High school football is a week away from an important step in preparation for the 2021 season with the transition from voluntary offseason workouts to the beginning of heat acclimatization Aug. 9.
When the Western Wayne Wildcats report for the start of practice, they will do so with two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-committed players leading the way.
With the official start of preseason practices approaching, Thomas Chernasky and Caden Brungard each announced their verbal commitments to Division I programs via their Twitter accounts during the past week.
Chernasky, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end/linebacker, is headed to the University of Delaware on a scholarship after weighing a series of offseason offers as the most-recruited player in District 2.
Brungard, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound quarterback/free safety, chose to accept an appointment to Army West Point as a football recruit after having the same opportunity at the Air Force Academy as well as an offer to play Ivy League football with the University of Pennsylvania.
Western Wayne finished in a three-way tie for the 2020 Lackawanna Football Conference Division 2 title with Scranton Prep and Valley View after the teams all went 1-1 against each other.
Brungard was a first-team “athlete” on offense and an honorable mention defensive back on the LFC Division 2 team selected by NEPAFootball.com. Chernasky received honorable mention at tight end.
Western Wayne went 5-1, missing out on the District 2 Class 3A championship game in a ratings race with Lakeland and Lake-Lehman in a season shortened by the pandemic.
Brungard was the team’s leading passer, second-leading rusher and was tied for third in tackles.
Chernasky was the leading receiver and tied for sixth in tackles.
Brungard ran for 302 yards and 6 touchdowns while hitting 11 of 23 passes (47.8 percent).
Chernasky caught 4 passes for 70 yards while serving as one of the key blockers for a ground game that was built around Bloomsburg University recruit and NEPAFootball.com District 2 Offensive Player of the Year Zane Janiszewski. The Wildcats averaged 316.2 yards per game and 7.2 per attempt on the ground.
