Schuylkill County Football Scholar-Athlete banquet held

MINERSVILLE – Their feats on the field are well known.

From highlight-reel plays to record-setting performances, they were the moments that turned heads throughout the football season.

But it was their work off the gridiron that was the topic of conversation on Sunday, as scholar athletes from Schuylkill County were honored by the Schuylkill Chapter No. 25 of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

“To be able to represent my school, honestly, there are so many great kids in our school, being able to be a representative of my community and my schoolmates is awesome,” said Tamaqua’s Thad Zuber. “To be able to show what my teachers have taught me, what my coaches have taught me, is just awesome.”

Zuber, along with Marian’s Ryan Cappel and Panther Valley’s David Conde were among a group of standout athletes at the 57th Annual event held at Hillcrest Hall in Minersville.

Tri Valley’s Logan Yoder was named the 2018 Schuylkill County Football Scholar-Athlete. North Schuylkill’s Major Jordan won the award last year.

“Being able to put on this jacket just brings back a lot of memories,” Zuber said of the blue blazer that was presented to all of the student-athletes in attendance. “(These were) the people you look up to when you were younger.

“I’m looking at the list that’s in the bulletin of past winners … and they were all great student-athletes. They were the definition of a student-athlete, and that’s what Logan (Yoder) really is. Talking to him tonight, he’s a great kid; a great scholar; and a great athlete. So being able to put on this jacket, represent my community, really means a lot.”

Zuber, a four-year starter for the football team, played a variety of positions on offense and defense for the Blue Raiders. He finished his high school career with over 2,900 passing yards while also racking up 24 touchdowns through the air.

A 1,000-point scorer for the basketball team, Zuber also excels in baseball. He has played both sports for four years.

In the classroom, Zuber, who is a member of the Math, English, Science and Spanish Honor Societies, ranks fifth in a class of 158. He has been accepted to Ursinus College, Worchester Polytechnical Institute, and Case Western Reserve.

“Nothing comes easy to you,” said Zuber. “The lord’s blessed me with my skills and abilities. But working hard for everything, and staying determined, keeps you a good person.

“From a student-perspective, you want to be sitting in that chair. It’s a ton of fun being able to represent the community. Hard work really pays off. These are the best scholar athletes in the area; these are the greatest kids that are here. You really look up to them.”

Zuber, who takes advanced placement courses in chemistry, calculus, physics, European history and Spanish, will pursue a degree in chemical engineering.

Cappel overcame a near-fatal car crash in 2016, and was the winning pitcher on the Colts’ District 11 championship baseball game last spring. Cappel also was the captain of the football team, where he was a running back on offense, and played safety/linebacker on defense.

“It’s a great honor to be chosen to be this man,” said Cappel, who plans to attend West Point Military Academy. “It feels great.”

After already defying the odds and recovering from his injuries faster than doctors anticipated, Cappel hopes others use his story as an example that size, strength and speed aren’t the only keys to success in sports – or life.

“I want people to take away that it’s not how big you are, or how strong you are,” said Cappel. “Hard work is what gets you through life.

“Hard work and determination. With Marian Catholic, it’s always been really big in that sense, with integrity, and honor. That’s what my biggest takeaway was.”

Conde was a leader at outside linebacker and special teams for the Panthers this past season, though suiting up was never a sure thing.

“Honestly, I wasn’t even planning on playing football earlier in the year,” said Conde. “But Coach (Scott) Price talked to me and changed my mind, and I came out to play. I surprised myself.”

Like Cappel and Zuber, Conde, who has a 95 GPA and has earned distinguished honors taking advance courses in algebra, literature, biology and computer science, knows the value of hard work, both on the field and in the classroom.

“It doesn’t really matter your size,” said Conde, who has been accepted to Wilkes and East Stroudsburg Universities and plans to major in criminology.

“It’s more so your heart, and how much you put into it.”

More than the memories created with their play on the field, it’s the example that Zuber, Cappel and Conde set off of it that will offer the most long-lasting impact after their careers are over.