PIAA Class AA Football: Shomper takes the next step, leads Vikings back to PIAA playoffs
Williams Valley quarterback Brady Shomper..
WILLIAMSTOWN — Oh, what a difference a year makes.
A year ago, Brady Shomper and the Williams Valley Vikings football team were preparing for a PIAA Class AA football matchup against Dunmore that saw the Bucks defeat the Vikings 41-21. Shomper was a sophomore quarterback that shared the backfield with Williams Valley record smasher Alex Achenbach.
Fast forward one year later and Shomper has become one of the driving forces that has propelled the Vikings (12-1) to Saturday’s PIAA Class AA quarterfinal game against District 2 champion Riverside (12-1) at 1 p.m. at Crispin Field in Berwick. The game originally was scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday but snow prompted the postponement.
“Last year, we weren’t as much of a passing team,” Shomper said. “We were kind of one dimensional, we ran the ball a lot. But this year, we’ve been able to spread the ball out and pretty much do all of it — run, pass, whatever is needed.
“It was kind of just give Alex the ball, we knew he was going to do his thing. This year it kind of feels like I’m more of what Alex was last season. The guy who is going to make the plays every time he gets the ball.”
Shomper, now in his junior season, has been nothing short of a machine this season. Through 13 games, the Viking QB has thrown for 2,235 yards and 34 passing touchdowns and leads Williams Valley’s rushing attack with 17 TDs on the ground. And Shomper’s surrounding cast has lived up to his standard too.
A record-setter in his own right, senior wideout Kian Krzyzanowski has hauled in a single-season school-record 17 TDs. And targets continue to come sure handed as junior Evan Achenbach has eight receiving touchdowns, senior Brayden Crisswell has four, junior Blazer Lords has three and freshman tailback Fletcher Thompson adds two.
“It comes with a lot of confidence in yourself and the confidence from your coaching, but it comes with a lot of work too,” Shomper said about the success of the offense. “It starts during the offseason, working with Kian and all the offensive linemen to make sure they have the confidence in me to make the plays.”
The junior QB couldn’t point out a specific moment or specific change that sparked his confidence, but instead reflects to coaching and attributes his success to continual growth and progression.
Shomper also has the unique dynamic that Williams Valley’s head coach Stephen Sedesse also played quarterback for the Vikings. Sedesse was impressive on the field in his day, passing for over 3,000 yards and 45 touchdowns, and guiding the Vikings to the district and state playoff bids in his playing career. In 2012, Sedesse and the Vikes went 12-1, captured the Tri-Valley League and District 11 Class A championships.
“We had some heated battles in the first half (against Schuylkill Haven) about reads and making the right reads,” Sedesse said. “I was like, ‘I’m on you, I’m on you, I’m on you because I made those same mistakes when I played.’ I think when you can relate that to a kid and say, ‘Okay, he made those same mistakes, he just doesn’t want me to do it. I think that is something that you can kind of grasp onto and understand what he is trying to do here and trust him.
“I think as a player, that is something you would want to hear from a coach.”
The Vikings fell to Schuylkill Haven 38-30 in a regular-season Schuylkill/Colonial Blue Division game before Williams Valley upended the Hurricanes 28-13 last Friday to claim the District 11 Class AA trophy for the second consecutive season.
Shomper was efficient in the championship round, completing 5-of-13 passes for 90 yards, a passing TD and an interception. But arguably his ground game was where the battle was won offensively. The junior QB carried the rock 29 times for 126 yards and a touchdown.
Shomper himself surely doesn’t overlook the effect Coach Sedesse has made on his game.
“It feels wonderful knowing that what I’m going through, he’s gone through also,” Shomper said. “Like when I make those mistakes, he knows he made those mistakes as well, so its kind of like I can learn from that and its wonderful to have that here.”
