Boyer’s Bulletin: Williams Valley seniors leave huge mark on program
Williams Valley's Skylor Green (31) and Evan Kandybowski (34) stuff Riverside's Richie Kostoff on a running play up the middle (Photo by Eli Doyle).
BERWICK — Kian Krzyzanowski sat on an aluminum bench in the corner of the locker room, still clad in his uniform and wearing his helmet long after many of his Williams Valley teammates had changed and headed outside.
The Vikings’ standout senior wide receiver had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that his Williams Valley football career had come to an end after the Vikes fell 28-21 to Riverside in a PIAA Class AA state quarterfinal game Saturday at Berwick’s Crispin Field.
“It goes by fast,” Krzyzanowski said. “It feels like yesterday that I was a freshman watching all the seniors react like I am right now.”
The realization that you’ve played your last high school football game has different effects on 17- and 18-year-old teenagers.
For some it’s like a celebration. They pose for photos, tell stories and try to turn a negative into a positive.
Some try to savor the moment, as the Blue Mountain seniors did by sitting in the middle of the field following their District 11 playoff loss to Lehighton and as the Notre Dame-Green Pond seniors did by sitting on the home bench until the lights were turned off after their District 11 playoff loss to North Schuylkill.
For others, it’s like a death in the family. There are tears, sometimes plenty of them. There are long hugs with teammates, coaches, friends and family, especially mom and dad. There are quiet moments alone.
There were varying degrees of all of the above Saturday.
MORE VIKINGS: Saturday’s game story: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2024/11/23/piaa-class-aa-football-williams-valley-falls-to-riverside-in-state-quarterfinal/
Saturday’s sidebar story: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2024/11/23/piaa-aa-football-sidebar-rough-finish-to-1st-half-dooms-williams-valley/
Krzyzanowski is one of six senior starters for the Vikings — Jesse Koons, Tyler Koppenhaver, Brayden Crisswell, Skylor Green and Sage Smeltz are the others. Nikolas Martin, Xander Ulsh, Peyton Adams and Killian Kocher are the other seniors on the Williams Valley roster.
And while Saturday’s loss was disheartening considering how the game played out and how close the Vikings were to tying and/or winning the game in the final minutes, when the smoke clears, the dust settles and things return to normal over the next couple days, Williams Valley’s seniors will realize just how great their accomplishments over the last four years really were.
“They’ve been huge for us,” Williams Valley head coach Stephen Sedesse said. “Since I took over they’ve been the leaders. They’ve been committed, they’ve been dedicated, they’ve been the leaders in the weight room. They’ve been a main part of all of (our success) the past two years.
“They really learned how to become leaders the past 2-3 years. They really stepped up this year. Losing them is tough. Hopefully they taught the juniors we have coming back enough about the leadership roles and we can be back here again next year.”
Williams Valley’s seniors put together a long list of accomplishments, with some etching their name in the school record book.
On the field Williams Valley’s seniors went 39-11 in their four years, winning three District 11 championships and playing in three PIAA playoff games. They were 22-5 over the past two seasons, winning back-to-back District 11 Class AA titles.
This season they played 14 games, joining the 2016 and 2017 squads as the only Williams Valley teams to advance this deep into the postseason.
“We’ve been playing together our whole lives,” said Crisswell, a standout tight end/defensive end. “Twelve years of playing football together. The chemistry is there, we love each other like family. We are family, all of us are.
“This senior and junior class, we’re always together. We’re hanging out every day. We’re always together, always bonding. We just wanted to get better. It’s a great team.
“This is the farthest we’ve made it in our whole careers,” he continued. “That’s a great feeling. Even though we lost, and that hurts right now, definitely down the road it’s going to feel pretty good.”
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Koons was a four-year fixture on the Vikings’ offensive line, the only returning starter after his sophomore season. He’s been a mentor to Williams Valley’s young linemen, orchestrating summer workouts at the practice field and being a leader in the weight room.
One of those “students,” Koppenhaver excelled as a starting guard on offense.
Koons got choked up after Saturday’s loss since he doesn’t intend to play football at the next level.
“I hope we left an impression on the younger kids,” Koons said. “I want them to continue and go farther than we did … be even better than us.”
Krzyzanowski filled the void left when three-time All-State running back Alex Achenbach graduated after last season.
The 5-11, 155-pound speedster led the area with 67 receptions for 1,254 yards and 17 touchdowns, all single-season school records. He also carried the ball 13 times for 164 yards and three scores, with his 60-yard scamper for a touchdown on a reverse being the deciding play in the Vikings’ District 11 Class AA championship game win over Schuylkill Haven.
Krzyzanowski also excelled as a kickoff and punt returner and had four interceptions on defense. He finished the season with 23 total touchdowns.
“I was in the weight room since football ended last year basically, working on my speed,” Krzyzanowski said. “I was outside running routes all summer long and that really helped me. My coaches … I have to thank my coaches. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Smeltz booted three extra points in Saturday’s game, finishing the season 68-of-76 and giving her a school-record 134 for her career.
READ MORE: Get an in-depth look at Williams Valley senior placekicker Sage Smeltz: https://www.t102sportsnow.com/2024/11/21/splitting-the-uprights-vikings-smeltz-leaves-her-mark-on-football-field-in-classroom/
