OBSERVER File Photo by Tim Frank
Fredonia senior Francesca Pucci was named a Division 2 South First-Team All-Star at running back.
Fredonia’s memorable flag football season wrapped up at Highmark Stadium on May 20 with a loss to Pioneer in the Section VI Division 2 crossover game.
The Hillbillies had already clinched the Division 2 South sectional crown and the blue patch that is awarded to all Section VI champions.
Now, eight Fredonia student-athletes have received a little more recognition for their milestone seasons as they were named Division 2 South all-stars by the league’s coaches.
Ella Koopman, Francesca Pucci and Keiliany Diaz were named to the league’s First-Team Offense, while Elizabeth Morris, Lily Runkel and Paige Elliott were named to the league’s First-Team Defense. Ashlynn Delcamp and Natalia DiPalma were also honorable-mention selections.
Southwestern and Dunkirk each had a pair of players recognized with honorable-mention status in the Trojans’ Mallory Atwater and Avery Casselman as well as the Marauders’ Molly DiCara and Shyla Karin.
OBSERVER File Photo by Tim Frank
Fredonia senior Keiliany Diaz was named a Division 2 South First-Team All-Star at wide receiver
Koopman, the Hillbillies’ senior quarterback, threw for 1,338 yards and 28 touchdowns while also rushing for 997 yards and 20 touchdowns. She added 46 flag pulls, including two tackles for a loss and a sack, while also intercepting a pass and defending 16 others. Pucci, a senior running back, ran for 1,289 yards and 13 touchdowns while picking up 90 yards receiving and four touchdowns. She chipped in 18 flag pulls, including a sack, and defended two passes. Diaz, a senior wide receiver, had 589 yards and 13 touchdowns receiving to go along with 277 yards rushing and three touchdowns. She tacked on three flag pulls and an interception.
Defensively, Hillbillies junior defensive end Elizabeth Morris had 47 flag pulls, including 30 sacks and nine tackles for a loss. Senior defensive end Lily Runkel had 37 flag pulls, including 16 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss to go along with three passes defended. Freshman cornerback Paige Elliott had a Section VI-leading 13 interceptions and returned two for touchdowns to go along with 11 passes defended, 43 flag pulls, two tackles for a loss and a sack. She also had 124 rushing yards and a touchdown to go along with 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Delcamp, a senior center, had 329 yards receiving and six touchdowns, while DiPalama, a junior running back, had 717 yards rushing and nine touchdowns to go along with 57 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
Atwater, a junior running back, caught two touchdowns and ran for another, while Casselman, a senior quarterback, threw for two touchdowns and ran for another for the Trojans.
Statistics were not available for the two Dunkirk representatives.
OBSERVER File Photo
Fredonia freshman Paige Elliott, left, was named to the Division 2 South First Team as a cornerback.
Pioneer’s Gretchen Rumfola was named the league’s Player of the Year. The senior quarterback/defensive back threw for 1,256 yards and 28 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,316 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Panthers, who won the sectional title before losing to Bishop Kearney 26-25 in the Far West Regional.
Rumfola was joined on the First-Team Offense by three teammates: sophomore running back Jayden Leederman, junior wide receiver Shay Edwards and sophomore tight end Abigail Mason. On the First-Team Defense for Pioneer were: sophomore defensive end Lilly Kless and junior cornerback Emma Watson.
Other members of the First-Team Offense were: Depew sophomore wide receiver Viaira Arroyo, Depew freshman wide receiver Ashley Codr, Iroquois freshman center Mya Williams, Iroquois senior tight end Tiana Schelbe and Hamburg junior utility player Olivia Luniewski.
Other members of the First-Team Defense were: Iroquois senior linebacker Sam Current, Lackawanna senior linebacker Diarah Dilbert, Lackawanna junior linebacker JaViyah Owens, Iroquois freshman cornerback Ava Drabik, Hamburg eighth-grade safety Paige Garland and Lackawanna senior safety NaRiyah Jones.
Pioneer’s Chris Edwards was named the Coach of the Year and the Depew Wildcats earned the Sportsmanship Award.
OBSERVER File Photo
Dunkirk quarterback Molly DiCara, right, was an honorable-mention selection.