St. Francis football team signs 13 players
LORETTO, Pa.
The St.
Francis University football team announced the addition of 13 players to the signing class of 2025.
The student-athletes inked their National Letter of Intent Wednesday as part of the early signing period.
"Signing day is a cornerstone of our program's future," St.
Francis coach Chris Villarrial said.
"It is the process of countless hours of hard work by our staff, the families, and most importantly, these young men who have chosen to trust us with their development.
Today, we celebrate their commitment, not just to football, but to becoming part of something bigger.
We are building a championship culture, and these players are the foundation of what is to come." St.
Francis welcomes running back Josiah Bryson; wide receiver Lukas Gilland; offensive linemen Hunter Albright, Kevin Evehe, Nate Hampton and Wyatt Maines; defensive lineman Darian Slaughter; linebacker Cameron Kiersch; safeties Hunter Giacomo and Arison Walker; and defensive backs Anthony Gengarella, Darian Nelson and Ky'Mir Williams.
Albright is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman from Hollidaysburg.
He was a member of a Hollidaysburg team that went 13-1 in 2024 and advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals.
"Hunter plays with an edge and nastiness that every offensive line coach is looking for," offensive line coach Cullen Casey said.
"I am excited for the energy and attitude he will bring to the group." Bryson is a 5-9, 200-pound running back from Stafford, Virginia.
Bryson rushed for over 1,000 yards in his junior season at Colonial Forge and helped the Eagles to a 10-3 record this season.
Bryson earned first-team all-district and second-team all-region honors while at Colonial Forge.
He won a regional championship with the Eagles.
Bryson also ran track and field for Colonial Forge and is a member of the honor roll.
He intends to major in sports management.
"Josiah is a talented young back who has good vision and cuts well," running backs coach Josh Hutchinson said.
"He is a dynamic player when he gets the ball in his hands.
I look forward to watching him grow as a running back here at St.
Francis." Evehe stands at 6-6 and 305 pounds and is from Randallstown, Maryland.
He was an all-county selection at left tackle and is a regional champion with Randallstown High School.
He intends to major in business.
Evehe was a team captain for the Rams.
He is a multi-sport athlete as well, lettering in basketball.
Evehe has been an honor roll student in high school.
"Kevin is a mountain of a man who will help us protect the blindside of the quarterback for years to come," Casey said.
"His ability to compete both on the field and in the classroom made him a perfect fit for the Red Flash family." Gengarella is a 5-10 and 175-pound defensive back from Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland.
Gengarella was an all-district and all-conference selection in his junior and senior seasons at Northwest High School.
He led the Jaguars in tackles during both seasons and won letters in all four years at Northwest.
Gengarella has also lettered in track and field as a sprinter.
He has been on the honor roll every semester of his high school career.
He intends to major in business.
"Anthony is an all-around athlete who continued to make plays for Northwest in all three phases of the game," defensive coordinator Jacob Craig said.
"We look forward to continuing the success had by Northwest defensive backs here at St.
Francis." Giacomo stands at 5-11 and 190 pounds from Charleston, West Virginia.
Giacomo was a team captain for George Washington and a three-time first-team all-conference selection for the Patriots.
Over the course of his career, Giacomo started 46 games, recorded 365 total tackles, three interceptions and a defensive touchdown.
Giacomo added 62 catches for 852 yards, 1,594 all-purpose yards and 13 total touchdowns.
Giacomo earned three letters in baseball at George Washington and is a member of the National Honor Society.
His father, Butch, played college football at the NAIA level.
Giacomo intends to major in business administration.
"Hunter has consistently been ranked as one of the top linebackers in the state of West Viriginia," Craig said.
"The combination of his willingness to fit the run and his athletic ability is why we are excited to work with him at safety." Gilland is a 6-1, 190-pound wideout from Mineral City, Ohio.
Gilland hauled in 141 catches for 2,400 yards and 32 touchdowns at Sandy Valley.
He totaled 3,250 all-purpose yards.
Gilland was a three-time all-state selection as a receiver and a four-time all-county selection as a defensive back.
Gilland also earned three letters in basketball and two letters in track and field.
He was an all-district selection in basketball.
Hampton stands at 6-3 and 290 pounds and goes to DeMatha Catholic in Maryland.
The offensive lineman was a member of a Stags team that went 10-1 in 2024 and won the WCAC championship.
Hampton helped DeMatha make the WCAC championship game in each of his final three seasons.
"Nate is a glass eater," Casey said.
"His physicality will show up in the run game, but he is able to redirect with quick hand placement in the pass game." Kiersch is a 6-0, 220-pound linebacker from Danville Area High School.
Kiersch recorded 479 total tackles, 48 stops for loss, seven sacks, eight interceptions and four blocked kicks over the course of his career at Danville.
He was a three-time all-state and all-conference selection as a linebacker and was named The Daily Item linebacker of the year.
Kiersch won four District 4 championships with the Ironmen and was a team captain.
Kiersch holds the Danville Area record for tackles in a season with 170 in 2024 and is second in school history in career stops.
He also lettered in lacrosse four times and was a first-team all-district selection and named The Daily Item MVP in the sport.
Kiersch is a member of the National Honor Society and intends to major in physical therapy.
"We are excited to welcome Cameron to the Red Flash family," linebackers coach Ben Bruni said.
"Cameron is coming to us from a great program at Danville Area High School.
Cameron is an extremely versatile linebacker who has a nose for the football.
Cameron is great in coverage and an elite tackler and are pumped up to have him join our room." Maines stands at 6-5 and 275 pounds from Hollidaysburg.
Maines was an all-district selection at Hollidaysburg and won district and subregional championships.
He also wrestled and was a member of the track and field team at Hollidaysburg Area.
He won the American Citizenship Award.
Maines intends to major in business.
His sister, Brooke, is a sophomore on the cheer team at St.
Francis.
"Wyatt brings a versatility to the offensive line that will pay dividends early in his career," Casey said.
"He is a two-way player from Hollidaysburg and his athleticism and size will help bolster our group." Nelson is a 6-1, 190-pound defensive back from Plum Senior High School.
Nelson made 161 total tackles, 13 stops for loss, four interceptions and three forced fumbles at Plum.
He registered seven sacks over his junior and senior seasons, as well as three blocked field goals.
Nelson is three-time first-team all-conference selection for the Mustangs.
He also lettered in track and field and basketball.
He intends to major in global affairs.
"Darian is an all-around athlete who played multiple positions on offense and defense for Plum this season," Craig said.
"We're excited to see his athletic play in the secondary for years to come." Slaughter stands at 6-3 and 250 pounds as a defensive lineman at Plum Senior High School.
Slaughter finished his career at Plum with 146 tackles, 35 stops for loss and 23 sacks.
Over his final two seasons, he forced five fumbles.
Slaughter has earned a first-team all-conference selection and a second-team all-conference selection while playing for the Mustangs.
Slaughter is on the honor roll at Plum and intends to major in criminal justice.
He also played basketball.
"Darian is a big athletic lineman that played both offensive and defensive line for Plum," Craig said.
"We're excited not only about his ability to rush the passer, but his ability to also be strong in the run game." Walker stands at 5-9 and 170 pounds from Aliquippa High School.
Walker was a two-way player at Aliquippa, making 65 tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions in his senior year.
On the other side of the ball, he added 30 catches for 468 yards and seven total touchdowns.
Walker was a first-team all-conference selection on both sides of the ball and was also an all-state selection.
While at Aliquippa, Walker won three District 7 championships and two state titles.
Walker is a member of the National Honor Society and is class president for 2025.
He intends to major in finance.
He also played baseball and basketball for the Quips.
"Arison joins our safety room coming from a historic Pennsylvania program," Craig said.
"Arison played pivotal roles in all three phases at Aliquippa and we're excited for his future on defense and special teams moving forward." Williams is a 5-11, 185-pound defensive back from Harrisburg High School.
Williams was a part of a secondary that helped Harrisburg finish 11-3 overall and 8-1 in conference on the year.
Willaims and the Cougars made it all the way to the 2024 PIAA Class 6A semifinals.
"Ky'Mir is a ball hawk that flies around on the defensive side of the ball," Craig said.
"He played a key role in the playoff push Harrisburg had this season and we're excited for his future at St.
Francis." (c)2024 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC..
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