Individual talent doesn’t always equate to team success, but it’s hard to bet against the sheer number of talented individuals the Susquehanna Township Tribe are projected to bring to the high school gridiron this fall.
We’ve been tasked with determining the Top 10 players to watch in the Colonial Division this season, and even with the graduation of the division’s Defensive Player of the Year in Ka’seemh Singleton Brown, we find ourself with a list just chock full of ‘Hanna stars.
How many Tribe standouts made it into our Top 10? That’s for you to find out in the week to come as we reveal two standouts to watch in the Colonial each day. Stick with 4th Down Magazine as we continue to preview the upcoming Mid-Penn Conference season.
10. George Hartwick, Middletown, LB
With the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Hartwick patrolling from the middle LB position for Middletown, the high-motor Colonial Division Second Teamer had an opportunity to impact the game on every snap last fall, and he often did.
Compiling 87 tackles to go along with a caused fumble and a pass defense in 2024, Hartwick plays with aggression and brings the wood. He excels at reading plays and making contact at the line of scrimmage with solid, fundamental tackles. Hartwick isn’t an LB that can be picked on in the passing game, either, as he can hold his own in one-on-one coverage and snag down receivers with shoestring tackles. Hustle is a trademark of Hartwick’s game, as is playing until the whistle.
Hartwick doubles as a long snapper, where he boasts a fast and clean release.
9. Turner Barlup, East Pennsboro, QB
It’s difficult to find film on the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Barlup, but the numbers do a fine job of telling the story of his breakout season as a junior QB last fall.
A Colonial Division Honorable Mention selection, Barlup had an accurate campaign in his first full season as the signal caller for the Panthers, completing 68 percent of his passes (93 of 136) for 1,458 yards, 14 TDs, and two interceptions.
Wearing the No. 13 and projected to have a talented corps of receivers at his disposal, Barlup will be eager to prove that his standout 2024 season was no stroke of luck.
8. Steph Malette, Susquehanna Township, DB
Malette earned the respect of his opponents in the Colonial Division last season, with the 5-foot-6, 140-pound sparkplug nailing down a First Team spot on the division’s defensive All-Star squad.
Manning both the free and strong safety positions, Malette can cover a lot of ground in a hurry and excels at creating angles to cut down ballcarriers. He hustled around the field for 60 tackles last fall. Possessing the hops to jump through a ceiling, Malette forces QBs to think twice about throwing in his direction after a 2024 season that saw him defend five passes and register an interception.
Look for Malette to have an even bigger impact as a junior this season, with increasing responsibilities as a returner, special teams, and RB.
7. Jarrett Kern, Susquehanna Township, WR
Kern, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound speedster, enters his senior season as the No. 1 receiver for a ‘Hanna offense guided by one of the top QBs in all of the Mid-Penn Conference: Torin Evans.
That means Kern will have more opportunities than ever to make plays, and judging by the film we’ve seen, he could very well have a breakout season after hauling in 45 catches for 601 yards and eight TDs last fall. A Second Team selection to the All-Colonial Division squad in 2024, Kern brings plenty of speed to the table with a time of 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
His speed, coupled with solid acceleration and sharp route-running, make him a threat both in the slot and out wide. Kern’s skill set is rounded out with hands that can make catches out of position, and a phsyical style of blocking that can absolutely punish DBs.
The stage is set for Kern to have a monster final season on the high school gridiron, and could very well improve his stock in college recruitment, where he’s generated interest from several Division I programs but has received just one offer, from Akron.
6. Samuel Mulbah, Trinity, DL
Size, speed, and power: Mulbah, a UMass commit, has it all.
The 6-foot-3, 255-pound DL is a game-wrecker in the trenches who generates such a push that he can disrupt a play from the very start. Mulbah is strong enough to weather the storm of a double team and needs just one hand, if that, to pull down a ballcarrier in the midst of the chaos.
Even as opponents dedicate their best resources toward neutralizing Mulbah, he can still use his length to bat down passes and often breaks through the line, anyway. Boasting a 40-yard dash time of 4.86 seconds, Mulbah can power his way to the backfield in a hurry. In a junior season that concluded with a selection to the Colonial Division Second Team, Mulbah totaled 43 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss and three sacks, to go along with a fumble recovery.
5. Jayden Riley, Susquehanna Township, DL
Susquehanna Township has its own version of William “Refrigerator” Perry — with perhaps a touch of Jerome Bettis — in the 5-foot-11, 280-pound Riley, who totaled an absurd five TDs on just eight carries for seven yards last fall.
While we could go on and on about Riley’s adventures as a primarily blocking fullback, it was his work on the defensive line that earned him a First Team selection on the Colonial Division All-Star squad. Speedy and strong with a good sense of the backfield, Riley’s not just there to chew up space for the LBs to make plays, he’s talented enough to split double teams and gobble up runners all on his own. Riley has enough power to overwhelm most blockers at the high school level, and has a knack for making plays on the ball after recording two fumble recoveries and two pass defenses last fall. He added 58 tackles, including six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, to go along with four QB hurries.
Playing on what could be an elite defense for the Tribe, look for continued defensive production from Riley, and maybe even a goal-line TD or two.
4. Marcus Yeager, Trinity, DL/TE
It’s been a fast rise up the ranks for the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Yeager, a Richmond commit who just started playing football two years ago.
It not only take brains — which Yeager has plenty of with a 3.8 GPA and membership in the National Honor Society — to pick up the varsity game at such a fast pace, it also takes some talent. Yeager put his skills on full display last fall, with the junior earning a First Team selection in the Colonial Division as a DE and Second Team honors as a TE.
Yeager is a force on the defensive side of the ball who has such a quick burst that he often appears to know the snap count better than the man assigned to block him. A steady attacker, Yeager excels at keeping blockers at bay with extended arms and using his height advantage to read the play in front of him. Once he’s made his read, Yeager has the strength to simply discard his blocker to one side or another and finish the job, whether that requires making a tackle or deploying his leaping skills to bat down passes. The Shamrocks stud compiled 57 tackles last season, including four sacks, and recovered a fumble.
On the offensive side of the ball, it’s imperative for opposing defenses to identify where Yeager is on the field. He’s a monster blocker as a TE, who also showed flashes as a pass catcher with 22 catches for 289 yards and two TDs. Yeager can also split out to wide receiver, where in open space he can juke away defenders or just overwhelm them altogether.
3. Logan Jerry, Milton Hershey, Athlete
Jerry electrified as a sophomore last fall, with the 5-foot-10, 155-pound QB averaging 15.6 yards per carry to establish himself as one of the biggest home run threats in the Colonial Division.
Boasting superior acceleration combined with runaway speed, Jerry can zip through smallest of openings and quickly leave defenders in the rear view mirror. He totaled 985 yards and 14 TDs on just 63 carries in 2024, with the slippery back shaking off would-be tacklers and making them look foolish with his ability to make sharp cuts.
A First Team selection in the Colonial as an athlete, Jerry showed some potential as a signal caller last year, completing 24 of 56 passes for 316 yards and four TDs, against one interception. As a cornerback, Jerry posted 20 tackles, including a sack, and caused a fumble.
If Jerry can continue to develop as a QB this fall, he has the potential to be a contender for Player of the Year honors in the Colonial.
2. Yendor Mack, Susquehanna Township, DL/OL
What happens when you combine an unstoppable force with an immovable object? Well, you get something like Yendor Mack, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound trench warrior who is committed to play at UMass next season.
Mack can plug into any spot on the offensive and defensive lines and the Colonial Division recognized this, naming Mack a First Teamer on both sides of the ball.
Mack plays like a man among boys and when he competes on the offensive line, it’s almost unfair the advantage he has by knowing the snap count. With overwhelming strength, Mack has made a habit out of steamrolling the opposition, while his quick feet enable him to neutralize even the most relentless of pass rushers.
Mack is just as effective on defense, where he often lines up on all fours before taking souls in the trenches. Last season he he racked up 76 tackles last fall, including four tackles for loss and one sack, to go along with one QB hurry and one pass defense. Even with double teams, it’s difficult to maintain a block on Mack, who can rip a man to the ground or send him flying into the air.
1. Torin Evans, Susquehanna Township, QB
You’d be hard-pressed to find another athlete in the Mid-Penn with a more accurate nickname than Susquehanna Township’s Torin “TD” Evans, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound QB who has accounted for 66 touchdowns — 51 passing and 15 rushing — over the course of his career.
He was named the Colonial Division’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior last fall after completing 64 percent of his passes (168 of 264) for 2,562 yards, 29 TDs, and four INTs. Also an effective runner, Evans registered 55 carries for 357 yards and eight TDs last season.
Evans, a southpaw with a strong arm and an easy-throwing motion, loves to vertically stretch the field with the deep ball. He excels when he can stand tall in the pocket, identify openings, and deliver smooth strikes. With that said, Evans is most exciting to watch under pressure, when he uses his legs to buy more time or pick up positive rushing yardage. Like Harry Houdini, Evans has a knack for escaping the jaws of certain disaster.
Evans, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds, is a slippery runner who has excellent instincts as a ballcarrier and is smart enough to slide to avoid taking damage.
With Evans running the show, ‘Hanna will have a chance to win every time it steps on the field in 2025.
Honorable Mention: Josh Nengite (Susquehanna Township, LB, 6-3, 193), Noah Shifflett (Greencastle-Antrim, LB, 5-10, 180), Jasani Brown (Susquehanna Township, DB, 6-3, 175), Raj Collotia (East Pennsboro, K, 5-10, 210), Mason Boyer (Trinity, QB), Rakhi Seville (Susquehanna Township, RB, 5-9, 175), Maddox Jarzynski (Trinity, WR, 6-3), Dameon Reese (Trinity, DL, 6-3, 300), Luis Roman (Middletown, DB, 6-0, 190), Adam Yoder (West Perry, DB), Landen Mayer (Big Spring, K), Nickayus Zenon (Middletown, WR, 5-10, 172), Luke Serino (Trinity, OL, 6-1, 210), Mason Mellott (Greencastle-Antrim, OL, 5-10, 210), Henry Ridgley (East Pennsboro, OL, 5-11, 240), Christian Harter (East Pennsboro, C, 5-11, 230).