2024 Trib HSSN Preseason Football All-Star Team: Central Catholic’s Elijah Faulkner

By: Giustino Racchini
Thursday, August 1, 2024 | 4:37 PM

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Elijah Faulkner won a WPIAL title last spring as the league’s long jump champion, but the Central Catholic senior wants gold in football, too.

As one of the more explosive athletes on the football team, the running back has spent his summer working toward that goal.

“I just want to sharpen my skills and become more polished as a running back overall,” said Faulkner, a 5-foot-10, 190-pound rusher. “In terms of goals, I want to rush for more yards, but at the same time we want to win a championship and that’s the main goal for us.”

Faulkner solidified his place as one of the top running backs in the WPIAL by compiling 1,426 rushing yards on 194 carries and scoring 25 total touchdowns last season.

Those numbers earned him first-team all-conference honors and drew college offers from Division I schools. He visited one of those schools, Eastern Michigan, in June.

Faulkner also proved his athleticism when he edged Penn State-bound teammate Xxavier Thomas to win the long jump at the WPIAL track and field championships in May.

For the upcoming football season, the message and the goals are very clear for Faulkner.

“We’re doing well, but we’re not there yet and we still have a lot of work to do,” he said. “But we just gotta keep coming to practice every day and wanting to be here instead of just participating because at the end of the day it’s a complete difference.”

That sentiment around the Central Catholic football program is profound this year after falling just short of a WPIAL championship as runner-up the past three seasons. Behind Faulkner, Thomas and a host of other Division I-bound players, expectations are again high under second-year coach Ryan Lehmeier.

Faulkner is reaping the benefits of a system installed by Lehmeier, who had a 1,000-yard, 10-touchdown season during his time as a four-year letterman running back at Slippery Rock.

“He’s the best coach I could ever ask for because his offensive mind is just out of nowhere, and it’s better than anything I’ve ever seen before honestly,” Faulkner said.

If Central Catholic goes on a deep playoff run this season, don’t be surprised if it’s the legs of Faulkner that guide the Vikings through the key moments of the season.

Elijah Faulkner

Central Catholic

Senior

5-foot-10/190 pounds

Running back

Committed to: Undecided

Division I offers: Central Michigan, Cornell, Eastern Michigan, Fordham, Furman, Howard, Navy, Villanova, Youngstown State

2023 statistics: Rushed for 1,426 yards on 194 carries (7.4 yards per carry) and scored 25 touchdowns

Highlights: Hudl

Tags: Central Catholic