yards and six touchdowns and had 1,367 all-purpose yards that included a punt return for a touchdown.
Guers, who recently committed to Kutztown University, finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in receptions (87), receiving yards (1,442) and receiving touchdowns (11).
The Eagles finished 6-5, falling in the District 11 Class 4A quarterfinals.
“When my coach called me this morning, I had a huge smile on my face,” said Guers, who was also named a recipient of a Maxwell Football Club Mini Max Award.
“I had a lot more goals this year and I came out firing. I had six picks and a handful of tackles … it was awesome. Our season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but to be the leader of our team on defense from my safety spot, being able to communicate what I see to everyone else, to be behind our great D-Line, linebackers and corners, it was great to piece everything together for us.”
Evans, a 5-9, 180-pounder, help Pottsville go 6-6, win its first District 11 playoff game since 2019 and reach the District 11 Class 4A semifinals.
The Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association Big School Defensive Player of the Year, Evans led the Crimson Tide and was fourth in the area in tackles with 114 (77 solo) and had 15 tackles for loss. He was the leader of a Pottsville defense that sliced its scoring average from 32.1 points per game a year ago to 19.6 this season.
“He has endless energy,” Pottsville coach Mike Brennan said of Evans. “His leadership skills are off the chart and the kids gravitate to him. He plays like his hair is on fire … he’s the ultimate high school football linebacker. He has tremendous toughness and he’s always enthusiastic.
“Defensively for us, we did a lot of good things this season and he’s a big reason for that. I’m happy for him, happy for his family and it’s a great thing for Pottsville football to have a player named to the 4A All-State team.”
