As the 2024 WPIAL high school football season approaches, the Beaver County Times is kicking off its preseason coverage with a list of top players in the area. From Division I prospects, to all-state talents, there are an abundance of stars that will take the field on Friday nights in the Beaver Valley. Throughout this next week, The Times will be ranking the top 40 players in our coverage area. We start our list with numbers 40-31.
No. 40. Kingston Krotec, Hopewell
Position: QB
Graduation Year: 2026
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 160 lbs.
About: Krotec looks to take a big stride forward as the quarterback enters his junior season. After a rough sophomore campaign where the Vikings mustered just one win on the season against New Brighton, Krotec looks to come in refreshed in his third season under center for Hopewell. In five games last season, Krotec completed 37 percent of his passes for 499 yards and connected with his receivers three times in the end zone. In his career, the junior has thrown for 1,165 yards and 11 touchdowns.
More: Beaver County team-by-team football schedules for 2024 season
No. 39. Tyler Heckathorn, Blackhawk
Position: WR/DE/LB
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 195 lbs.
About: Heckathorn’s season was cut short last season after suffering a season-ending injury at the beginning of the 2023 season. The rising senior appeared in just two games last season recording two receptions for 48 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Heckathron recorded six total tackles in two games. The senior will look to help the Cougars improve from a rough season last year where Blackhawk posted a 1-9 record and a 1-6 record in a tough WPIAL Class 4A Parkway conference.
No. 38. Zach Hare, Riverside
Position: WR/DE
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 190 lbs.
About: Hare might have strengths on the mound and at the plate during baseball season, but the senior also has made his mark with the Panthers on the gridiron. Last season, Hare hauled in 22 passes for 430 yards while finding the end zone once. With Rob Magnifico now at the helm, Hare will look to take another step forward this season and emerge as one of the Panther's top targets.
No. 37. Robert Janis, Riverside
Position: RB
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 215 lbs.
About: Janis was a workhorse for the Panthers last season as a junior as he rushed for 916 yards and 12 touchdowns on 143 carries. Throughout the season, Janis averaged 114 yards per game while also averaging six yards per carry. Janis hopes to help get Riverside back to its winning ways after the Panthers posted a 1-8 record overall and a 1-6 record in conference play last season.
No. 36. QaLil Goode
Position: DB
Graduation Year: 2026
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 150
About: Goode looks to pick up right where he left off last season on the defensive side of the ball where he snatched three interceptions in Aliquippa’s domains 60-14 win over Dallas at Chapman Field in December to help claim the school’s fifth state title in program history. Goode picked off Dallas quarterback Brady Zapoticky three times in the first half with one coming in the first quarter and two in the second quarter of play. His final interception was a pick-six as he ran the ball back 87 yards for the score. On the season appearing in just eight games, Goode finished with six interceptions and three touchdowns.
No. 35. Ray Miller, Aliquippa
Position: QB/CB
Graduation Year: 2026
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 170 lbs.
About: Miller transfers into the Aliquippa program after spending the first two seasons of his high school career at Seton LaSalle High School where he spent the majority of last season under center for the Rebels while also playing in the secondary as a defensive back on the defensive side of the ball. Miller should make a sizable impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Quips as he joins fellow junior QaLil Goode in the secondary.
No. 34. Brock Stickley
Position: C/LB/LS
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 210 lbs.
About: Stickley was a force for West Allegheny on the defensive side of the ball at the linebacker position last season racking up 61 total tackles in 10 games last season which included three tackles for a loss and one sack earning first-team all-conference honors last season. Not only is Stickley impressive on the defensive side of the ball but he is even more impressive with the Indians special team’s unit. Stickley is the team’s long snapper and has attended several Kohl’s Professional Camps which is one of the top resources for college exposure of high school kickers, punters and long snappers. After attending several Kohl’s camps, Stickley is ranked the third-best long snapper in Pennsylvania and the 51st-best long snapper in the country rated at 4.5 stars.
More: Pennsylvania high school football: Key dates for the 2024 season
No. 33. Dennis Harris, Western Beaver
Position: DT/NG
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 235 lbs.
About: Harris impressed last season for the Golden Beavers on the defensive line as he recorded 65 tackles and seven sacks along with four forced fumbles and 12 tackles for a loss. Harris helped his Western Beaver squad to a 7-5 overall record and a 5-2 record in WPIAL Class 2A Midwestern Conference play.
No. 32. Qualan Cain Beaver Area
Position: RB/DB
Graduation Year: 2025
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 190 lbs.
About: Cain is one of the plethora of returning starters that the Bobcats will bring back this season as they look to make a deep run at the postseason and potentially compete for a WPIAL title in November. In nine games during his junior season, Cain racked up 990 yards on 131 carries averaging 7.6 yards per carry and 110 yards per game.
No. 31. Jonathan Pashuta, Beaver Area
Position: OL
Graduation Year: 2026
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 250
About: Pashuta earned Western Hills all-conference honors this past season for the Bobcats as he helped the Beaver Area offense soar to new heights in the 2023 season. Now back for his junior campaign, Pashuta returns looking to continue his dominance on the line as the Bobcats return a number of their starters entering into the 2024 season.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: The Times' Top 40 Football Players in the Beaver Valley: 40-31
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