4 Richland players among 7 from area on Class 2A all-state football team

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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Four Richland High School players led a crop of seven from the area on the Pennsylvania Football Writers’ Class 2A all-state team.

Richland sophomore quarterback Jacob Regan, junior wide receivers Jamere Christian and Arnold Mugerwa and junior defensive athlete Grayson Mahla were selected from the 12-2 District 6 championship team.

“I’m just really excited for our guys and for our team,” Richland coach Brandon Bailey said. “We always talk about individual awards like this typically come out of team success. When you look who has a lot of players on the all-state team, it’s the state champ in Southern Columbia, it’s the runner-up in Farrell. It’s the teams that go on a deep run into the state playoffs, some people see those kids play. I’m just really happy for our guys and excited. Obviously, they’re all underclassmen and we’re excited for the 2026 season. It’s really a program reward.”

McCort-Carroll Catholic junior cornerback Bentley Bainey, Cambria Heights junior defensive end Bryce Lewis and North Star senior cornerback Bryson Durst were also honored.

Richland junior WR/CB Jamere Christian, WR/FS Arnold Mugerwa

Richland's Jamere Christian (left) celebrates his first-quarter touchdown reception with teammate Arnold Mugerwa against Westmont Hilltop at Herlinger Field in Richland Township Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.

Christian and Mugerwa were two of the three receivers selected in 2A, putting the duo in elite company with 122 combined catches for 2,050 yards and 22 touchdowns.

“It’s really rare to have two kids get 1,000 yards in the same season,” Richland coach Brandon Bailey said. “They’re both such good players. They work so hard every day on their craft. Each and every day in practice, whether it’s offense or defense, they’re going up against each other and making each other better. I think because of that, each of them became all-state-caliber football players.”

Richland at Greater Johnstown – Oct. 3, 2025

Greater Johnstown defenders Anthony Marisa (left) and Maurice Taylor (right) were able to knock the ball loose from Richland's Jamere Christian Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at Trojan Stadium in Johnstown, Pa.

Christian, at 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, totaled 68 receptions for 1,030 yards and 11 touchdowns. He made six or more catches in six different games, including seven receptions for 135 yards and three scores in a Week 10 win against Huntingdon.

At defensive back, he added 23 tackles and three interceptions.

“I think for Jamere, he’s come such a long way in all aspects of being a student-athlete,” Bailey said. “The first nine weeks, he had excellent grades and during the season, he was a great teammate. On the field, he was spectacular in everything he did. I’m just really proud of him and excited for him and his future.”

United Valley vs. Richland | Football

Richland wide receiver Arnold Mugerwa (right) sprints for yards after a catch as United Valley defensive back Ethan Luko gives chase during the second quarter at Herlinger Field in Richland Township on Friday, October 31, 2025.

Mugerwa is 6-4 and 205 pounds. He has nine Football Bowl Subdivision offers from Cincinnati, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Toledo and Virginia Tech. Mugerwa hauled in 54 passes for 1,020 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He totaled six catches for 162 yards and three scores in a Week 5 win over Forest Hills. At free safety, he amassed two interceptions and 36 tackles.

“Arnold’s the most recruitable athlete that’s every come through Richland and probably going to end up being one of the most recruitable athletes that our region has seen,” Bailey said. “He’s a physical specimen as an athlete, can do things that very few other kids can do. The neat thing about Arnold is he’s such a great teammate. He’s such a good worker in the weight room. He’s really the whole package.”

Mugerwa scored both of his team’s touchdowns in a 14-7 District 6 title game win over McCort-Carroll, including a 36-yard pick-six interception return and a 36-yard catch.

“In the district championship game, when you needed it most, he made two huge plays on both sides of the ball to beat a very good Bishop McCort team,” Bailey said.

It was McCort-Carroll’s lone loss of the season after the Crushers beat Richland 31-12 Sept. 11 in Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference play.

Richland sophomore QB/DB Jacob Regan

At 5-10 and 165 pounds, Regan completed 169 of 257 passes (65.8%) for 2,715 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He surpassed 200 passing yards in six games and had at least one touchdown pass in his team’s first 13 games prior to a PIAA quarterfinal loss to Farrell. Regan threw four TD passes in three separate games.

“Jake threw for over 2,700 yards as a sophomore and really had great command of our offense,” Bailey said. “We do a lot of different things on offense. As a coach, I put a lot of pressure on our quarterback to make decisions that will put the ball in our playmakers’ hands. Jake has great command of the offense, distributes the ball to the guy that’s open, whether that’s in the pass game or run game. We were pretty lethal offensively this year, and he was the guy pulling the trigger back there.”

Richland junior ATH/OLB Grayson Mahla, Westmont Hilltop sophomore RB/LB Gavin Torquato

Richland junior ATH/OLB Grayson Mahla (right) wraps up Westmont Hilltop sophomore RB/LB Gavin Torquato during the first quarter at Herlinger Field in Richland Township on Friday, September 5, 2025.

Mahla was named as The Tribune-Democrat’s Defensive Player of the Year. The 5-9 and 195-pound athlete made 157 tackles, with 87 solo stops and 10 tackles for loss of yardage, at outside linebacker. He totaled two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Mahla made 15 tackles in a win over McCort-Carroll as he combined to make 45 stops in three District 6 playoff games. He served as Richland’s quarterback in 2023 and 2024 before injuries ended his seasons. At running back, he carried 147 times for 1,017 yards and 14 touchdowns. Mahla caught nine passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. He scored 15 times and totaled 92 points.

“He loves playing football, whether that’s offense, defense or special teams,” Bailey said of Mahla. “He just makes everybody around him better. That’s why we wanted to focus on getting him out on the field for 48 minutes.”

Bishop McCort-Carroll junior QB/ATH Bentley Bainey

Bishop McCort-Carroll junior quarterback Bentley Bainey looks for room to run in the Greater Johnstown defense during a Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference game at Sargent’s Stadium at the Point in Johnstown, PA., Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.

Bainey is 6-4 and 175 pounds. On defense, he made six interceptions for the 12-1 and LHAC champion Crushers. Bainey broke up eight passes and forced a fumble. He passed for 21 touchdowns, rushed for eight and had one touchdown catch for a role in 30 scores. Bainey passed for 1,493 yards. He averaged 35.8 yards on 12 punts, including a long of 54. Five of his punts landed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

“Coming into the season, we knew that Bentley was going to have a great season because of the way he trained this offseason,” McCort-Carroll coach Tom Smith said. “He’s gone against the best in the passing leagues, had a tremendous summer, and put himself in a position physically with what he had done to his body in the weight room to compete covering the best receivers, not only in the LHAC, but maybe in the state. When you match Bentley up against some of those other guys that we had seen this year, I think he did very, very well. Those are some tremendous receivers that he’s faced.”

Bainey, who has 16 career interceptions, picked off two passes when he opposed Richland and Mugerwa Sept. 11. It was strength against strength in a matchup of two of the better players in the state at their respective positions, according to Smith.

“Going into the first game that we played against Richland, he looked at me and said, ‘I want their best one,’ “ Smith said of Bainey covering Mugerwa. “He said, ‘Mr. Smith, I’m ready for this. He’s really, really good, and I want him one on one.’ That tells you a lot about Bentley Bainey. He wants to go against the best in the league. That’s no disrespect to the Mugerwa boy. In fact, that’s a lot of respect because we think he’s a great player. Bentley wanted to work against him to show everyone that he can cover some of the best kids in the state, if not the country. I believe he can. That was two juniors going at it. That was pretty special to watch Week 4.”

Bainey’s length and football acumen allows him to thrive on an island outside.

In 10 games before injury, opponents only targeted him 21 times and completed five passes.

“It’s his length and his football IQ,” Smith said. “He has a tremendous football IQ. He studies film like no one I’ve ever seen. He studies movement. He knows every step his opponent is going to make. He has advantages because of the talent that God has given him.

“The kid can jump through the ceiling. He’s tall. He’s lanky, and he’s deceiving fast.

“He’s a game-changer in the secondary.”

Cambria Heights junior TE/DE Bryce Lewis

Cambria Heights junior Bryce Lewis (center) tackles a River Valley ball carrier for a loss in second quarter at AmeriServ Bank Field at Cambria Heights Stadium in Patton on Friday, August 29, 2025.

Lewis, at 6-1 and 215 pounds, collected 14 sacks and 38.5 tackles for loss of yardage among his team-high 111 stops. He produced four multi-sack games. Lewis, who totaled 10 or more tackles in seven games, is a three-year starter on a team that went 9-2 in 2025. He supplied five tackles for loss in two separate games. Cambria Heights won District 6 titles in 2023 and 2024 as Lewis learned from his older teammates.

“I think he would be the first to tell you that it’s an award that obviously his teammates helped him get those stats in large part,” said Cambria Heights coach Jarrod Lewis, Bryce’s father. “Especially on defense, you need a full team effort. I think he learned from some really good defensive players last year. He was able to learn from the guys on the defensive line like Braylon Rydbom, Garrett Jasper and Tristan Weakland. I think those guys kind of mentored him and really helped him to grow into the defensive end that he was this year. Obviously having guys on the defensive line this year like James Holtz, Jack Sherwood and Carson Lobick, those were guys that really kind of helped. Football is the ultimate team game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. You need all your teammates to get stats like that.

“He’s an extremely hard worker, a guy that does a lot of work on his own in the weight room and on the field. He’s a student of the game, watches a lot of film. All of those things kind of contributed and came together this year and allowed him to have a really nice season.”

North Star vs. Windber | Football

Windber running back Ike Serenko (right) tries to avoid a tackle by North Star defensive back Bryson Durst during the second quarter at Windber Stadium on Friday, September 19, 2025.

Durst, at 5-9 and 160 pounds, tied for the state lead in interceptions with nine, according to MaxPreps. He was tied with six other players. Durst picked off a pass in seven different games, including two each against Juniata Valley and West Branch.

He totaled 41 tackles and three passes defensed. Durst caught 14 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

“Bryson is a very smart player with great instincts,” North Star coach Bob Landis said. “He has been a three-year starter in the secondary and has been the adjuster for coverages. He has done a great job getting us lined up and has a great nose for the ball when it is in the air.”

Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.

Class 2A Offense Quarterbacks: Brady Shomper, Williams Valley – 5-11, 180 senior; Jacob Regan, Richland – 5-10, 165 sophomore; Aaron Pegues, Farrell – 6-1, 175 junior; Dante Carr, Minersville – 6-4, 225 senior; Yeboa Cobbold, Lansdale Catholic – 6-1, 185 senior; Wyatt Brosious, Bloomsburg – 5-9, 180 senior. Running backs: Juelz Johnson, Farrell – 5-11, 185 senior; Brayden Andrews, Southern Columbia – 5-7, 165 senior; Colton Reber, Schuylkill Haven – 6-1, 210 junior; Vinnie Feliciano, Mercyhurst Prep – 5-10, 181 junior; Jerome Ross III, Steelton-Highspire – 6-2, 195 senior; Brendan Gilliland, Troy – 6-1, 195 senior. Wide receivers: Jamere Christian, Richland – 5-8, 160 junior; Paiten LaPoint, Minersville – 5-10, 170 senior; Arnold Mugerwa, Richland – 6-4, 205 junior. Tight end: Jack Katulis, Bloomsburg – 6-3, 220 senior. Offensive line: Greg Fulmer, Southern Columbia – 5-10, 220 senior; Micah Pesesky, Troy – 6-3, 275 junior; Chase Williams, Schuylkill Haven – 6-3, 342 senior; Sean Slaughenhaupt, Karns City – 5-10, 260 senior; Connor Bogdanski, Apollo-Ridge – 6-3, 330 senior. Athletes: David Naniewicz, Lakeland – 6-3, 215 senior; Cohen Zechman, Warrior Run – 5-7, 165 senior. Defense Defensive Line: John Quinton, Southern Columbia – 6-2, 245 senior; Rhashaud Dunbar, Farrell – 5-10, 180 senior; Terrance Smith, Lansdale Catholic – 6-6, 260 sophomore; Chase Williams, Southern Columbia – 6-3, 195 junior; Bryce Lewis, Cambria Heights – 6-1, 215 junior. Linebackers: Omario Boatwright, Farrell – 5-8, 175 junior; Talon Piatt, Southern Columbia – 5-6, 180 senior; Angel Luciano, Steelton-Highspire – 6-3, 220 senior; Niko Castillo, Schuylkill Haven – 6-2, 220 senior; Deyontay Gillespie, Farrell – 6-0, 185 freshman; Chase Marley, Columbia – 5-10, 175 sophomore. Defensive backs: Da’Ron Barksdale, Steel Valley – 5-11, 190 senior; Dorean Cain, Farrell – 6-0, 180 junior; Bryson Durst, North Star – 5-9, 160 senior; Bentley Bainey, McCort-Carroll – 6-4, 175 junior. Specialist: Connor Anstadt, Hughesville – 6-1, 175 junior. Athletes: Teegan Carroll, Halifax – 6-2, 190 senior; Jadon King-Vincent, Farrell – 5-11, 160 junior; Grayson Mahla, Richland – 5-9, 195 junior. Player of the year: Juelz Johnson, Farrell. Coach of the year: Jim Roth, Southern Columbia. {related_content_uuid}89ce94a1-c2db-4f58-b247-9bf80bc48437{/related_content_uuid}

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