A-K Valley football players to watch in Week Zero

By: Michael Love
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 | 6:39 PM

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Jake Blumer

Leechburg, sr., RB/OLB

The Blue Devils hope to begin this season the way they kicked off last year — with a victory over rival Apollo-Ridge. Expect Blumer, Leechburg’s leading rusher last year, to be at the heart of the gameplan on both sides of the ball. Last year, he rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns and returned a fumble for another score in the upset of the Vikings.

Reed Martin

Plum, jr., WR/DB

There is optimism in the land of the Mustangs, and Martin is a main piece of the gameplan on both sides of the ball. He earned second-team all-conference honors last year at defensive back as the young Plum squad found its way through a challenging conference schedule. Martin also snagged 10 passes for 121 yards against Latrobe.

Keighton Reese

Apollo-Ridge, jr., WR/DB

A major target when Apollo-Ridge goes to the air, Reese led the Vikings last year with 311 receiving yards. He started out the season with three grabs for 64 yards against the Blue Devils. Reese also finished 2018 as Apollo-Ridge’s leading tackler with 73 stops.

Wahkeem Roman

Highlands, jr., OT/DE

At 6-foot-5 and 286 pounds, Roman is hard to miss for the Golden Rams. He is part of an experienced offensive line with four starters back from last year. He also hopes to be a disruptive force in the defensive trenches for a Highlands team seeking to avenge a 32-14 loss in last year’s Week Zero matchup with Plum.

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: Apollo-Ridge, Highlands, Leechburg, Plum