On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, six Quakertown seniors were recognized for committing to continue their football careers at the collegiate level.
Blake Griesemer – Lock Haven University (Football)
Major: Business
Reason for choosing Lock Haven: “To play football”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I really started thinking about playing college football right after the season was over. It started as coaches from different colleges and universities came to visit my teammates and me.”
Coach George Banas says: “Blake and Anthony (Schiller) are best friends, and because of situations, they live together. They grew up together. Blake is the smiling, happy-faced guy, but on the field, he’s probably the most tenacious player. I think the balance of this team is that some of them had outgoing personalities, some had just straight work ethics and were very businesslike, and you had Blake who was really tenacious. He loved to get after guys on the field. He was a gym rat coming into his junior year and really solidified himself on the offensive line and was able to take on some really tough opponents and showed us that this kid was going to be the real deal his senior year, and he didn’t let us down. The interesting part about Blake is that he seems to be soft and carefree on the outside, but once he steps on the field, there’s a switch, and he goes to that other side.”
About Blake:
Favorite food: Spors
Favorite movie: Den of Thieves
Favorite artist: A$AP Rocky
Dylan Harrison – Wilkes University (Football)
Major: Business Administration
Reasons for choosing Wilkes: “Environment is like home, and it is the brightest option for my future.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “My love for the game and the desire to continue to play at the next level, also to be the first college athlete in my family. I started to really think about playing in college after my last high school game. The recruitment process started by coaches coming in to see me and my teammates all through the winter.”
Coach George Banas says: “Dylan is probably one of the most charismatic kids on this team. Sometimes Dylan gets himself in trouble because of how outgoing he is verbally and physically. He grew up through the process of going through the program – we definitely saw him mature. Even when he still had some slip-ups this year, he was able to acknowledge them and move on instead of just dwelling on them. He grew personally through that experience, and he’s learned quite a bit through the process of playing football and his education here. On the field, he’s dynamic. He’s done some things on defense where he was able to make some plays that I don’t know who else makes for us. He’s deceptive in that. People think they can go at him, and he was able to shut them down. He did a really tremendous job for us this year. People didn’t realize how much he actually did for us until we missed him for a couple games. Then we realized – he made a ton of plays for us. Growing up and learning that actions are sometimes better than words and just do your job – I think he really learned that, especially later on, and has matured into a good young man.”
About Dylan:
Favorite food: Crab Legs
Favorite movie: The Blind Side
Favorite artist: Lil Baby
Freddie Retter – Kutztown University (Football)
Major: Business or Education
Reasons for choosing Kutztown: “Close to home and good football program.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “Junior year I started having conversations with coaches from schools I had interest in.”
Coach George Banas says: “He’s just a man child, he has the biggest hands I’ve shaken from a high school student ever in my life. Kutztown is getting a great one because his work ethic is second to none. He’s a no-nonsense throwback type of player. He doesn’t show a whole lot of emotion. He just does his job, but he does it at such a high level. It’s tremendous. He doesn’t want all the accolades. It’s funny because the kids are like - did he actually celebrate on a play? - because he doesn’t. He’ll get a sack, and he just walks back to the huddle. He started since he was a sophomore and just been a tremendous athlete for us on both sides of the ball. His long snapping was huge – he was key for us on the long snap and then getting down the field and actually being able to cover guys. He’s just a great kid overall. He loves to hunt and fish. I think Kutztown is the perfect match, it really is.”
About Freddie:
Favorite food: Hamburgers
Favorite TV show: Forged in Fire
Favorite music: Rap & Country
Anthony Schiller – Widener University (Football)
Major: Civil Engineering
Reasons for choosing Widener: “Great education and opportunities post grad.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “After my junior season of football, I realized I could play at the next level.”
Coach George Banas says: “Anthony has been through a lot. He lost his mom when he was five, and he just lost his dad after our season ended, so that’s why he was living with Blake. He’s grown 
up and become a man well before he had to because of his situation. Blake’s mom was heaven-sent taking him in, but Anthony’s had to go through things that no other high school kid has had to go through nor should have, so for him to be able to not say, ‘Poor me, I can’t do this because of this.’ He never did it, so that shows the type of person Anthony is that he said, ‘I’m going to persevere through this, no matter what. I don’t care what my situation is, I’m going to become an engineer and become very successful, and I’m going to have a great high school career.’ He’s going to be successful through college. He is the most happy-go-lucky guy to come from that type of situation. His disposition is absolutely phenomenal. I can’t even fathom it. If he can do what he did from that situation, then anybody can get through any situation and still be successful.
“His strength was his attention to detail. He might not have been the biggest or strongest, but he would pay attention to detail, he’d watch film, and he would be that inspirational rally point. He’d be able to talk to players and calm them down. He’d be able to control kids on the field and reel them back in for us. He was a two-way starter and just played extremely well for us and ended up all-league on both sides of the football, which was phenomenal.”
About Anthony:
Favorite food: Spor’s
Favorite TV show: Criminal Minds
Favorite artist: Jack Harlow
Will Steich – Widener University (Football)
Major: Education
Reasons for choosing Widener: “Great campus, good education, and I liked the football program.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I have always wanted to play football for as long as I can.”
Coach George Banas says: “You talk about kids that you coach, and maybe two times in your coaching career you come across kids you have this type of relationship with, and Will’s one of them. Whenever I needed something during the summer, it was Will, and he sort of led the charge. When something wasn’t going right, it was Will who led the charge. He held his best friends accountable all the time. He didn’t care that they were his best friends and they grew up together since fifth grade – he would rip them in the middle of practice in front of everybody if they weren’t doing their job. He’s such an ultra competitor, but he has quirks that are fun to be around. We have a special bond, a special relationship. I’m going to miss him, not only as a football player but just as that kid. He was a three-year starter at quarterback, and I don’t even coach that position, but we just had a natural bond because we’re both competitive, and we both see things through the same lens. I’m able to pull him back sometimes when it needs to happen, and him to me as well. He’s someone I’m going to miss tremendously. He’s pretty special.”
About Will:
Favorite food: Bacon Cheeseburger
Favorite TV show: Criminal Minds
Favorite artist: Yeet
Tyler Woodman – Widener University (Football)
Major: Business & Economics
Reasons for choosing Widener: “Opportunity and the football program.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I have always aspired to play a collegiate sport since I was a kid. The recruiting process started for me junior year after I got some recognition for my playmaking ability.”
Coach George Banas says: “What can I say? He’s the highlight reel – his opening kickoff return was the Triple Hot Play of the Year for WFMZ. It was their top play of the entire season, and that was the first kickoff return of the entire season – week one, pretty much led off the show, and it held up throughout the entire year. A lot of times you’ll get that highlight, and it gets overtaken, but to keep it throughout the entire season and then win it – that’s pretty special. He bounced around some ideas with where he was going to end up. I think it’s a good fit with him being with Anthony (Schiller) and Will (Steich) at Widener. I think they’re going to be really successful between the three of them. He’s going to have the opportunity to play right away, which I think will be key for him. He’s dynamic. He’s more like that Robbie Burns type runner we had in 2015, and we haven’t had that since. It was great to see him be successful on both sides of the field, not just offensively. Then obviously special teams – he was just tremendous. It was just phenomenal to have him on the team.”
About Tyler:
Favorite food: Hot Wings
Favorite movie: Den of Thieves
Favorite artist: Yeezus
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