Hughesville tight end Bryce Pardoe was the lone area first-team pick for any of the four teams chosen for the Pennsylvania sports writers all-state football team, released last Wednesday. Four other area players earned second team honors, all in Class AA. They are Hughesville’s Chet Ritter, Loyalsock’s Stephen Stopper and Mike Kinney, Montoursville’s Blake Berresford, and North Penn’s Graeme Zaparzynski.

This team is a successor of the Associated Press all-state teams, which had been compiled for decades but discontinued for the 2009 season. The AP withdrew sponsorship in part out of ethical concerns, similar to how the AP withdrew its Top 25 college football poll from the Bowl Championship Series. This team was voted on by Pennsylvania sports writers just like the old AP?one, but was spearheaded by Rod Frisco, a recently retired longtime sports writer at the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

Pardoe, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior, was first team Class AA offense after catching 19 passes for 349 yards and 9 touchdowns. He had two three-touchdown games for the Spartans, who finished 10-2 after falling in the District 4 Class AA semifinals. One of those three-TD games came vs. Bloomsburg. Pardoe also made an acrobatic one-handed catch against Loyalsock late in that game. “We were just rushing around near the end and trying to get a play called,” said Pardoe. “The coaches showed confidence in me. D.J. (Foresman) put it up there, I tried to make a play for it, and it turned out good for us.” Pardoe said he isn’t sure of his college plans, but said he’s been accepted in some places and would like to study materials engineering while playing football.

Ritter, a 6-foot-2, 290-pound senior, helped Hughesville rush for 3,329 yards in 2009 and blocked for quarterback D.J. Foresman, who threw for 19 touchdowns. A rash of injuries prevented Hughesville from having multiple 1,000-yard backs.