Hard-nosed linebacker Luke Bombalski of Highlands named Valley News Dispatch defensive player of the year

By: Michael Love
Saturday, December 16, 2023 | 5:09 PM

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Defensive player of the year

Luke Bombalski

Highlands, RB/LB, sr.

Before Highlands’ 2023 season started, Luke Bombalski was asked what his goals were for the season.

The senior two-way standout didn’t point to any type of personal success.

It was team accomplishments he was focused on. A playoff win was what he was after.

While the Golden Rams didn’t secure the WPIAL Class 4A win they hoped for ­— they suffered a tough 28-7 loss to perennial power Central Valley in the first round — Bombalski said the team did a lot of good things, including beating Armstrong and Hampton in back-to-back weeks to close the regular season and clinch a spot in the postseason.

Within the framework of the team game plan, Bombalski had a season to remember.

He was particularly stout on the defensive side of the ball with an Alle-Kiski Valley-best 130 tackles in 11 games.

He was a terror in opponents’ offensive backfield and recorded 11 sacks, tied for the team lead with fellow senior Brennan Haidze.

Bombalski made a team-best 20 tackles and recorded a sack in a 17-15 win over Armstrong and then produced 11 stops in the 42-26 triumph over Hampton that clinched the playoff berth from the Greater Allegheny Conference.

“I felt I had a pretty good year and was able to accomplish a lot of what I wanted to do,” Bombalski said. “All of the work I did to get ready for the season paid off. I think the biggest thing for me was being comfortable. I had two seasons at linebacker before this season. I’ve always gotten better in being able to understand the game more. I felt I was moving faster and was able to read plays faster. That really helped a lot.”

As a consistent defender throughout the season and for the impact he made from the preseason right through to the playoffs, Bombalski is the Valley News Dispatch Defensive Player of the Year.

Bombalski is recognized after earning VND second-team honors as a junior.

He was quick to point to what he called a total team effort in making things happen defensively from the line up front in the trenches to his fellow linebackers on the inside and outside and the defensive backs who made key plays all over the field.

“Luke was one of the hardest- working kids I’ve ever seen with his toughness and how locked in he always was,” Highlands coach Matt Bonislawski said. “He was a true leader for us. He would led by example with the way he approached practices and how he would be ready for games. He did anything we asked of him and did whatever he could for the overall success of the team. He would give 100 percent on every play.

“He was a guy who would always stay positive through any adversity and would look for the next opportunity to be successful for himself and for the team.”

Bombalski was not only an impact player on the defensive side of the ball. He made things happen offensively, where he finished 13 rushing yards shy of 1,000 for the season.

He averaged 6.1 yards a carry and totaled 13 touchdowns on the ground.

Bombalski’s play has garnered the attention of numerous college coaches and scouts who would like to add him to their program.

“I am still working some things out and seeing what I like the most,” said Bombalski, who cites Washington & Jefferson, Marietta, Westminster, Edinboro and Clarion among the schools that lead the way in his recruitment process.

“I like going to schools and seeing what they have to offer. It is a big decision.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Highlands